A New Gin Blends Two British Favorites

Is there a more quintessentially British drink than a gin and tonic? Perhaps not at the bar, but afternoon tea is as English as the Queen herself. Now, these traditional sips have been introduced to one another in Beefeater 24, a new sophisticated player in the emerging category of "New World" gin.

The idea for Beefeater 24 was born when master distiller Desmond Payne was traveling in Japan and noticed barflies taking their gin mixed with iced tea. When he returned to London, he introduced green and sencha tea leaves, as well as grapefruit peel, to Beefeater's long-standing recipe of botanicals.

The teas–which are steeped in the mix for 24 hours, hence the name–add grassy notes to the layers of flavors, and the grapefruit brings Beefeater's citrus-forward profile into starker relief.

The gin is already winning over bartenders in New York and San Francisco, where it was first launched (with more cities on the way). Brian McGrory of New York's gin-centric Madam Geneva calls it "soft, elegant and summery, but with flavors that can easily integrate themselves into cocktails." He backs his endorsement up with this simple-yet-dazzling recipe, which is perfect for your next boozy tea service.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Martini

Recipe from Brian McGrory

Makes 1 drink

Ice

3 ounces Beefeater 24

3 ounces fresh ruby red grapefruit juice

Dash of fresh lemon juice

3/4 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur

Grapefruit twist, for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, grapefruit and lemon juices and St-Germain and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the grapefruit twist.