King Charles Once Swapped Gin Bottles With Director Paul Feig
King Charles is known to appreciate a solid drink. He enjoys martinis before dinner and carries liquor and glasses around the world so the ability to pour a stiff is never far out of reach (via The List). The King even launched his own gin label with herbs taken from his Highgrove House property and uses profits from sales to benefit his charitable projects (per Town and Country Magazine). The Royal Family, too, has produced a gin with botanicals collected from Buckingham Palace gardens, according to Royal Collection Trust. The royal herbal-infused gin is packaged in a glass bottle and can be purchased for around $48 dollars from the Royal Collection Shop.
When Hollywood actor and director Paul Feig visited the King at his Highgrove estate, it was only natural that the gins came out, per Parade. He told Esquire that 4-ounce martinis are the perfect serving size, as this pour can remain cold during social engagements while delivering the perfect buzz without tipping into any obnoxiously drunk categories. "Keep it classy! And stay conscious!" he says. It seems this advice served Feig well when he met the King.
A royal serving
Like the King, Feig has designed a gin of his own, Artingstall's brilliant London dry gin. Feig's gin is also crafted with carefully selected botanicals, and the blend has garnered various awards and accolades (via Reserve Bar). To Parade, Feig describes the gin with warm notes of citrus and black pepper. Feig's latest book, "Cocktail Time!: The Ultimate Guide to Grown-Up Fun," is inspired from a project that carried him through the COVID-19 lockdowns. For 100 days, Feig shared drink recipes with his audience online (per Esquire). So it's safe to say Feig knows his way around gin and tonics and cocktails.
During Feig's meeting with the royal, he recalls making martinis for both him and the King and exchanging bottles of gin. When asked to compare the two labels, Feig graciously offered to Parade, "Let's just say all gins are wonderful in their own way." A diplomatic answer, indeed.