Hounds of Hanningfield Navy Strength Gin - 70cl

You’ll overlook our Navy strength gin at your own peril. It’s absolutely ideal for the gin connoisseur or those that love a cocktail. It’s distilled at 57% for an intense flavour without losing the smooth fine finish that you will come to expect from a Hounds of Hanningfield gin.

When you add tonic and ice, the flavours are released in a delicate magical mist with a pearlescent shimmer.

Other gins sometimes cold-filter this out but working with our Master Distiller at Masons of Yorkshire, we decided we didn't want to compromise on flavour and love the fantastic fulsome taste and mouthfeel this produces.

Please note that you may notice a slight haze when the bottle is cold.

What is Navy Strength gin?

Historically, the Royal Navy issued alcohol rations from the 16th century right up until 1970. The enlisted men were given rum but the officers drank gin. Because the gunpowder and gin barrels were stored together below decks, in case the gin leaked and soaked the gunpowder, the gin supplied to them had to be the right strength.

This was tested by mixing gunpowder into a paste with the gin and igniting it; it would only light if the alcohol was over a certain strength (57% ABV). This is known as being ‘gunpowder proof’ or 100% proof. If it exploded it was ‘overproof’! Glad we don’t have to be doing that these days!

This should not be confused with the American definition of proof, which is twice the percentage of alcohol by volume. Their 100% proof is 50% ABV.

This also guaranteed that the Royal Navy were not cheated and got what they paid for, before it could be tested by hydrometer in 1816.

For this reason, gin at 57% ABV is known as Navy Strength.