Ever wondered how your favourite gin gets all its flavour? It all comes down to a clever (and centuries-old) distillation process. From base spirit to botanical blend, distilling gin is both a science and an art—and a key part of what makes Beefeater so iconic.
So if you’ve ever sipped a G&T and thought, “How do they pack so much flavour into something so clear?”, this one’s for you.
Let’s break down how distilling gin works—step by step.
At its core, gin is a neutral spirit flavoured with juniper and other botanicals. But that simple definition hides a pretty involved process.
If you’re curious about the ingredients behind the flavour, check out our blog on what gin is made from for the full lowdown. Now, let’s focus on the actual process of turning those ingredients into gin.
The first step in distilling gin is making the base alcohol. Think of this like a blank canvas—it’s pure, clean and ready to soak up all the botanical goodness.
It all starts with fermentation. A mash of grains—usually wheat, rye or corn—is mixed with water and yeast. The yeast gets to work converting sugars into alcohol, creating a kind of beer-like liquid.
Next comes the stripping run. This is the first round of distillation, where the fermented mash is heated in a pot still to separate alcohol from the rest of the mix. This creates a rough spirit called “low wines,” which sits at a relatively low ABV and still contains plenty of impurities.
To clean things up, the low wines go through another round (or more) of distillation in a process called rectification. This step purifies and strengthens the spirit until you’re left with a high-proof, neutral base that’s ready for flavour.
Now for the fun part. This is where gin becomes gin.
The neutral base spirit is redistilled, but this time botanicals are added into the mix. Juniper is essential—without it, it’s not gin—but distillers also use things like coriander seed, angelica root, citrus peel and liquorice to create a unique flavour profile.
Here at Beefeater, we use nine botanicals to create our award-winning London Dry Gin, steeping for over 24 hours to guarantee a remarkably clean flavour.
Find out more about using botanicals in gin.
There are a few different ways to infuse the spirit with botanicals:
The most traditional method (and the one Beefeater uses) is steeping. The botanicals are soaked in the base spirit for several hours inside the still, allowing their flavours and essential oils to infuse into the liquid. Once that’s done, the spirit is heated and distilled again, drawing out the bold, balanced flavour you find in every bottle of Beefeater.
Some distilleries use vapor infusion instead. Rather than soaking the botanicals in the liquid, they’re placed in a basket above the still. As the spirit heats and evaporates, the alcohol vapour rises and passes through the botanicals, picking up their aromas and flavours before it condenses back into liquid form.
A more modern method is vacuum distillation, also known as cold distillation. By reducing the pressure inside the still, distillers can lower the boiling point of the spirit, meaning they can distill at cooler temperatures. This can help to preserve delicate flavours that might be lost under high heat.
Whether you’re steeping or vapor infusing, the idea is the same: extract essential oils and aromas from the botanicals and carry them through distillation. As the spirit heats, those botanical compounds are released into the vapour. When that vapour cools and condenses back into a liquid, it brings the flavour with it.
What you’re left with is gin.
Once the flavoured spirit has been collected, it’s time for the finishing steps. First, the distiller selects the best part of the distillation run (known as the “heart”) and discards the less desirable portions at the start and end (called the “heads” and “tails”).
Then, it’s diluted with demineralised water to bring the alcohol content down to bottling strength—usually around 40% ABV. At Beefeater, it’s bottled right here in London, just as it has been for over 150 years.
Gin might look simple in the glass, but the distillation process is anything but. From the careful choice of botanicals to the method of infusion, every step shapes the final flavour. That’s why Beefeater has stuck with its traditional steeping method since day one. It’s not just about consistency—it’s about creating a gin that stands out in any cocktail.
So next time you mix up a G&T or shake a Negroni, you’ll know exactly what went into making your gin.
Learn more about our favourite clear spirit in our guide to gin such as the different types of gin and why juniper berries are so key.
