Johannistag Navy Strength Old Tom
Batch 2 - Released June 2019
Sorry - Sold Out
Johannistag Navy Strength Old Tom is our first special edition commemorative gin, and Scotland's first Navy Strength Old Tom. It was created to commemorate the centenary of the Scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet in Orkney's Scapa Flow in June 1919.
Johannistag
The Story
Orkney's Scapa Flow has been of great importance for both the First and Second World War's. It's shape and position made it a convenient natural harbour for our Naval fleet to lie.
Visiting Orkney now, it's easy to imagine the silhouettes of the ships as the sun sets behind Hoy.
In November 1918, the German High Seas Fleet were ordered to Scapa Flow. On arrival, they were interned by the British Navy. The crews of the ships waited patiently for several months, until June 1919. Out of fear of what may become to the fleet, Admiral Ludwig Von Reuter ordered the fleet to be Scuttled.
Johannistag Navy Strength Old Tom
Awards
Our 1st batch of Johannistag Navy Strength Old Tom was entered into the Gin Guide Awards 2019. This is the only competition it's been in so far as it's a special edition.
Out of twenty four countries and hundreds of entries we won one of the three production categories - 'Best Compound Gin', and our Johannistag was voted best in country in both the Navy Strength and Old Tom Style Gin.
Johannistag Navy Strength Old Tom: Special Edition Gin
To mark and pay tribute to an event that shaped WW1 and the Orkney Islands forever, we were commissioned by a descendant of Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe to create a very special commemorative Scottish Gin. Cold compounded and bottled at 57%, our new Johannistag Navy Strength Old Tom was released as a batch of 500 at the end of November 2018, to coincide with the date the German Imperial Navy entered Orkney's Scapa Flow.
The second, and final 500 bottles were released in June 2019 to commemorate the last event that would forever place Scapa Flow in the history books for its importance in WW1.
After the Armistice was announced it was decided that the German Imperial Navy should be taken off the high seas and it was agreed the fleet would be harboured at the Royal Navy’s base at Scapa Flow in Orkney. This was agreed as part of the Armistice that brought an end to WW1.
Whilst negotiations took place over the fate of the ships, which were still crewed by German sailors, under the command of Admiral Ludwig von Reuter. It had been rumoured the fleet would be divided amongst the allied powers, and out of fear of this possibility, the Admiral gave the order to scuttle the fleet.
The name 'Johannistag' is German, and translates to Mid Summers Day, or St John’s Day. The botanicals in Johannistag reflect Orkney's summer climate, with a bright refreshing floral notes and a smooth Old Tom style finish, lightly sweetened using Orcadian honey sourced in Shapinsay, one of Orkney's North Isles.
Edited extract from our friends at thegincooperative.com
A percentage of the profits from the sale of these special edition bottles was donated to Orkney's RNLI. To find out more, click the link below.
Botanicals:
juniper, Orcadian honey, rose, and heather flower.
Enjoy with a good quality Indian tonic with clementine.