Payne spoke at this year’s Barometer in Kiev about the origins of Beefeater Gin and the development of its recent flavoured varieties, which have proved popular among consumers.
In 2018 the London distillery launched its Pink expression and has since added Blood Orange and Blackberry flavours to its portfolio, leading to the installation of a new still to accommodate its growing demand.
“Twenty years ago if somebody told me I’d be making pink gin I wouldn’t have believed them,” said Payne. “But it’s important to listen to what the consumer wants and understand that not every generation wants to drink the same thing their parents did.
“We’ve seen a remarkable growth in our Beefeater Pink and I believe it’s bringing in more and more consumers to the gin category.”
Since launching its range of flavoured varieties, the brand has received some criticism from gin ‘purists’ who believe these styles of gin have a negative impact on the category, comparing it to the effect flavours had on the US vodka market.
Payne added: “Off course people will question the lack of juniper taste in a flavoured gin, but the important thing to remember is that we simply take our Beefeater London Dry Gin, and simply add natural flavouring.
“This retains the provenance and quality assurance of the product and I have no doubt that our flavoured gins are having a positive influence on the category.”
Payne has been making gin for more than 50 years and was awarded an MBE at the beginning of last year. Beefeater was also named the top selling gin brand in Drinks International’s Annual Brands Report 2019.
