Beefeater Crown Jewel Coronation Cocktail Competition
Beefeater is celebrating King Charles III's historic Coronation year and also marking its affinity to the Yeoman Warders of The Tower of London with a bespoke bottle of Beefeater Crown Jewel, the pinnacle of its portfolio. The label pays homage to the iconic Crown Jewels, the inspiration for Beefeater Crown Jewel's ruby-inspired bottle. And you could win one of the two bottles!
Beefeater is inviting bartenders and home cocktail enthusiasts, resident in the UK or Spain, to create and share their Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin cocktails in celebration of the King's first birthday on the throne. A leading industry judging panel will select the best cocktail to win one of the two special commemorative bottles specially upgraded to feature a 9-carat sold gold label, embellished with a precious ruby, designed by world-renowned, London based, goldsmiths and silversmiths, Royal Warrant holder Thomas Lyte.
Your Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin cocktail recipe
The aim is to create a celebratory cocktail which can be made by both bartenders and home cocktail enthusiasts around the world, hence the ingredients must be easily available without the need to pre-combine ingredients. To ensure fairness to all I have produced an extensive list of commonplace ingredients and along with any of these, naturally, your cocktail must be based on at least 30ml (1oz) Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin.
Cocktails may be in the form of long or short drinks (not shots) and be a minimum of 90ml (3oz) liquid volume.
Cocktails based on less than seven ingredients are preferred, including fruit juices, syrups, and drops or dashes of bitters if used. Solid garnishes are not considered ingredients. You may additionally spray a citrus fruit zest over the drink if specified as a garnish.
Cocktails may be hand-stirred, hand-shaken, thrown or blended and served hot, straight-up, or over cubed, cracked or crushed ice.
Prizes
The winner will receive one of only two Beefeater Crown Jewel Coronation Edition collectable bottles available worldwide in a presentation box.
The unique Coronation label has been created by world-renowned, London based, goldsmiths and silversmiths Thomas Lyte, whose Royal Warrant was granted in 2008 as a mark of recognition for the quality of its craftspeople and products. The bottle also carries the all important official hallmark to certify the quality of the gold, one of the first to feature our new King's commemorative mark, guaranteeing the provenance and confirming all legal standards of purity and fineness have been upheld to the highest standards.
To enter you must
1. Be 18 years old or above and be of legal drinking age in your country of residence;
2. Be a bartender or Discerner Drinker resident in the UK or Spain;
3. Create an original cocktail which includes Beefeater Crown Jewel and using only the ingredients listed in the ingredients list provided; and
4. Submit your entry using Difford's Cocktail Builder via the link below.
*Please ensure that you read our full set of Terms and Conditions here
Enter
Please complete the short form on the Enter page. If you are already a Difford's Guide member, and you are logged in, then we already have your name and email. If you are new to Difford's Guide then you'll be asked for this additional information to become a member and upload your cocktail recipe.
Key Dates
24th May 2023 - Opens
14th June 2023 – Competition closes
7th July 2023 – Winner announced
Judges
Desmond Payne MBE - Beefeater master distiller emeritus
Alice Lascelles - Award winning drinks journalist, author and presenter.
Jon Gray - Beefeater Global Brand Ambassador.
Simon Difford - yours truly
FAQs
Q. Why should I enter?
A. Share your recipe with other Discerning Drinkers on Difford's Guide and also a panel of leading industry experts who will select what they consider to be the best cocktail. If that is your cocktail, then you will win a special commemorative bottle specially upgraded to feature a 9-carat solid gold label, embellished with a ruby, designed by world-renowned, London based, goldsmiths and silversmiths, Royal Warrant holder Thomas Lyte.
Q. How do I enter?
A. If you are in the UK or Spain, then simply complete the short form on the Enter page. If you are already a Difford's Guide member, and you are logged in, then simply complete the short form. If you are new to Difford's Guide when you follow the enter link you'll be asked for some additional information to become a member and upload your cocktail recipe.
Q. Can I use a gin other than Beefeater Crown Jewel?
A. To participate in this competition, the only gin in your recipe should be Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin.
Q. What ingredients are permitted?
A. Only items appearing in our list of commonplace ingredients along with Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin may be used in recipes.
Q. Can homemade shrubs, cordials, purees and liqueurs, made only using ingredients from the commonplace ingredients list, be used?
A. No! Only ingredients from the commonplace ingredients list can be used without the need for any pre-preparation, combining, cooking or infusion.
Q. Can I use homemade syrups?
A. You can use homemade syrups only if commercially made alternatives are widely available. E.g. sugar syrup, orgeat, grenadine, raspberry syrup etc. Please be aware that commercial syrups tend to be equivalent brix to homemade 2 parts sugar to 1 part water (measured by volume) syrups. Please note that for judging purposes the commercial equivalent syrup will be used.
Q. Can I use homemade infusions?
A. You can use homemade infusions only if commercially made alternatives are widely available. E.g. vanilla vodka, pineapple rum, and spiced rum. Please note that for judging purposes the commercial equivalent infusion will be used.
Q. Will all the recipes feature on Difford's – whether they win or not?
A. Yes – Difford's Cocktail Builder is a community tool allowing all subscribers to add their own recipes to the site.
Q. Can non-bartenders enter?
A. Yes, this competition is open to all home cocktail enthusiasts and bartenders in the UK and Spain, as long as they are over legal drinking age.
Q. Is someone going to come to my bar to taste my cocktail?
A. No, all you have to do is upload your recipe(s) onto the Difford's Guide Cocktail Builder along with a photograph of your cocktail.
Q. What evaluation criteria will be applied for judging?
A. The most delicious yet easy-to-replicate recipes will receive the highest scores. The name and broad appeal of each cocktail will also greatly impact the score:
Taste = 40%
Name = 20%
Ease to replicate = 20%
Broad appeal/potential to become a contemporary classic that celebrates the Coronation = 20%.
The ten cocktails the judges score the highest will be made at the Beefeater distillery for the judges to evaluate in order to select the winning recipe.
Q. Will my image of the cocktail appear on Difford's Guide?
A. Yes your cocktail image will appear on your Difford's Guide recipe page which will only be visible to the Difford's Guide signed-in community. Your image will also help the judges when making your cocktail.
The top 10 cocktails will be showcased in Difford's Guide and Beefeater's social media ahead of announcing the winner and if you rather your cocktail is not featured in this way then please let us know by emailing hello@diffordsguide.com
Beefeater London Dry Gin
Named after the Yeoman Warders Who've guarded the Tower of London since appointed as personal bodyguards by King Henry VIII in 1485, they remain the Queens's
Beefeater Crown Jewel
Originally launched in 1993 and aimed at the travel retail market, this premium Beefeater expression is named after the Crown Jewels displayed at the Tower
Beefeater 24 Gin
Flavoured with 12 botanicals including rare teas, Beefeater 24 takes its name from the 24-hour period the botanicals are steeped in alcohol prior to distillation.
Beefeater Burrough's Reserve
Launched June 2013, Burrough's Reserve is distilled in a small 19th Century copper pot still and then rested in oak casks for a period prior to bottling.
