Packaging
The previous bottle of the standard strength Plymouth brand depicts one of the monastery's friars on the inside of the back label. It was said that when the monk's feet 'got dry', it was time for a new bottle. Since mid 2006, the bottle has been changed to an Art Deco style. The front of the bottle depicts the ship, Mayflower, based upon the fact that when the Pilgrim Fathers set out for their journey to the new world, bad sea conditions and damage forced them to put into Plymouth harbour for shelter and essential repairs. Local tradition has it that some of them stayed in the monastery, which later became the distillery. In the same way as the monk's feet, one can say it's time to get a new bottle when the Mayflower 'no longer sails on gin'.
From January 2012, the packaging has again been redesigned, this time returning to a more classical "shaving bottle" shape with a slightly green tint and the words "Est. 1793 / Black Friars Distillery" embossed on the front. This packaging is currently not available in the UK except from the distillery shop itself, the packaging is however available in the export market.
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