We recently discovered a Gin company that base their entire range on historical happenings and spooky stories from the fabulous city of York. As such a lovely base for some boozy stories, we invited Simon Henry from York Gin to write us this guest post, taking in some colourful characters from York’s past.
Think of York and something historical will probably spring to mind: Romans, Vikings, a Gothic cathedral, Judy Dench ...
York claims to be the most haunted city in Europe, wth ghost stories going back centuries. Even the city’s most famous chocolate companies are fairly aged; Rowntrees were formed in 1862, while Terry’s goes back to 1767 and don’t get us started on the city’s premier gin company. Ok, maybe not the gin company (est. 2018), but York Gin’s motto is ‘History in the Tasting’ as it celebrates the city’s rich history and culture. Time for a little taste of history, perhaps?
The Romans
The Romans founded York - Eboracum in Latin - in 55AD. The most common varieties of apples and berries in Britain were introduced by the Romans, so it was only fitting for York Gin to take this inspiration for its fruit gin. They also asked Dame Professor Mary Beard for some help with their research and their Latin motto for the gin, ‘Veni, Vidi, Bibi’ (I came, I saw, I drank). Apparently, Mary likes a Roman Fruit Negroni. You can find the recipe for that and other gin cocktails on our website.
The Vikings
The Vikings came next: Ivar the Boneless invaded the city on November 1, 866AD. 1118 years later, in 1984, the city opened its Jorvik Viking Centre (Jorvik was the invaders’ name for York) on the site of a famous archaeological dig. Today, its gift shop sells bottles of York Gin London Dry with garnish bags containing dried nettles and bilberries, both found on the site during the dig. Try this one for a little taste of Viking York.
Ghosts & Spirits
Ghosts have played a big part in York’s history - and they certainly play a large part in the lives of its many ghost tour guides today! The city’s Theatre Royal is home to one of the most famous of York’s spectres: the Grey Lady. Her ghost is said to haunt the site of the theatre since she died in tragic circumstances in the Middle Ages. In homage to this famous specture, The Grey Lady gin itself is distilled with Earl Grey tea and infused with blue pea flower to give it a haunting blue grey hue.
Outlaws
York has had its fair share of baddies, inspiring the dangerously strong (57% ABV) Outlaw Navy strength gin. The serving suggestion says: ‘Drink with ice, tonic … and care.’ Dick Turpin - horse rustler and highwayman - was hanged in the city and his grave lies within the city walls. Guy Fawkes, Gunpowder Plotter is an old boy of York’s St Peter’s School (which has never thrown a Guy on its annual bonfire out of respect for the former pupil). Mary Bateman, the ‘Yorkshire Witch’, was a swindler and poisoner from the 18th Century. After she was hanged, her skin was stripped from her body, dried and sold as lucky charms. The olden days, eh?
The Chocolate Orange
More tasteful than that previous bit of gore is York’s chocolate history - the story of the Terry's Chocolate Orange in particular. The Terry’s factory where the Chocolate Orange was invented and made from 1932 until 2005 is only a couple of miles from the York Gin distillery. A natural inspiration for our Chocolate & Orange Gin, we’ve made an unsweetened spirit with a rich chocolate and zesty orange character. The Terry family certainly won’t be turning in their graves.
For more gin-tastic suggestions why not have a read of The Best Scottish Gins to Explore and 6 Perfectly Premixed Negronis?