Plymouth Gin Original

About Plymouth Gin

What was once a 15th-century monastic building is now home to the Plymouth Distillery, also known as the Black Friars Distillery, the only remaining distillery in Plymouth, England. The Port of Plymouth was once a “beacon for explorers,” an important hub of commerce for maritime traders. Although “Plymouth Gin” is a distinction reserved only for gins that are distilled in Plymouth England, the Plymouth brand is the only brand produced in the area.

The Plymouth Distillery was built in 1431 and was once a Dominican Order (also known as the Black Friars) monastery. Since repurposing and opening their doors as a distilling business in 1793, the distillery has been producing the Plymouth brand under Fox & Williamson (which switched names thereafter to Coates & Co). After changing hands several times, England’s oldest working distillery and its brand are now produced under the colossal Pernod Ricard.

The distillery’s buildings served many purposes throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. After housing a monastery, in 1536 it became the town’s “Marshalsea” (debtor’s prison). It is believed that this location was where the first Non-Conformist meeting took place, also serving as a billet for Huguenot refugees. Later on, it was said to have housed the Pilgrim Fathers during their last night in England in 1620, before they boarded the Mayflower.