The UK's best gin joints: The Gin Journey
Ahead of World Gin Day on 11 June, we asked The Gin Journey’s Leon Dalloway to name his favourite gin joints across the country, from a London distillery and Liverpool’s sunny Botanical Garden to the intimate charm of Bramble in Edinburgh – and everything in between.
The Gin Journey is a playful, interactive drinks trail that not only helps you to get hands-on with a variety of gins while being chaffeur-driven around local bars, but also provides a way to explore your city by way of great booze.
It's a slightly more civilised pub crawl, if you will, where at each stop pints of Foster's become innovative gin cocktails, and where regrettable shots of tequila become neat samples of gin – all topped off with a light-hearted lesson in the history and production of gin.
So when we wanted to pull together a list of the UK's strongest gin boozers, we thought it might be wise to get in touch with the man behind it all, Leon Dalloway, whose life's work involves travelling the width and breadth of the country in the name of mother's ruin.
Here are the gin bars he suggests you visit:
Gin in Edinburgh: Bramble
Leon's pick for Edinburgh is Bramble, named for its specialism in the classic gin-based cocktail of the same name. Riddled with cosy nooks and crannies that prove perfect for sinking a Bramble or two, this neat little boozer often finds itself featured among the world's best bars, though its intimate charm thankfully remains fairly untainted by global hype. And if you wanted an excuse to go and check it out, book yourself onto the next Gin Journey, as it's one of the trail's Edinburgh venues.
Gin in Glasgow: Gin71
Housed in Cup Tea Lounge, at 6pm the space becomes Gin71, where you can spend the evening sinking back into your chair with a gin flight courtesy of the city’s largest selection of the stuff. But don't just take Leon's word for it: listed as TripAdvisor's no. 1 bar in Glasgow, Gin71 seems to inspire the acclaim of the masses as well as the gin experts.
Gin in Manchester: Gorilla
In Manchester, Leon recommends Gorilla, which benefits from a dedicated gin parlour up on its mezzanine floor, food served all day and a rotating daily G&T offer. This one's another Gin Journey venue, though it's also well worth dropping by on a Sunday for one of the city's favourite roast dinners (order a Red Snapper and a portion of bread and beef dripping for starters, obviously).
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Gin in Leeds: The Hedonist Project
An innovative bar concept from three Leeds-based bartenders, The Hedonist Project reinvents itself every quarter – but you can rest assured that whatever they're tackling, it'll be treated well. At the moment it's gin, under the guise of Old Tom's Gin Kitchen. Expect bespoke-infused gins, and a relaxed setting in which to sink 'em. Just be sure to get there before they move onto rum...
Gin in Liverpool: The Botanical Garden
For Liverpool, it obviously has to be The Botanical Garden, the city’s finest open-air gin bar where you can sup on your drink alongside Cuban street food from Finca and the occasional outdoor film screening. Loadsa fun, and another of Leon's Gin Journey venues.
Gin in Saddleworth: The Old Bell Inn
Venturing out of Manchester slightly, Leon reckons it’s worth a day trip to Saddleworth to get involved in the largest selection of gin in the world (around 600, btw) at The Old Bell Inn. It may look like an unassuming pub from its exterior, but the well-stocked Gin Emporium inside more than justifies its status as a boozer's paradise – and, more importantly, its Guinness World Record title for the largest number of gins commercially available. Sold.
Gin in London: East London Liquor Company
We couldn’t miss out a trip to the capital, and in a city where competition is rife, according to Leon it's East London Liquor Company that stands out from the crowd. A beautiful distillery with a bar, here they make amazing gin – an experience topped off with outside seating next to Hackney canal and Victoria Park. Another Gin Journey venue worth checking out next time you're down South.
The Gin Journey runs weekly in Manchester on Wednesdays and Saturdays; in Liverpool on Thursdays; in Edinburgh on Wednesdays; and in London on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.