GIN’S ROYAL HISTORY Rum is a classic “sailing” spirit, and most associate it with the Caribbean’s sugar industry of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, gin also has a seafaring heritage. In the 18th century, the Royal Navy mandated that a particular amount of gin be on every sailing vessel. The term “Navy Strength Gin” was born; naval officers tested the alcohol level of the gin by pouring it into gunpowder. If the gunpowder still lit, it was strong enough! “Navy Strength Gin” still applies to this day in any gin with an alcohol level above 57%. Rumour has it that the gin gimlet cocktail was invented by a Royal Navy physician as a way to ward off scurvy at sea.
54 | V I P R O P E R T Y & YA C H T
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