With 80-degree weather coming our way for Derby Day tomorrow, everyone's thinking about seersucker suits and mint juleps served over crushed ice. As summer nears, I also start to dream of crisp, refreshing gin. And wouldn't you know it, Beefeater London Dry Gin is launching a limited-edition Summer Gin on June 2. Following the success of Beefeater 24, Master Distiller Desmond Payne created Beefeater Summer Gin to celebrate the season with prominent floral notes including elderflower, blackcurrant, and hibiscus.
"It has a slightly lighter characteristic," said Payne, who took a moment to speak with me by phone recently. "Beefeater 24 is aimed more at bartenders and for mixing in more high-end cocktails, while the Summer Gin is more for the consumer. Think summer parties and BBQs, and with pomegranate or cranberry juice, it makes a lovely long drink."
Payne, who has been making gin for 42 years, said he is "having a great time" experimenting with new varieties of Beefeater while upholding the classic method of distilling. "It's a chance to spread out a little bit, but very much in the Beefeater way," he said. "This is an interesting and exciting time for gin."
