The Capital’s first dedicated gin distillery visitors centre - now open
One of London’s best kept secrets opened its doors for the very first time to visitors in May 2014. Beefeater London: The Home of Gin, the Capital’s first dedicated gin distillery visitor centre, lifts the lid on the extraordinary stories and events behind one of the world’s favourite spirits.
Beefeater gin is the only historic dry gin still distilled in the capital city and, as such, is uniquely qualified to tell the remarkable story of the history and production of gin in London. The interactive experience takes visitors on an enthralling journey through the cobbled Victorian street markets of Covent Garden, to the secret watering holes during prohibition, and allows fans of the spirit to get up close and personal with the fragrant botanicals used in the creation of gin. The tour continues with a walk through the live production process in the distillery’s cathedral-like still house, and ends with a complimentary drink – the classic Beefeater gin and tonic.
Beefeater London:
The Home of Gin has been created under the careful eye, and nose, of Master Distiller, Desmond Payne, who has over 45 years’ experience in the gin industry and is considered one of the world’s leading gin experts. Payne and his team have spent endless hours trawling the distillery’s vaults and archives, as well as commissioning bespoke pieces for the exhibition. One of the newly created exhibits is Old Tom: a wooden plaque featuring the image of a black cat’s head, used to secretly dispense gin by Captain Dudley Bradstreet in 18th-century London, after parliament restricted the sale of gin.