Drinking Culture

Perhaps the best-known invention of naval drinking culture carries Plymouth in its name: Pink Gin. In the 19th century, Royal Navy officers mixed Plymouth Gin with a few drops of Angostura bitters, as was common aboard many ships. Originally, this was a stomach remedy against seasickness, not an evening drink ashore.

Medicine turned into ritual, and ritual into a bar classic. To this day, it's served under the same name, just without the medicinal claim. Taste it, and you'll notice above all how well the earthy botanicals of Plymouth Gin pair with the bitter spice of Angostura.

More everyday is the Gin & Tonic, still the most common way to drink gin in Plymouth. It's usually served in plain, straight glasses, not the large balloon goblets that have become fashionable elsewhere. The narrow lanes of the Barbican are lined with pubs and small bars, many housed in buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Black Friars Distillery runs its own bar right next to the stills, where old cask strengths are also poured for tasting. Festivals around the harbour, such as sailing regattas and summer harbour fairs, bring even more visitors into the Barbican. Despite the tourism, the district has kept a genuine working character.

Unlike cocktail bars with elaborate techniques, Plymouth's drinking culture stays fairly simple and down-to-earth. There are few drinks, but each carries a long history behind it, reaching back to the captains of the Royal Navy. Hardly any other port city can trace that lineage so unbroken.