Beefeaters. All about beefeater gin Who are beefeaters in London

Connoisseurs of strong alcohol are probably familiar with the famous Beefeater gin. And it’s not surprising. Residents of more than 100 countries around the world have the opportunity to enjoy the unique taste of this strong drink. This is exactly the distribution area of the strong drink produced in Foggy Albion for more than 150 years. What is characteristic is that from the first day of its birth in 1876 to the present day, neither the degree of the drink itself, nor the degree of interest of subtle connoisseurs of alcohol in it, has changed. A worthy product from a worthy manufacturer turned out to be not only competitive, but has become a leader in the global brands of the alcohol industry.

In the article:

Composition and production technology

If you are on guard in anticipation of receiving highly classified production technologies, then relax. We will tell only the general plot of the creation of the drink, and the true secrets are securely kept behind seven locks in the reliable storage facilities of the manufacturer.

So what is the composition of Beefeater gin? It is known that the basis of the drink is grain distillate. Wheat and barley are the basis of this distillate. Next, place in alcohol:

juniper berries;
angelica root and seeds;
licorice;
coriander seeds;
almond;
Germanic orris root
lemon zest and Seville orange.

This entire botanical bouquet is infused for a day, and then re-distilled in special vertical distillers. Distillation is carried out very slowly, which preserves the taste and aroma of all herbal ingredients. The strength of Beefeater gin has a double standard:

For the domestic market - 40°.
For export - traditional 47°.

From the time of its creation until today, the “face” of this drink has been the guard of the Tower, the famous London prison. They are called beefeater, according to legend, for the right to eat meat from the royal table in unlimited quantities. The literal translation of this word is meat eaters. True, today the Tower is not a prison, and the beefeaters are not guards, but rather tour guides around the Tower. But the form of their clothing did not undergo any changes. And it is precisely this brave beefeater in traditional clothes that appears on the label of all brands of this famous drink. And, despite the fact that the French have recently become the owners of the brand, the drink is produced in London and its “face” has not changed.

The most famous brands

Beefeater London Dry Gin

Beefeater London Dry Gin is a product whose composition and production technology have not changed for a century and a half.

Beefeater-24

In 2009, Beefeater-24 appeared on the market, new ingredients were added - green tea and grapefruit zest.

Beefeater Summer Edition

Beefeater Summer Edition appeared a year later and surprised with the taste of blackcurrant, elderberry and hibiscus.

To make sure that you have a bottle of real Beefitter, pay attention to the barcode on the label; if the first three digits are 500, then you can be sure that the product is made in England. It's always nice to deal with the original.

How to drink Beefeater gin correctly

Please note, the question is not to drink or not to drink, but only how to drink Beefeater gin. Few people dare to drink it undiluted. The drink is scalding, so it is difficult to adequately evaluate its taste and aroma. There are many options, but we will look at the most common ones around the world:

This list can be continued for a very long time, but we do not have such a task before us. We wanted to invite you to a tasting of the most popular alcoholic drinks in the world, the brightest representative of which is Beefeater gin.

(beef"beef" + eater"eater") is the informal name for the ceremonial guards of the Tower of London. Historians believe that this unofficial name appeared due to the privilege of yeomen to eat meat from the royal table in any quantity. Their official English name is Yeomen Warders. Their corps was established in the 11th century under the king of England and Wales from the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII, and is part of the royal life guard. Although formally the Beefeaters are responsible for supervising the prisoners of the Tower and guarding the royal regalia, in practice today these men in colorful costumes are tour guides during tours of the Tower and symbols of the English royal house. However, practically nothing has changed in their lives over several centuries. We invite you to get acquainted with 34 facts from the life of these unusual people - beefeaters - guards of the Tower of London.

Beefeaters began guarding the Tower in 1485.

Today they consist of 37 guards and one Chief Guard. There used to be more honor guards, but today there is simply no need for large numbers.

Each of them, in addition to “ceremonial” duties, holds some other position. The bartender who works at the local pub is also a beefeater. Others conduct excursions and perform other varied duties.

All guards must be retired senior non-commissioned officers of the Commonwealth armed forces with at least 22 years' service.

In addition, they should be awarded a medal for long service and obedience.

By later tradition, since 1964, only officers from the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force could become beefeaters, since members of the Royal Navy do not swear allegiance to the Crown, but to the Admiralty, whose head is the First Lord of the Admiralty.

This order was established by Queen Elizabeth II, who appointed her husband, Prince Philip, to this post.

This period ended with the oath of the first beefeater from among retired sailors in 2011.

For a long time, a yeoman guard could retire at any time and pass on his position by inheritance.

As a result, many yeomen “bargained” their positions upon retirement.

It was considered that a yeoman was very unlucky if he died in service and did not have time to sell his place.

This tradition ended only in 1826. Then the Duke of Wellington ruled that only a man who had completed military service and distinguished himself in it could become a yeoman.

Initially, all beefeaters were not only to serve there in the Tower, but also to live there.

Together with them in the fortress, in addition to prisoners and members of the royal family, hundreds of other people, mostly servants, lived.

The population of the Tower of London in modern times consists of beefeaters with their families, a steward with officers, a chaplain and a doctor.

Today Yeomen still live in the Tower. Within the walls of the medieval fortress they are provided with apartments for a reasonable rent.

Nowadays, yeomen must own housing outside the fortress, into which they could move after retirement.

Today there is one very remarkable pub in the Tower called the Yeoman Warders Club. However, you can only get into it as a yeoman guard or at the invitation of one of the guards.

The author of the premium gin recipe is James Barrow, who acquired the distillery in 1863. Bifitr is the rank of a guard who guarded the English monarchy. It is noteworthy that the main profession of the creator of Beefeater gin is a pharmacist. James Barrow has been studying the effects of drugs on for a long time. It was most likely due to James's special knowledge of medicine that he included many herbal supplements.

The word "beefeater" means "meat eater". Initially, beefeaters were the servants who tasted the meat products supplied to the monarchs. The main purpose of such a tasting was to identify the fact of possible poisoning of products

To make Beefeater, Barrow chose only the highest quality ingredients. The process of preparing and processing all products is carried out only manually. All ingredients are soaked in special solutions for 24 hours, and then undergo many hours of processing. The preparation times for the additives and their calculations were calculated by James Barrow himself.

Beefeater Composition

A beefeater is made from many components. The basis of the drink is wheat alcohol. Additional ingredients are juniper berries, orris root, lemon and orange peel, malt, angelica roots and seeds, coriander and almonds. This recipe has remained unchanged since the creation of Beefeater until the present day. However, a few years ago the classic gin got a new twist. In addition to traditional ingredients, twelve varieties of herbs were added to the recipe. This drink was named “Beefeater 24”.

Only six people know the exact recipe for making Beefeater 24 gin. This information is carefully hidden from outsiders

Wheat alcohol, unlike other varieties, has the main distinctive feature - the substance has absolutely no odor and has the mildest taste. Some of the components that make up Beefeater are brought to London from other countries. For example, juniper comes exclusively from Italian lands.

Both varieties of Beefeater are consumed most often in combination with tonics or as part of cocktails. In its pure form, gin must be diluted with plenty of ice and served exclusively in small portions.

What should a real gentleman do? Of course, visit London and try Beefeater premium dry gin with a rich history. This drink can fully convey the entire atmosphere of the English aristocracy and immerse you in the world of the foggy capital of Great Britain.

Creating the perfect drink

With the opening of a distillery in 1820 in Chelsea, the history of the famous Beefeater gin begins. James Barrow, a young pharmacist from the Devonshire estate, purchased the factory in 1863 for just a small amount of money. He dreams of creating the perfect type of gin. Taking on difficult work, Barrow conducts numerous experiments, studies the effect of certain medications on the human body and achieves that very perfect recipe for the drink.

In a short time, the distillery gained wide fame within London, and then in other areas. The production of not only gin, but also a wide range of liqueurs is being established. However, a gin called Beefeater is gaining popularity.

Etymology of the name

“Beefeater” means “meat eater” in English. Where does this name come from? The fact is that this was the name used for the court servants who served the royal court. Their task was to taste the meat prepared for the monarchs in order to exclude the possibility of a conspiracy to poison the kings. Only after some time did the guardsmen of the Middle Ages begin to be called “beefeaters”. They had special vestments and guarded the Tower, the then residence of the gentlemen.

At the moment, these people are one of the most important symbols of the country. In Great Britain, a tradition has taken root unspokenly, where at Christmas every Beefeater Guardsman should receive this legendary gin, which was named after them, as a gift. To commemorate this symbol, the bottle label features a colorful Tower guard.

Beefeater London Dry Gin's first awards

Back in 1873, Beefeater held the title of spirit and was awarded its first prize at the South Kensington Exhibition. Established production allows gin to enter a larger arena outside the UK.

Many years later, America is the second country to produce this drink, and gin itself becomes the most popular alcohol for export. Since 1973, Beefeater has been participating in various competitions and tenders. It receives international recognition and awards for superior quality.

Interesting! Recently, in 2009, a completely new gin, Beefeater 24, was created. The name has the following explanation: 12 components are already included in the composition, but another 12 are herbal ingredients.

Secrets of the composition

- a unique drink produced in London and at the same factory for more than 150 years. The recipe, passed down from generation to generation, is now known to only 6 people working at the enterprise. Everything is kept in strict secrecy. What is known is that the composition includes the main raw material in the form of wheat alcohol. It has special qualities: mild taste and no smell. However, in addition to this, the composition includes: violet and angelica roots, malt, juniper berries, almonds, lemon and orange zest, coriander and others. Plants are collected all over the world and are processed only by hand.

Interesting! Juniper berries are delivered from Italy itself, and coriander, for example, from Romania, Russia or Belarus. Angelica is from Belgium, licorice is brought from China. All these “overseas” components set a special tone for the drink: woody and bitter taste, spice and tartness.

Beefeater gin experts claim that nothing affects the taste and aroma qualities more than the correct proportions in the production process. The important fact is that you will not feel the taste of “chemical” additives, because the drink does not undergo filtering of plant materials, but only 8 hours of distillation.

Drinking culture

Gin, unlike its counterparts brandy or whiskey with cognac, has a strength of 47% and is almost never consumed in its pure form. It is recommended to add ice, which melts over time and makes the gin a little diluted. Classic London Dry Gin is the basis of many popular cocktails. The most common is gin and tonic.

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Beefeater- dry London gin, which for almost a century and a half has occupied a place of honor on store shelves in more than a hundred countries around the world.

How many degrees and calorie content

How many degrees in Beefeater gin?

Considering the unprecedented popularity of the drink both in Great Britain and outside Foggy Albion, a kind of double standard is used in its production. So, in its homeland, gin has a strength of 40 degrees, which suits the tastes of the British. In its export manifestation, the drink increases the temperature to 47 revolutions.

Gin Beefeater calories

217 calories – that’s exactly how much you’ll get by drinking 100 ml of 40 proof gin.
And 235 calories if the gin is 47 revolutions.

Unlike many London Dry gins, Beefeater was actually created in London. This drink first became public knowledge in 1876.

Beefeater's history is connected with the name of an English pharmacist, a native of Devonshire, James Barrow, who lived in Canada for many years. In 1863, this rather successful son of Albion returned home and, with his savings of £400, purchased the Chelsea distillery. Apparently, Barrow was not only lucky, but also ambitious. He devoted the next 13 years of his life to experiments with various plants, wanting to create the best gin of all times.

As a result, the Beefeater arose, decorated for advertising purposes with the image of a guard of the Tower of London, dressed in bright (red and gold) ceremonial clothes. In fact, the popular nickname of these same guards - Beefeaters (beef eaters) - gave the name to the newborn drink.

For over a hundred years the Barrow family have been the stalwart producers of Beefeater Gin. However, in 1987, the French company Pernod Ricard became the owner of the brand. At the same time, the drink, as before, is produced exclusively in London.

It must be admitted that the pharmacist Barrow was an excellent botanist. This is confirmed by Beefeater gin, the composition of which includes about a dozen well-chosen herbal ingredients. In addition to the usual juniper berries, it included: licorice, coriander seeds, angelica root and seeds, Germanic orris root, almonds, lemon zest and Seville orange. In particular, Almond, angelica and coriander are responsible for the characteristic herbal aroma and specific bitterness inherent exclusively in a drink with “beef eater” on the label.

All these and, probably, some other components are filled with high-quality wheat-barley alcohol, in which they remain for 24 hours. Subsequently, the resulting substance is slowly distilled, almost drop by drop, in a special vertical distiller. As a rule, distillation takes about seven to eight hours. Next, the result of distillation to a strength of 40 or 47 degrees, after which the process of producing the drink is considered complete.

Unfortunately, we have to disappoint craftsmen who want to make beefeater gin with their own hands. It is unlikely that you will get an analogue of James Barrow's invention. The fact is that the only and unique recipe for beefeater gin, with all its proportions and a complete list of ingredients, is currently known to only 6 (six) people.

By the way, the current owners of the English brand continue to tirelessly experiment with the original recipe of the drink. As a result, almost every year a variety of seasonal new products appear, produced in limited quantities. For example, the Beefeater 24 modification from 2009 included grapefruit zest and several varieties of Far Eastern green tea. And in the seasonal summer batch, released in 2010, black currant, elderberry and hibiscus were added to the canonical list of ingredients.

This may seem strange, but the question: “how to drink Beefeater gin correctly” is a very difficult one.

In the historical homeland of the drink, due to its solid strength coupled with the complete absence of sugar, it is drunk exclusively in mixes and cocktails.

Among the former, especially popular are drinks that, in addition to the coveted juniper poem, include bitter or sweet and sour juices - mainly citrus fruits, but others can also be used: for example, pineapple or cranberry. The name of the latter often speaks for itself. These are: “Gin and Tonic”, “Martini”, “Negroni”, “Double G”, beloved by the British (a drink made from gin and ginger ale) and many, many others.

In general, among the overwhelming majority of juniper substance lovers, there is an opinion that only Dutch jeniver is good in undiluted form.

However, there is an equally overwhelming minority that believes that a tauerovka chilled to 4-6 °C can become not only an excellent refreshing aperitif, but can also decorate the feast itself.

If you feel that you potentially belong to the second group of fans of English juniper, then after the question: “how to drink Beefeater gin,” the question quite naturally arises: “what do you drink Beefeater gin with?” The answer to this question is very simple. If you drink the drink as an aperitif, then a glass of a pleasantly refreshing potion will go well with: a couple of olives, a slice of lemon, a pickled onion or a soft, sharp cheese like Dor Blue. In the case of a full-fledged feast, in general, you don’t have to limit yourself. A cold drink with a Tower guard on the bottle will be a pleasant addition not only to meat or fish, but also to vegetarian dishes.

Finally, let's look at the thorny issue of choosing an authentic product. In order not to run into a fake, you must follow a few simple rules.

Label and tax stamp

Examine the label carefully. It must be glued smoothly, without traces of glue or other handicrafts, and also made in very high resolution. Follow the same procedure with the excise stamp.

Alcohol transparency

Make sure that the liquid in the bottle is crystal clear and does not have any suspicious sediments or dubious turbidity. Remember that Beefeater manufacturers use only very high-quality alcohol for their purposes.

Shake the gin

Shake the bottle well. Large bubbles indicate that the alcohol is highly diluted with water. After shaking, a “snake” of small bubbles should appear in normal gin.

Country of origin

Pay attention to the place of manufacture of the gin and the presence of the corresponding barcode. As we have already said, Beefeater is produced only in the fertile surroundings of the Thames and nowhere else. Therefore, the bottle should have a three-digit number starting with the coveted fifty dollars, meaning that the product was produced in the United Kingdom.

Compliance with the above rules will protect you as much as possible from purchasing a counterfeit and will allow you to enjoy a truly English drink in all its pristine completeness.