If you came to this post looking for information on Gordon’s gin vs Beefeater, then you are in the right place. Keep reading to find out more!

Gordon’s Gin vs Beefeater

Beefeater Gin

Beefeater is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom, by the company of James Burrough.

It is 47% alcohol by volume (94 proof) in the US and 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) elsewhere in the world (including the UK).

The gin’s name refers to the Yeomen Warders, commonly known as the Beefeaters, who are the ceremonial guards of the Tower of London.

According to the Beefeater website, Beefeater London Dry Gin has “big juniper character and strong citrus notes”. It contains nine different botanicals: juniper, angelica root, angelica seeds, coriander seeds, liquorice, almonds, orris root, seville oranges, and lemon peel.

The makers of Beefeater recommend that it be drunk in a gin and tonic made with one part Beefeater gin and 2 parts tonic, along with a wheel of lemon and one of orange.

Gordon’s vs Beefeater: What is Gordon’s Gin?

Gordon’s gin is the world’s number one best-selling (and my favorite) gin . It has been made to the same recipe since the late 18 th century.

Gordon’s gin is the only gin to display the royal coat of arms on its bottle, by appointment of Her Majesty the Queen of England.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Fresh, with juniper and citrus

Palate: Dry and fresh, with juniper and citrus

Finish: Short and light, with juniper and citrus

The makers of Gordon’s gin recommend that it be drunk in a gin and tonic, served with a wedge of lime—first squeezed into the cocktail and then dropped in.

Readers Weigh in on Gordon’s Gin vs Beefeater

Matthew D. Erulkar, a reader, had this to say about the two gins:

I have drunk Gordons and found it tasting either oily or like paint thinner. Gilbey’s really does not have a pronounced character of any sort, but I prefer that to the citric tones of Beefeaters.

VaSlim, another reader, had this to say:

Hey, without question; different gins for the two very…different drinks………. 1. Gilbey’s for a martini if you can’t afford Beefeater, 2. Burnett’s for a gin & tonic if you can’t afford Tanqueray. But Gordon’s is one gin that can do both!!! Besides, if it was good enough for 007 (although it was 94 proof in the day vs. the present 80), surely it is good enough for us mere mortals!!!

Gilbey’s Gin

Gilbeys’s Gin is a classic juniper-led London Dry Gin from Gilbey’s.

The brand was founded in London in 1857 by brothers Walter and Albert Gilbey in the basement of a retail shop on Oxford Street.

Producer’s Note

Color: Clear

Aroma: Light, floral juniper base with hints of sweet orange

Taste: Clean, light and dry

Finish: Intense but smooth; ideal for the classic martini

And now, on to the original reason I wrote this post…

In my early twenties, my drink of choice was a gin and tonic. I loved gin and tonics because they were so refreshing.

Poured over a lot of ice, a cool gin and tonic went down smooth with just the right amount of fizz and caused me little trouble the following morning, what with gin being a white spirit (as they say: the darker the spirit, the worse the hangover).

Whenever I would order a gin and tonic in Nairobi, though, I would often get asked a question that I was rarely clear how to answer.

The question was: “What gin would you like, Gilbey’s or Gordon’s?”.

Frankly, I thought all gins were essentially the same, and since Gilbey’s Gin was usually less expensive, that is what I would choose…until one fateful afternoon in Arusha.

READ ALSO: Waragi vs. Konyagi: 2 Great East African Spirits Go Head-To-Head

A Delightful Gin & Tonic in Arusha

On a beautiful sunny Sunday, several years ago, I found myself traveling from Moshi to Nairobi, via Arusha, where I had a one-hour layover before changing shuttles.

This was not a problem for me because this layover was at Arusha‘s Impala Hotel, where I absolutely love hanging out on the outdoor terrace.

I love the warm midday sun on this terrace, with the beautiful blue of the swimming pool not far away.

The people on the terrace always seem particularly jovial, possibly because the majority of them are on holiday.

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Whatever the case, this joyful mood is always contagious for me. Being at The Impala Hotel terrace instantly puts me in a happy mood.

And so, on that beautiful, sunny Sunday as I sat on the terrace waiting for my shuttle’s departure, I ordered a drink—a gin and tonic to be precise.

When my drink finally arrived, I took a sip while letting the pleasure of my surroundings soak in.

Wow! My drink tasted unusually good.

I sipped and sipped and sipped, thinking that maybe, my drink tasted so good because I was in such a happy place.

But no, after a while, I had to concede: this gin and tonic was special.

Not one to leave a mystery unexplored, I decided to find out more from the bartender.

Inquiring About My Gin and Tonic

As I got up to order another gin and tonic (you know I had to! 🙂 ), I asked my bartender what he had used to make my drink.

He seemed a bit confused by my question and told me that he had simply given me a double Gordon’s Gin as well as the tonic water which had come in a bottle, so I could mix my drink myself.

The difference, I concluded, must have come from using Gordon’s Gin instead of Gilbey’s Gin.

Testing My Hypothesis

When I finally got to Nairobi, I put my hypothesis to the test.

When next asked what gin I wanted when ordering a gin and tonic, I alternated between choosing Gilbey’s Gin and Gordon’s Gin.

Whenever I ordered Gilbey’s Gin, I got the same gin and tonic that I had become accustomed to prior to my experiment.

Whenever I ordered Gordon’s Gin, my drink tasted as superb as it did that afternoon in Arusha.

I quickly became a convert.

For me, if you ask me whether I prefer Gilbey’s Gin or Gordon’s Gin, my answer is clear: it’s definitely Gordon’s Gin.

I am not sure what makes Gordon’s Gin a tastier gin—I am not a connoisseur of gin like that—but in laywoman’s terms, there’s just something more aromatic about Gordon’s Gin.

I like to say it has a “rounder” taste perhaps by which I mean it has a more complex, symphony of flavors (as opposed to being flat and one-dimensional), but that’s just me.

After all, taste is a highly personal thing.

Now Your Turn: Do You Prefer Gilbey’s Gin or Gordon’s Gin?

If asked Gilbey’s Gin or Gordon’s Gin, what is your response, and why? Please let me know in a comment below.

I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Also, please weigh in on the Gordon’s vs Beefeater debate. I look forward to reading your responses.

Until the next time,

Biche

P. S. To be sure not to miss future posts on Chick About Town, sign up to receive posts directly by email. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living & lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

Photo Credit: Bethany Khan; Liquor.com, Foreedontz MIU, Private Bar, Marco Verch, AfricanMecca Safaris, Diemulus, amsterdo.com

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