‘I’ll Just Take This, Please’: King Charles Drinks Gin During Visit to Food Market, Quickly Declines Tonic Water Chaser

King Charles enjoys his gin without tonic — he’s more of a martini man. (Photo: Daily Mail)

On Wednesday, King Charles was seen enjoying a spot of gin during a visit to Talbot Yard Food Court in Malton, Yorkshire, and left a nearby group of people in a fit of giggles after politely declining a tonic water chaser, Daily Mail reported.

Following the presentation of a shot glass full of an unnamed London dry, Charles took a quick sip. According to Daily Mail, the bartender then offered him “a little bit of tonic water,” to which the king quickly replied, “I’ll just take this, please.”

Charles then put the half-full shot glass of gin back on the bar and the bartender poured in a splash of tonic, with the King requesting “just a drop,” per Daily Mail.

After the gin sample, Charles asked about the spirit’s tasting notes, commenting on a “botanical” flavor he detected.

If you’re a seasoned gin enjoyer, you’d know that the “botanical” flavor the king tasted was most likely from a number of classic ingredients used in making London dry gin. A few of these essential herbs and spices are juniper, coriander, angelica, cassia bark, licorice, citrus peel and black pepper.

Read more: The 5 Best Gins We Tasted in March 2023

The King and His Love of Gin

Charles has time and time again shown himself to be a bonafide gin enjoyer. In November 2022, it was announced by Charles’ friend, Count Tibor Kalnoky, that the king enjoys a martini every night — and even has a special glass that he takes with him when traveling, expressly to be used for the classic cocktail.

In the same month, Paul Feig, Director (“Bridesmaids,” “Spy” and “A Simple Favor”) and cocktail enthusiast,  revealed the details of a trip he made to the Highgrove estate. There, Feig and Charles swapped bottles of their own gin brands and drank martinis.

(Photo: The Royal Collection Trust)

Merging juniper spirits and royalty, Charles and his upcoming coronation has inspired the launch of commemorative gins. In February, Buckingham Palace announced its pink coronation gin infused with fresh raspberries hand-picked from the Windsor Castle Estate.

Following closely behind, top English gin brand Whitley Neill launched a limited-edition Connoisseur’s Cut gin in March.

Read next:

‘Shaken, Not Stirred’: Why James Bond Is Wrong About How He Drinks a Martini

5 Best Pink Gins to Try This Year

What Is Purple Gin? Inside the Trendy Category of Color-Changing Spirits

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