Fifty Pounds Gin
Fifty Pounds Gin is a 750mL London Dry gin bottled at 43.5% ABV (87 proof), produced in small batches by Thames Distillers in London under master distiller Charles Maxwell. Its name commemorates the 1736 Gin Act, which imposed a £50 annual licence on anyone producing or selling gin — a fee only two distilleries are said to have paid. The gin itself is Georgian in spirit: batch-distilled in a John Dore pot still from a base spirit distilled four times, with the botanicals steeped before a single careful run of which only the heart is kept. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43.5% (87 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Botanicals (named by the master distiller): Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, savory, liquorice powder, lemon peel, bitter orange peel, grains of paradise
- Distillery: Thames Distillers, London, England — master distiller Charles Maxwell
- Production: Batch distillation in a John Dore pot still; botanicals steeped 48 hours; only the heart kept; triple-filtered
- Presentation: Tapered Georgian case-gin bottle, individually batch-numbered with the year distilled; batches of about 1,000 bottles
A Licence Fee Became a London Dry
In 1736, Parliament tried to price the gin craze out of existence with a £50 annual licence — roughly a working lifetime's wages — and the trade mostly ignored it. Fifty Pounds Gin takes its name from that failed act of prohibition-by-tax and its shape from the era it tried to end: the tapered "case gin" bottle, designed so bottles packed tightly together in a pre-bubble-wrap world. Inside, the method is equally period-minded — botanicals sourced from Croatia to the Middle East, Spain, France, Italy and West Africa, steeped for two days and distilled once, slowly, the way it used to be done. Find it on the Fifty Pounds Gin vendor page and in our gin collection.
Tasting Notes
Per Master of Malt's notes: a soft nose of violet, juniper and spice; a citrus-led palate over a juniper core, tangy and slightly floral — the grains of paradise leave a gentle pepper warmth; and an herbal, citrus-led finish.
How to Enjoy
A classic Gin & Tonic with a lemon twist shows its balance; it is smooth enough for a Martini and characterful enough for a Negroni. More London Dry is across our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Fifty Pounds Gin?
The name marks the £50 annual licence imposed by the 1736 Gin Act on gin producers and sellers — a fee only two distilleries are said to have paid. It is the licence, not the bottle price.
Who makes Fifty Pounds Gin?
Thames Distillers in London, under master distiller Charles Maxwell, in batches of about 1,000 bottles — each bottle carries its batch number and the year it was distilled.
What botanicals are in Fifty Pounds Gin?
The master distiller names juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, savory, liquorice powder, lemon peel, bitter orange peel and grains of paradise; angelica does the fixative work orris root usually does.
Georgian bottle, modern London Dry — order Fifty Pounds Gin online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.