Like red phone boxes, black cabs and double-decker buses, gin is seen around the world as a quintessential thread that helps make up the fabric of London life. Today phone boxes are all but disappearing under the domination of the mobile, buses are bendy and cabs come in all colours. Thank goodness then that in this sea of change you can still count on the comforts of good old gin.

Now most of us know we should be consuming local produce whenever possible, or at least feeling guilty when we can’t. As it happens, there’s a way to support a local producer and drown our sorrows at the same time, as every drop of Beefeater – which is in fact the world’s top-selling premium gin – is produced at its distillery in Kennington.

Instrumental in maintaining the traditions of this native drink is Wandsworth resident Desmond Payne. He’s been distilling gin for 40 years and is acknowledged as the leading distiller in the industry. He started his career in the wine cellars of Harrods, later moving to Seager Evans & Co and then to Plymouth Gin Distillery, until being persuaded to return to London in the role of master distiller for Beefeater in 1994.

Gin has long been linked to London’s colourful history. At the height of the gin craze in 1743, the capital was producing 20 million gallons of gin annually – 14 gallons for every adult resident – but today Desmond is the only distiller still making London dry gin in the city. With these bare facts before me my thirst for knowledge is piqued, so I head to Beefeater HQ (situated south of the Thames since 1958) to meet this custodian of London culture himself.

Desmond greets me with a Red Snapper, the tasty precursor to the Bloody Mary. "Gin is so much more fun than vodka isn’t it?" he observes before taking me on a tour. He explains that Beefeater traces its heritage to 1820, when John Taylor and his wife founded a distillery in Chelsea. Meanwhile, Devon-born James Burrough was crafting gin recipes of his own, training as a pharmacist and becoming something of an expert in combining flavours and alcohol. After a stint in the American colonies, Burrough returned to London and purchased the Taylors’ distillery.

Modern-day mixologists would have to admire Burrough’s dedication to the cause. During one of his endless experiments, he hit upon a recipe using a new blend of nine botanicals (juniper, angelica root, angelica seed, coriander, liquorice, almond, orris root, Spanish lemon peel and Seville orange peel) which produced unusually full-bodied flavours. He also started to employ a unique process of steeping the blend of ingredients in grain alcohol for 24 hours before turning on the still. That’s the very recipe and method Desmond uses today.

"I get involved in everything," he says. "In many of the larger gin companies, the buying of the juniper and other botanicals is done by a separate purchasing department. I’d hate that to happen here. Choosing the Seville oranges, the juniper and all the other botanicals that provide the right balance for Beefeater is the most skilful part of my job. It’s also the part I enjoy most."

We see great bins filled with mysterious peels, seeds and other substances, and I even have a go measuring out and pouring some of these into the still. Brand-new gin is percolating into a contraption called a spirit safe, and Desmond treats himself to a sample. "Quite nice, actually," he pronounces.

A member of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, he’s just the man to guide me through a tasting session of six gins. It’s just past 10am, and each sample has been watered down to 20%. "Not that we don’t trust you with strong liquor you understand!" Desmond explains that unlike many other spirits, all the flavours in gin are introduced in the form of the botanicals. "So it’s a sociable drink," he smiles. "It mixes well."

"A gin and tonic can be quite exciting enough, but…" Suddenly he’s onto the topic of proper cocktails, and we retire to the in-house bar where I get to know the gin Cosmopolitan, the Waterloo Sunset and my new favourite, the Negroni. "I really admire the new wave of bartenders. They are looking for authentic, original brands and really care about how and where they are being made. They experiment, they make up their own minds, and they are amazingly dedicated. That’s why the quality of cocktails in London is so good."

Desmond reveals that when he’s not making or drinking gin, his hobbies centre on food, wine and travel. "I love travelling, but I think London will always be my favourite city to live in. It has such an exciting mix of culture – that’s what gives it its buzz."

So many drinks before noon conspire to make me philosophical. I reflect that while the Beefeaters continue to guard the Tower of London and the crown jewels – two internationally recognised symbols of the country – it’s nice to know that Desmond is just down the river vigilantly protecting the recipe for this great British drink.

Shake up a lost classic or stir together a modern one with these recipes from Dan Warner, the in-house bartender at the Beefeater Distillery in Kennington

Cosmopolitan (from Pioneers of Mixing Gins at Elite Bars, published 1933)

50ml London dry gin

10ml Cointreau

20ml lemon juice

teaspoon raspberry syrup

two fresh strawberries

Shake ingredients with ice until strawberries are liquefied. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Burrough’s Bramble

50ml London dry gin

20ml lemon juice

15ml sugar syrup

15ml Crème de Mure

Churn gin, juice and sugar syrup in a class with crushed ice. Drizzle with Crème de Mure to create a marbled effect, then garnish with a lemon slice and fresh blackberry.

Red Snapper

50ml London dry gin

100ml tomato juice

100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch black pepper

pinch celery salt

2 drops Tabasco sauce

Mix ingredients together and stir gently with ice. Finely strain into a glass, then garnish with a small lemon slice.

R.A.C. Cocktail (created in 1914 for the Royal Automobile Club)

40ml London dry gin

25ml Noilly Dry

25ml Noilly Rouge

5ml grenadine

1 dash orange bitter

Stir ingredients over ice. Strain into coupette, then garnish with a cherry and orange peel.

Mayfair Cocktail (invented at the Embassy Club in 1921)

40ml London dry gin

40ml orange juice

5ml apricot syrup flavoured with a little clove syrup

Shake ingredients with ice cubes, then double strain into a coupette.

Waterloo Sunset (created by Dan Warner, former Theme magazine bartender of the year)

15ml London dry gin

10ml elderflower cordial

100ml champagne

5ml crème de framboise

Stir gin and elderflower with ice, then strain into a champagne flute. Using the spiral of a bar spoon, layer champagne on top. Add crème de framboise using a bar spoon. Garnish with a speared raspberry.