One of our newest most exciting projects is with the Gibraltar Vault Company, based on the infamous rock of Gibraltar. Consulting to their board, the Brand Farm team created the Gibraltar Distillery company and three exciting new spirits brands, from concept development through to launch-on-shelf.

For almost 200 years newly commissioned ships in The Royal Navy received a “Gin Commissioning Kit” – a wooden box containing two bottles of “Navy Strength” gin and glassware. The Gin was mainly for officers while sailors were given Rum. “Navy strength is stronger than the norm, at 57% ABV (or 114 proof). Prior to 1816 there was no way to measure alcohol content of a spirit. The Royal Navy created their own “proof” of the strength by adding grains of gun-powder to the gin and heating the mixture with the sun’s rays and a magnifying glass - only if the gun-powder ignited was the Gin at least 114 proof; thus was invented the concept of “alcohol proof”, the measure of alcoholic strength still used in many parts of the world today.

Major General Roger Aytoun famously raised the 72nd Manchester Regiment of Foot and deployed them to the Gibraltar Garrison during the Great Siege in 1779. He is reputed to have frequented the city’s pubs, recruiting to his regiment by challenging young men to fight him or out-drink him…acquiring the nick-name “Spanking Roger”. Many recruits reputedly awoke on board passage to Gibraltar…

With ample supply of sugar cane, Rum soon became the life-blood of the Caribbean and a major part of 18th century trading with Europe, and Gibraltar as the trading gateway to the Mediterranean.

On October 21 1805, Admiral Horatio Nelson led 27 ships to glorious victory in one of the most decisive naval battles in history, Trafalgar, sinking 19 Spanish and French ships without loss from the British Fleet. The victory ensured that Napoleon would never invade Britain. The battle raged at its fiercest around Admiral Nelson’s flagship, Victory, which signalled the message “England expects that every man will do his duty”. Tragically, 30 minutes before the end of battle, Admiral Nelson was shot and died, his body reputedly preserved in a cask of Rum as the damaged Victory returned to Gibraltar for repairs.

A barrel-aged, navy strength, Caribbean Spiced Rum might not be the norm today, but in the 18th century, Nelson would have ensured his men enjoyed their daily “tot” of navy strength Rum drawn straight from the “Grog Tub” complete with the navy toast “The King, God Bless Him”.

Sir Walter Raleigh famously said “Whosoever commands the sea commands the trade: whosoever commands the trade, commands the riches of the world….”

Black Strap Cove is infamous as an historic landing point for contraband. It has a rich history as a launch point for wartime surveillance and espionage operations from the days of Horatio Nelson to Winston Churchill to the present day…

After Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805, Gibraltar soon flourished as an international trading post. In the early 1800’s merchants such as Stagnetto from Genoa, Portugal, Spain & Britain traded goods from Gibraltar across the world

The Black Strap Cove small batch, single Malt whisky has been matured in Pedro Ximenez barrels following 18th century traditions. It was created for The Gibraltar Distillery Co. to recognise the pivotal role Gibraltar has played over the centuries as the trading gateway for Great Britain with Mediterranean, Middle East and Asian nations.