Commercial history
Today, there is only one brand of Plymouth-style gin, the Plymouth brand, which is produced at the Distillery in Devon. It is the only remaining gin distillery in Plymouth. The building, constructed in 1431, has been in operation as a gin distillery since 1793. It opens onto what is now Southside Street.[1] The established distilling business of Fox & Williamson began the distilling of the Plymouth brand in 1793. Soon the business became known as Coates & Co., which it remained until March 2004. The Plymouth brand of gin has been produced at the same Plymouth distillery using the same original recipe, with only brief interruption, since 1793.[20]
By the 1990s, sales of gin across the board had declined substantially, and Plymouth Gin specifically was doing poorly, with sales down to 7,000 cases a year; its owner, Allied Domecq, was focusing on Beefeater Gin, its one-time rival that was by then owned by the same company.[21] In 1996, the brand was sold by Allied Lyons to a management group headed by Charles Rolls.[21] In March 1998, the new owners initiated a brand re-launch, positioning it as a premium brand with new packaging that recreated the original bottle, including a mock-engraving of its thirsty monk mascot positioned toward the bottom of the bottle,[21][22] referencing the brand motto "when his feet are dry it's time to buy."[22]
After turning the company around, they sold it in 2005 to the Swedish company V&S Group, which also made Absolut Vodka. The brand is now owned and distributed by the French company Pernod Ricard as a result of its purchase of V&S in 2008.
The European Union (EU) granted Plymouth Gin (i.e., any gin of traditional style made in or near Plymouth), protected designation of origin (PDO) status. Under the GI scheme of the EU, the historical association of a food product with a region, and its traditional production, is codified and regulated. This gives protection from imitators not located within the designated places, or not using the approved methods of production, as such producers are not permitted to use the specified term for their products.[23] Prior to the expiration of the PDO in February 2015, Pernod Ricard announced that they would not be applying for its continuation. The company considers it to be unnecessary for the gin's protected status, as they own the tradename, Plymouth Gin, and their Distillery has been the sole maker of the style for over 100 years.[24][25]
Packaging
In 1998, the brand was relaunched by the new management team. The new packaging involved a re-creation of the original bottle and included a thirsty monk inside the bottle. It was said that when the monk's feet 'got dry', it was time for a new bottle. It was also restored to its original strength of 41.2%, and a Navy Strength of 57% introduced to remind drinkers that the brand was the official gin for the Royal Navy.[21]
In mid-2006, the bottle was changed by new owners V&S to an Art Deco style. The front of the bottle depicted the ship, Mayflower, based upon the fact that when the Pilgrim Fathers set out for their journey to the New World, bad sea conditions and damage forced them to put into Plymouth harbour for shelter and essential repairs. Local tradition has it that some of them stayed in the monastery, which later became the distillery.[1] In the same way as the monk's feet had purportedly indicated the need for re-stocking, it was now said that it was time to get a new bottle when the Mayflower 'no longer sails on gin'.
In January 2012, the packaging was again redesigned, this time returning to a more classical "shaving bottle" shape with a slightly green tint and the words "Est. 1793 – Distillery" embossed on the front.
