There are two types of drinkers in the world, those who drink gin, and those who used to drink gin. It’s the most divisive of the spirits simply because everyone seems to have had at least a brief affair with gin’s juniper-y goodness. Often times, these affairs are volatile and intense with a finite and messy conclusion, usually involving an insincere oath to ‘never. drink. again.’
Other relationships with ‘Dutch courage’ are more smooth and casual…like mine. Me and gin hook up every so often, casual-like, just a shared moment or two over a couple of olives and then we part ways, no promises, no strings, it works for us.
My latest rendezvous with London’s adopted spirit was a blind date set up by UD with 24, the latest entry into the so-called ’super-premium’ gin category.
The fine folks at the Granville Room played host to International Brand Ambassador Dan Warner and the Beefeater crew to officially launch Master Distiller Desmond Payne’s marriage of the traditional Beefeater recipe with three new botanicals, two of which were inspired by Beefeater founder James Borough’s other career as a prominent tea merchant of his day. For 24 hours, Payne steeps the nine botanicals used in traditional Beefeater along with Japanese tea, Chinese tea, and Grapefuit peel, in grain spirit before final distillation. The result is unique to up-market gin world as it is an enhanced and more refined version of the flagship spirit, but not a complete re-boot of the brand, this gin is still unmistakably Beefeater. The staid, if somewhat curmudgeonly brand had been driven back into the keep by sexier brands like Tanqueray 10 and Bombay Sapphire over time but this new entry sees the Yeoman Warder swinging a big lance (or whatever that thing the dude on the bottle is holding) and mounting a counter attack.
Beefeater, to me had always been best suited to a healthy dose of tonic and some ice, being a little too assertive for a martini, but the mellowing influence of the young green teas and the crisp freshness of the grapefruit doesn’t cry out for vermouth, but softly beckons for a dose of fine French Vermouth, Noilly Pratt perhaps, and a drop or two of Fee Brothers orange bitters for a fine martini.
Granville Room’s mixologist-in-residence Trevor Kallies went a few steps further in nurturing Beefeater 24’s characteristics into a few different cocktails; my favorite was his “London Falling”
- 2oz beefeater 24
- 0.5 red grapefruit
- 0.5 white grapefruit
- 1oz basil infused simple syrup
- white from 1 egg
- bitters
Wash glass with old fashioned bitters, shake and strain all liquids into double rocks glass. Garnsih withlarge basil leaf. A wonderful use of basil and grapefruit to emphasize the crisp and fresh notes of the gin.
Cheers. ~ RC
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I would like to know why in Europe a G&T is served with Lemon, yet in N. America is comes with lime?
I tried both and lemon is way better in dry gins.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s too much logic behind it, lime is just the default garnish for all highballs round here.
| believe the yeoman of the guard wields a pike (not the fish or romany kind). I really enjoy Salvatore Calabrese, once did a stint at the Lanesborough in London, an Italian suave version of Peter Sellers that’s known in the biz as “the maestro” check out his website.
Agreed, he has a decent book called “Cocktails by Flavor”
From the ” I read it on the internet, it must be true” school of trivia: the lance/pike wielded by Beefeaters, is a seven-foot halberd known as a partisan.
As for the lemon/lime debate, I prefer limes, but thats just me. BTW, why dont the English use them in this quintessentially British libation? Aren’t they called “Limies”? Okay, Limies is a naval reference but still….
I like the idea of them wielding Pike’s (fish version) ,the teeth on those puppies are quite intimidating. Could be Limey version of ’surf & turf’.
Fascinating new info for a gin lover.
But you don’t quote price, or alcohol content – both (certainly the first) higher than the norm?
If you have not tried Plymouth gin (and if it is available in BC), you owe it to yourself to do so.
Normal price, 41.2% alc/vol, and by me the best gin around (though T/10 is damn good too, but I will not pay their asking price).
Not for nothing was Plymouth the gin of Britain’s Royal Navy !