Queen Elizabeth II has started her own side hustle selling gin made from leaves found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. It comes after Covid-19 brought tourism to halt causing a huge hole in the royal finances.
Launched on Monday, Royal Collection Trust - a department of the Royal Household – started selling a small batch of premium London dry gin, called Buckingham Palace Gin, infused with bay and mulberry leaves found in the Queen’s back garden.
‘The spirit is infused with citrus and herbal notes derived from 12 botanicals, several of which are from Buckingham Palace garden, including lemon verbena, hawthorn berries, bay leaves and mulberry leaves,’ the website read. ‘The Buckingham Palace gin, 42% abv, will also be served at official events at the Palace.’
Buckingham Palace Gin - Grazia
1 of 1Buckingham Palace Gin, £40
According to the website, all profits from the sales of the gin go to the trust, a registered charity, which helps fund the care and conservation of the Royal Collection and promote access to it via exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes. The Royal Collection is one of the largest art collections in the world and one of the last European royal collections to remain intact. The work they do is not funded by the public, meaning it comes from the royals own finances – which have taken a hit recently.
According to reports, revenue from tourists visiting Buckingham Palace dropped by £18million after Covid-19 bought travel and tourism to a screeching halt. According to The Sun, up to 250 workers at the palace were offered voluntary buyouts.
It comes as no surprise then that the Queen is trying to generate a little extra income using Brit’s favourite hobby: drinking. She joins a number of celebrities that have jumped on the side hustle bandwagon by selling their own alcohol, including David Beckham, George Clooney and Rita Ora.
Hey, if we have to pour one out to support the Queen, we’re more than happy to.
Click through for more alcohol suppliers that deliver...
Alcohol Suppliers That Deliver - Grazia
1 of 17The Bottle Club
You can truly stock up with The Bottle Club as they sell wines, beers and spirits by the case. Not only that, but they're also currently selling hand sanitiser too. Essentially, it's a your Girls Night In: Quarantine Edition starter pack.
2 of 17Camden Town Brewery
Pubs might be opening from the 4th of July, but that doesn't change how much they've struggled during lockdown. That's why Camden Town Brewery has launched their brand new 'The Pub American Pale Ale', a limited-edition beer brewed to support and celebrate the British pub industry.To The Pub will be available to buy from our Camden web shop from Friday 26th June, and at selected retailers and convenience from July. All proceeds from sales of To The Pub cans will be used to fund the production of kegs they will be giving to pubs for free.In total they're giving away 260,000 pints of To The Pub to pubs across the country, so they can get more cash in the till for every pint sold, and beer fans can continue to show their support by opting for To The Pub at their local participating pub.
3 of 17Two Birds
If you're all about supporting small businesses - especially now - Two Birds is the one for you. With a selection of spirits including Gin, Vodka and Rum - the top notch drinks are not only delicious but come in the cutest bottles! They also sell hand sanitiser if you're low on that, talk about responsible drinking...
4 of 17Ridgeview
East Sussex winery Ridgeview will donate £2 for every bottle of Ridgeview Sparkling Wine sold online until the end of May to Hospitality Action with all orders no matter how big or small delivered free of charge across the UK. Hospitality Action is a charity that has been supporting the UK hospitality trade for over 180 years, helping hospitality people in difficulty or crisis.
5 of 17The Proofing Room
Launching today is a new delivery service from The Proofing Room offering an imaginative menu of Ready-to-Drink cocktails for free same-day, no-contact delivery in East London and The City or across the UK within 48 hours (£8).
6 of 17Aldi
While their orders may take longer to come than normal due to unprecedented demand, Aldi is delivering their award-winning alcohol as normal. Honestly, you can't go wrong with Aldi alcohol.
7 of 17Elicite
For a fancy weekend in, try out Elicite - where you can not only order alcohol to be delivered, but watch tutorials on wine AT THE SAME TIME. Yes, you can enhance your tastebuds and your minds and leave quarantine a wine connoisseur...
8 of 17Beer Hawk
A hipster's dream, Beer Hawk offers a huge range of craft beers - even selling a £35 15-beer case of Great British Beers (pictured). Plus, £1 of ever order supports bar and pub staff.
9 of 17The Drop Store
With great offers on their extensive range of spirits, wines and beers, The Drop Store is an ideal online off-licence. The range includes exclusive brands not available on the high street and stocks the likes of Whitley Neill gin and The Pogues Irish whiskey. They even have a code for 10% off until the end of April, with code thanks10.
10 of 17Signature Brew
Signature Brew will not only deliver drinks to your door, but the entire pub with it. Their pub-in-a-box package for £25 includes glassware, snacks, a music quiz and exclusive playlists curated by music journalists. It's worth it just to enact your typical Friday night down the pub.
11 of 17Tesco Groceries
Of course, the big corporations are still available to sell alcohol at a great price. Tesco has all the wine, beer and spirits you could want with deals to match.
12 of 17Ocado
With an actual tab on their website for their big wine sale, Ocado are another big corporation offering all you alcohol dreams at a great price. Bottles of Charles Lafitte Vintage are currently on offer for just £29.99, so stock up now.
13 of 17The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
If you have a more refined, luxurious palette when it comes to Whisky, you'll love The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Not only do they offer world-class Whisky like the £140 bottle pictured, they also host a members only club where you can connect with like-minded Whisky lovers.
14 of 17Drink Supermarket
With some of the best deals out there right now, Drink Supermarket is a must-visit. From free mixers with various spirits to free glassware with special purchases, when you order from her you get more than you bargained for.
15 of 17British Corner Shop
An online version of your favourite corner shop, the British Corner Shop company hosts everything you need for a night in from alcohol to snacks. For cheap deals on ales like Tangle Foot to any of your must-have spirits, you don't even need to cross the street to get your usual corner shop haul to your door.
16 of 17The Drink Shop
The Drink Shop prides itself on hosting global brands, delivered worldwide. With offers on Bottega Prosecco and more, there's nothing you won't find at The Drink Shop - including alcohol-related gifts for those close to you.
17 of 17The Whisky Barrel
Yet another Whisky focused alcohol service, The Whisky Barrel hosts independent bottlers and TWB exclusives to step up your Whisky game like no other. They also sell rum if you fancy a change, but either way you won't be disappointed with the luxurious spirits on this site.