Beefeater
Beefeater is one of the few major gin brands still genuinely distilled in London. It is a classic, dry London Dry with plenty of juniper and citrus. Here you can read where the brand comes from, which bottles are available, and what you can make with it.
More about gin
Beefeater is a textbook example of a London Dry. Want to know what that means, or how it compares with other well-known gins? Start here.
Tanqueray
Another dry, classic London Dry, with just four botanicals and slightly more alcohol.
About Tanqueray →
Our drinks page lists all the brands we cover, from gin to whisky.
A London gin from the nineteenth century
Beefeater traces its history to James Burrough, a pharmacist who bought a distillery in London in the nineteenth century and began making gin there. The gin is named after the Yeoman Warders, the guards of the Tower of London, who are popularly known as Beefeaters. You can see one on the label. The brand is now owned by Pernod Ricard and is distilled in Kennington, in south London. This makes it one of the few well-known London Dry gins that actually comes from London.
The botanicals, including juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, liquorice, almond, lemon peel, and Seville orange peel, steep in the alcohol for a full day before distillation. This produces a robust, dry gin with plenty of juniper and a pronounced citrus note. In the Netherlands, the classic Beefeater is bottled at 40%, which helps it hold its own in cocktails. In addition to the London Dry, the Beefeater brand makes Beefeater 24, with tea in the recipe, and two fruity variants with strawberry and blood orange.
In brief
Four bottles, from classic to fruity
Gall & Gall sells the classic London Dry, the more expensive Beefeater 24, and two fruit gins. The latter are sweeter and lower in alcohol.
Beefeater London Dry
The classic. Dry and robust, with plenty of juniper and a fresh note of lemon and orange peel. Unsweetened.
Beefeater 24
The brand's premium gin, developed by master distiller Desmond Payne. With Japanese sencha and Chinese green tea and grapefruit peel. Fuller and softer.
Beefeater Pink Strawberry
The London Dry recipe with natural strawberry flavour. Sweet and fruity, with the juniper still in the background.
Beefeater Blood Orange
Gin with blood orange. Fresh and bittersweet, with plenty of citrus. A fruity gin that remains fairly dry.
You can read about the difference between London Dry, contemporary and flavoured gin on our gin page.
Dry, piney and with plenty of citrus
Juniper & orange
Distinctive juniper, alongside lemon and orange peel. Fresh and direct.
Powerful and dry
Robust and dry, with the peppery spiciness of coriander and something earthy from angelica root. It contains no sugar.
Long and spicy
A fairly long, dry finish with juniper and a slightly bitter edge of citrus peel.
Tasting profile of Beefeater London Dry at 40%. Pink Strawberry and Blood Orange score around 3 for sweetness and around 2 for strength.
Three ways to drink Beefeater
Beefeater is a gin for cocktails. Precisely because it is dry and robust, it holds its own alongside vermouth, bitters and citrus.
In a Negroni
Equal parts Beefeater, Campari and sweet vermouth over a large ice cube, with an orange twist. The orange in the gin complements it beautifully.
Negroni recipe →As a gin and tonic
5 cl Beefeater with 15 cl cold tonic, in a large glass full of ice. Garnish with lemon or a slice of orange. A few strawberries work well with the Pink Strawberry.
Gin and tonic recipe →In a Dry Martini
Stir 6 cl gin with 1 to 2 cl dry vermouth and plenty of ice, then strain into an ice-cold glass. With Beefeater 24, it becomes softer and rounder.
Dry Martini recipe →Cocktails with Beefeater
A dry London Dry is the gin most classics were originally created with. This is where you start.
Negroni
Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Bitter, sweet and spicy all at once.
Dry Martini
Gin and dry vermouth, ice-cold and clear. With a lemon twist or olive.
Gin and tonic
Gin, tonic and plenty of ice. Dry and refreshing with Beefeater.
French 75
Gin, lemon and sugar, topped up with champagne. Stronger than it looks.The right glass for Beefeater
A large glass with plenty of ice for the gin and tonic, a heavy tumbler for the Negroni and a small, chilled glass for the Martini. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about Beefeater
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What percentage of alcohol is in Beefeater?
Where is Beefeater made?
Why is it called Beefeater?
What is the difference between Beefeater and Beefeater 24?
Which cocktail do you make with Beefeater?
Which glass do you use for Beefeater?
Buy Beefeater
Want the bottle at home right away? Order Beefeater online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of October 8, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can find the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.