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1920's Coates Plymouth Gin Bottle in Original Paper Wrapping
Coates Plymouth Gin Bottle 1920's
1930's Coates Plymouth Gin Bottle in Original Paper Wrapping
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1920's & 1930's |
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The cocktail era, many white spirit based cocktails are made with Plymouth Gin.
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| 1920 |
Prohibition Starts in the US |
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| 1925 |
Plymouth Gin produces its first Cocktail Booklet that includes the Dry Martini, Pink Gin, Gimlet and others. |
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| 1928 |
Coates & Co becomes a Private Limited Company: Coates & Co (Plymouth) Ltd. |
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| 1930 |
The Savoy Cocktail Book first published; Plymouth Gin specified in 27 cocktails including The Charlie Lindbergh, One Exciting Night, The Prohibition Cocktail etc. |
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| 1930 |
Prohibition ends in the US |
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| 1933 |
Coates & Co. win a landmark case in the London courts against Burrough's (owner of Beefeater Gin) for attempting to market their own "Plymouth Gin". Thereafter a Geographic Designation (a type of Appellation Controlee) is in the statutes. Plymouth Gin can only be made within the ancient city walls of Plymouth. |
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| 1939 |
Plymouth Gin forced to use cane spirit for domestic production because of grain shortages |
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1930s and 40s Post Prohibition US Coates Plymouth Gin Label
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1940's |
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| 1941 |
Black Friars Distillery hit by 5 German fire bombs; the offices and most of the old records destroyed but the distillery equipment was unscathed and the oldest parts of the buildings were saved by locals fighting fires throughout the night. |
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| As a result, the Admiralty sent out a message to the British Fleet saying that Plymouth Gin had been hit but had survived. British Officers in Malta reacted by offering any gunner who sank a ship or downed an enemy plane a bottle of Plymouth Gin. |
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| 1944 |
Post war rationing of grain neutral spirit leaves family management unable to obtain good quality spirit. Poor product
produced. The Royal Navy switch to "Horses Neck". |
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| 1946 |
The Freeman family again obtain good quality grain neutral spirit, but there is an acute lack of funds by now |
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| 1950's |
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Plymouth Gin distillery started supplying gin pennants in the 1950s |
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Plym Gin Produced under license from Coates & Co, by Stock S.p.A from Italy as Plym Gin, intended for the Italian and German markets. |
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| 1953 |
Freeman family sell the business to J.C. McLaughlin. |
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1955-1958 Label for the Home Market
1959 Coates & Co Black Friar Extra Dry London Dry Gin Label
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1956 |
McLaughlin sells the company to Seagers Evans. |
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| 1957 |
US author John D. Macdonald creates the Travis McGee series.
McGee a red blooded and insightful detective sips Plymouth Gin
on his boat The Busted Flush in 20 books. McGee often reveals the true splendour of Plymouth Gin. |
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| 1959 |
Coates & Co (Plymouth) Ltd By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II Gin Distillers |
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| Seagers, after large scale investment in the Plymouth Gin Distillery, introduce Coates & Co Black Friar Extra Dry London Dry Gin and embark on a major promotional campaign for both their London Gin and Plymouth Gin in the UK and the US. Seagars produce their own brand Seagars of London Gin and Vodka Samovar in Plymouth |
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| First Gurgling Jugs released for the Society of Plymouth Men |
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