Fifty Pounds Gin takes it's name from the "gin craze" of the early 18th century in England. When William of Orange placed heavy duties on imported spirits while lifting restrictions on domestic production to protect the economy while at war with France he inadvertently sparked the beginnings of a wave of low quality gin production. By the 1720s, these cheap and often harmful spirits were devastating the country and in 1936 the Gin Act made it illegal to produce gin without a £50 annual license.
In spite of this, only two licenses were taken out within the following seven years. Fifty Pounds Gin is said to be a recipe from one of the more superior gins that followed this licensing, requiring it be made small batches of around 1000 bottles at a time, making this gin all the more exclusive. |
