Beefeater London Dry Gin
Distiller Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesSetting the benchmark for London dry-style gins, look for a fresh, clean scent and flavors of lemon peel and juniper, accented by white pepper, ginger, cayenne and coriander before fading to zingy lemon and a mildly sweet exit. At 47% abv it reads a little hot, but it's ideal for drinks with a bit of dilution, like a classic Gin & Tonic. Best Buy.
In 1876, the Chelsea Distillery, located on Cale street, Opens under control of the Taylor family. This would go on to become the first home of Beefeater Gin. Beefeater production moves to Hutton Road in Lambeth in 1908. The distillery is named after its forerunner, Cale Street, to help retain its heritage, while production is increased due to the purchase of the latest distilling equipment.
By 1963 Beefeater accounts for three out of every four bottles of gin imported into the US and in 1963 was the only gin selected to be on board the maiden voyage of the QEII to New York.
Produced only in accordance with strict purity standards formulated by an 18th century European Parliament that guaranteed the absence of toxic distillation byproducts, the phrase “London Dry” on a bottle doesn't refer to any specific place of origin, age or ingredients. To be called a London Dry Gin, the base spirit must be distilled in a column still to at minimum, 70% abv. Natural botanicals can be added to the resulting neutral spirit only through re-distillation. Anything added after distillation other than water and a tiny amount of sugar disqualifies a Gin from the title, London Dry.