Desmond Payne may still be unknown by some, but his is one of the most important names in the world of Gin, and in particular, the Pernod Ricard universe, where he is currently responsible for Beefeater and Plymouth Gins.
Desmond has been connected to distillation for 50 years. He began in the wine business but his contact with spirits, when he worked for Seager, Evans & Co, woke his passion for them. From passion to practice was simple and at 21 years old he left London to work in the Plymouth Distillery.
On an adventurous and successful route, Desmond has learned much and applies all of his knowledge acquired over the last 50 years. The proof of this are the 8 Gins he has to his name, produced more or less one per year.
Beefeater 24 deserves to be highlighted, Desmond himself makes it, making one of the most iconic Gins of our times. A classic but irreverent Gin. A gin that respects the old traditions of London Dry Gins, but which brings new approaches and new aroma profiles.
Also in his portfolio, Beefeater Burrough’s, in an homage to the founder of the British company, which is now going into its second edition, and Beefeater Crown Jewel, one of the more exclusive lines, alongside other variations of Beefeater London Dry. 
We congratulate Desmond and look forward to his next creations.

Beefeater Crown Jewel was presented to a gathering of bartenders and friends, at Gin Lovers Principe Real.
Despite being a novelty in Portugal, Beefeater Crown Jewel is actually a re-edition of the Crown Jewel launched by Beefeater in 1993. In effect, it would have been the first premium Gin, on a par with Bombay Sapphire, at the time, both aimed at the duty free market.
This “new” Crown Jewel remains faithful to the original recipe, an evolution from Beefeater Dry Gin .
To the nine botanicals in Beefeater Dry Gin have been added grapefruit, and diluted has been reduced so that Crown Jewel, with 50%vol, has a significantly higher alcohol content than Beefeater Dry Gin.
Since it is an evolution of the original Beefeater recipe, Crown Jewel is simultaneously the base for the making of Beefeater 24, the Gin which came to substitute it in 2009. To the ten botanicals used in Crown Jewel, Desmond Payne added two new ones: Japanese Sencha tea and Chinese green tea.
The new bottle, similar to the other bottles of the English brand, is inspired by the Tower of London, seeking to invoke the old legend that the monarchy will fall if the Ravens ever leave the Tower. Thus the figure of a Raven landing on the royal orb that is the O in Crown has centre stage on the label. On the sides of the bottle are inscribed the names of eight Ravens that inhabit the Tower of London. Despite a few alterations, the bottle is similar to the one that was discontinued in 2009, but its purple glass makes it very different to the original clear bottle.
One last thing to mention is that Crown Jewel is a limited edition - the batch number for each bottle is found on the back label.
It is available in Gin Lovers online shop.