Plymouth Gin
Plymouth, England
Seven botanicals, root-heavy and softer than a London Dry, distilled at Black Friars since 1793. No added sugar despite the rounder palate.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, green cardamom, lemon peel, sweet orange peel
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 101
- Sugar
- 0g
14.4g ethanol at 41.2% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No added sugar
- ✓Single distillery with a fully disclosed botanical bill
- ✓Earthy rather than sweet, so nothing is masking the spirit
What to watch
- !Slightly above 40% ABV
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Plymouth reads sweeter than a London Dry without being sweeter. The impression comes from a higher proportion of roots in the botanical bill, angelica and orris in particular, which give a soft, earthy weight that drinkers often mistake for sugar. There is no sugar in it.
That distinction matters if you are choosing gin on nutrition rather than taste. A gin can taste round and still be zero-sugar, and a gin can taste bracingly dry and still be a flavoured product with syrup added after distillation. Palate is not a reliable guide here; the label and the style rules are.
Plymouth Gin questions
How many calories are in a shot of Plymouth Gin? ▾
About 101 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 41.2% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Plymouth Gin have sugar? ▾
No. Plymouth Gin has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Plymouth Gin gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Plymouth Gin is distilled from a gluten-containing grain, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What proof is Plymouth Gin? ▾
Plymouth Gin is 82.4 proof, which is 41.2% alcohol by volume.
Does Plymouth Gin give you a bad hangover? ▾
Plymouth Gin scores 3/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 3/10 for gin overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Plymouth Gin vegan? ▾
Yes. Plymouth Gin is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.