Beefeater is one of the last big London Dry gins still distilled in London, at Kennington, and it has been made to roughly the same recipe since the 1860s. The botanicals are steeped in the spirit overnight before distillation, which is where the juniper gets its grip.
- London Dry, the strictest gin category.
- 70cl bottle, 40% ABV.
- Distilled in London, England.
- Juniper, citrus peel, angelica, coriander, orris root.
How it is made
London Dry is a legal term, not a marketing one. Nothing may be added after distillation except water. No sugar, no colouring, no flavouring. Whatever is in the bottle was there before the still ran, which is why the category tastes the way it does.
How it tastes
Pine-forward juniper at the front, then lemon and orange peel, then a dry, slightly peppery finish from coriander and angelica. Clean and direct rather than soft. The citrus is bright and bitter-edged, not sweet.
Good to know
Beefeater takes its name from the Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London, the ceremonial guards in Tudor dress. The distillery has stayed in the city while most of its peers moved out, which makes it one of the few London Dry gins that is still, literally, London.
