Williamstown Gin (700ml)

About Williamstown Gin

Sharing the same botanical recipe as The Dry, this is our Navy Strength edition. Named for the first settlement and sea port of Melbourne, it was also where Nathan and Vanessa first lived together - and dreamt of gin. Mountain pepper berries are the spicy forward flavour, followed by cardamom and cassia bark, with a hint of lemon myrtle.

At 56%, the higher alcohol level in this expression brings out a different balance of these flavours and quickly became a favourite for those visiting the distillery door.

What's Navy Strength?

In the early 19th century, there were no easy ways to test the strength of a spirit. Importers were vulnerable to being sold watered-down product (often rum), and so the British Navy's technique was to mix the spirit into gunpowder to test its strength. If it lit, then it was "Navy Strength" (~54%) and accepted. "Proof" is the term the Americans have retained, but it has the same meaning. It was also some degree of insurance that if there was leakage onboard the ship, the gunpowder might still be usable in a gunfight!