Beefeater
London, England
Botanicals macerated overnight before distillation. A classic eight-botanical recipe, though the US bottling quietly dropped from 44% to 40% ABV in 2023. Read the full story →
- Ingredients / botanicals
- juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice, almond, orris, Seville orange peel, lemon peel
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 98
- Sugar
- 0g
14g ethanol at 40% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓Old-school London Dry with no added sugar
- ✓Clean botanical profile, very low congeners
What to watch
- !Contains almond
- !US proof cut from 88 (44%) to 80 (40%) in 2023
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Beefeater is a benchmark London Dry: macerate, distill once, bottle. No coloring, no sugar, no funny business.
In 2023, Pernod Ricard quietly lowered the US Beefeater bottling from 44% ABV (88 proof) to 40% (80 proof): the second proof cut in five years, after the 47% to 44% reduction in 2020. There was no formal announcement; the new strength simply appeared on shelves.
Beefeater questions
How many calories are in a shot of Beefeater? ▾
About 98 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 40% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Beefeater have sugar? ▾
No. Beefeater has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Beefeater gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Beefeater is distilled from a gluten-containing grain, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What proof is Beefeater? ▾
Beefeater is 80 proof, which is 40% alcohol by volume. It used to be bottled at 44% (88 proof).
Does Beefeater give you a bad hangover? ▾
Beefeater scores 3/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 3/10 for gin overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Beefeater vegan? ▾
Yes. Beefeater is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.