Type | Gin |
---|---|
Manufacturer | James Burrough Ltd. |
Distributor | Pernod Ricard |
Country of origin | London, United Kingdom |
Introduced | 1876 |
Alcohol by volume | 40% |
Proof (US) | 80.0 |
Colour | Clear |
Flavour | Juniper |
Variants |
|
Website | www |
Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom. Beefeater remained in the control of its founding Burrough family until 1987. The Beefeater distillery is one of 24 in London. [1]
The name refers to the Yeomen of the Guard who are a bodyguard of the British Monarch. [2]
This gin is produced from "100% grain spirit". The manufacturer has been in business since 1863 [3] and is currently located in Kennington, London.
According to the Beefeater, Beefeater Gin contains nine different botanicals: juniper, angelica root, angelica seeds, coriander seeds, liquorice, almonds, orris root, seville oranges, and lemon peel. [4]
Beefeater 24, a "super-premium" version of Beefeater, was launched in 2009 and introduces three additional botanicals: Chinese green tea, Japanese sencha, and grapefruit peel. "24" refers to how these new botanicals are steeped for 24 hours. It is bottled at 45% ABV. [5]
Beefeater sells a number of flavored gins, each bottled at 37.5% ABV. [6]
This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2025) |
Beefeater's history can be traced back to 1862, when James Burrough, born 1835, bought the Cale Street-based Chelsea distillery from Rectifier & Compounder, John Taylor, for the sum of £400 and started to produce his own distinctive style of gin by 1863. At first, the distillery continued with the production of liqueurs started by its previous owners, further establishing its reputation and extending its customer base.
The 1876 company stock lists showed an increasing portfolio of gins with brand names such as Ye Old Chelsea and James Burrough London Dry, as well as Old Tom styles. By spending time experimenting, inventing and using new processes he discovered that blending a particular recipe of botanicals produced a bold, full-flavoured gin, which he named Beefeater Gin.
After the almost instant success of the gin, it was soon made the James Burrough Company's flagship product. The original Beefeater recipe book dated 1895, specifies that nine botanicals are essential (juniper, angelica root, angelica seeds, coriander seeds, liquorice, almonds, orris root, seville oranges and lemon peel) to create the full-bodied and robust flavour so distinct in this gin.
The gin was owned by the James Burrough Company until 1987, when under the direction of Norman Burrough, the company was bought by Whitbread. [7]
Long sold in the United States at 47% ABV, this was reduced to 44% in late 2020. In 2023, it was further reduced to 40% ABV. [8]
As the James Burrough Company went into rapid expansion, there was a requirement to increase distilling capacity and in 1908 a new larger Beefeater distillery was built in Lambeth. [9]
The Beefeater production moved in 1958 to Kennington, London. English still manufacturer John Dore was commissioned to create a new larger set of copper stills mimicking those of the former Chelsea Distillery.
In February, 2013, Pernod Ricard announced that the company would begin construction of a visitor centre at the existing Beefeater Distillery site.
The method of steeping and distilling devised by James Burrough in the 1860s along with the secret recipe he created remains virtually unchanged.
Typically considered a mid-range gin, Beefeater's basic London Dry Gin has generally performed well at international spirit ratings competitions. The London Dry earned one double gold, two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2006 and 2012. [10] It received scores of 93 and 94 from the Beverage Testing Institute in 2005, 2008, and 2009. The higher-end "24" gin has also earned accolades, including a gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2010 and silver medals in 2011 and 2012. [11]
Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin that is distilled by the Bombay Spirits Company, a subsidiary company of Bacardi, at Laverstoke Mill in the village of Laverstoke in the English county of Hampshire.
Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.
Pastis is an anise-flavoured spirit and apéritif traditionally from France, typically containing less than 100 g/L sugar and 40–45% ABV.
Pernod is an absinthe produced by Pernod Ricard released in 2005 based on the original Pernod Fils recipe.
Pernod Ricard is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis. The world's second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produces several other types of pastis.
Plymouth Gin is a style and brand of gin that has been distilled on the same premises on the Barbican in Plymouth, Devon, since 1793. The site of production, the Plymouth Gin Distillery, was built in 1431 and is reputed to have once been a monastery of the Dominican Order, widely known as "Black Friars". For this reason, it has traditionally been called the "Black Friars Distillery", and this name appears embossed on the gin bottles. The taste profile of the style has been described as "earthy", and featuring more citrus notes than the "London Dry" gin style, of which Plymouth Gin is considered an offshoot, or subtype.
Tanqueray is a brand of gin produced by Diageo plc. It originated in London. While it does not command a sizable market share in its native market, its largest market is the US.
Gordon's is a brand of London dry gin first produced in 1769. The top markets for Gordon's are the United Kingdom, the United States and Greece. It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo. It is the world's best-selling London dry gin. Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century. A 40% ABV version for the North American market is distilled in Canada.
Kümmel, kummel or kimmel, is a sweet, colourless liqueur flavoured with caraway seeds, cumin and fennel.
Boodles British Gin is a brand of gin bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom by Proximo Spirits.
Whitley Neill Gin is a London Dry gin.
Sipsmith is a microdistillery located in London. It is the first copper-pot distillery to open within Greater London' in nearly two centuries. It has been owned by Suntory Global Spirits, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan, since December 2016.
Sacred Spirits is a microdistillery in Highgate, London. It distills its spirits under a vacuum in glassware, and thus at a lower temperature than traditional pot stills, which operate at atmospheric pressure. The microdistillery operates out of the back room of a residential house, with a vacuum plant in a wendy house in the distiller's back garden. It is an authorised Customs and Excise distillery.
The Botanist is a dry gin made by the Bruichladdich Distillery in Islay, Scotland. It is one of two gins made on the island and is known for its hand-foraged botanicals. The name of the gin was inspired by two local botanists who helped develop the recipe for the gin alongside former Master Distiller, Jim McEwan. In 2024 it was ranked the seventh-bestselling brand of gin in the world by Drinks International.
Broker’s London Dry Gin is a brand of gin micro-distilled at a 200-year-old distillery located near Birmingham, England, using a traditional copper pot still.
The London Distillery Company, also known as TLDC, was a distillery based in Bermondsey, London. Originally located in Battersea TLDC produced English whisky, Rye whisky, London gin and British spirits, compounds and cordials. TLDC also created experimental spirits under the TESTBED brand; named after the art space of similar ethos by architect Will Alsop.
Pickering's Gin is a London Dry style gin that is entirely produced in Edinburgh city centre at the Summerhall Distillery, near the Meadows. Established in 2013 and launched in 2014, the gin is part of the booming market in artisan gins up and down the UK.
Chase Distillery, Ltd. was a British single-estate distillery based at Chase Farm in Preston Wynne, Herefordshire, United Kingdom. William Chase, the former owner and founder of Tyrrells crisps, founded the family-run business in 2008. Using ingredients sourced on-site at Rosemaund Farm, the distillery focuses its production on potato vodka, gin and cider.
J. Rieger & Co. is an American distillery founded by Jacob Rieger in 1887. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, it was shut down in December 1919 due to the onset of federal Prohibition. The brand was reestablished in 2014 by co-founders Andy Rieger and Ryan Maybee, becoming the first legal distillery in Kansas City since Prohibition.
Malfy Gin is a brand of gin bottled in Italy, distilled by Torino Distillati, and distributed by Pernod Ricard.