London Gin Trail in pictures

Yesterday, SB enjoyed a condensed tour of the London Gin Trail, which features an enticing selection of 12 handpicked distilleries, bars and experiences across the city.

The London Gin Trail aims to put London’s gin hotspots on the tourist map

Created by trade association The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), the trail aims to education consumers on the historical origins of gin and put the spirit on the tourist map.

Also spearheaded by environment secretary Elizabeth Truss, the tour explores some of the most remarkable gin hotspots the city has to offer – from craft distillers to big players, iconic bars to gin-centred high tea experiences.

Expect to learn about the art of gin making, sample quality gins from across the globe, and revel in the history of the Gin Craze and beyond through a unique tour of the capital via its most famous gin-related landmarks.

Mile Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, said: “British gin has a strong, vibrant history. By publishing the gin trail map we hope to mark its renaissance and ensure its future as a quintessentially British, internationally recognised spirit”.

Click through to discover the full itinerary…

Sipsmith

Address: 83 Cranbrook Road, Chiswick, W4 2LJ

Website: www.sipsmith.com

Take in the history of gin in London with a guided tour of the Sipsmith distillery – the first of its kind since 1820. Get up close and personal with their copper stills, Prudence, Patience and Constance, followed by a tutored tasting of the range. Take a good look at the label – the swan motif is a nod to the “swan’s neck” pipe attached to the still. If you’re feeling extra fancy, why not treat yourself to the Sipsmith Gin Palace Extravaganza. In addition to the usual tour, you’ll be whisked off to the Princess Victoria for a three course botanical-inspired bite, followed by a tutored gin tasting and a bottle of London Dry Gin to take home.

Hush

Address: 8 Lancashire Court, W1S 1EY

Website: www.hush.co.uk

Time for a G&Tea… Quite literally. Hush’s Gin and Jam Afternoon Tea, hosted in The Silver Room, is a must if you’re after a teatime pick-me-up. Along with the usual suspects – finger sandwiches, warm scones, marcaroons and more – you’ll enjoy two bespoke cocktails made with the restaurant’s very own Hush Gin, and a selection of artisan loose leaf teas by H.R. Higgins of Mayfair.

Designed to reflect the botanicals in Hush Gin – including Jasmine lotus, Tonka beans and lavender – each cocktail is created using a “jam base”. Each jam is made exclusively for Hush by Wendy Brandon, who has been producing handmade jams and preserves in the UK for more than 30 years.

Graphic Bar

Address: 4 Golden Square, W1F 9HT

Website: www.graphicbar.com

Currently housing 284 different gins from across the globe, spanning the UK to the US, Graphic Bar is somewhat of a “ginstitution”. The back bar holds 15 different tonic waters and a plethora of garnishes to perfectly execute the suggested serve for each and every brand. A Gin of the Month is championed regularly– this month Opihr takes centre stage ­– and the bar team are bursting with knowledge and passion; ideal for a gin novice. Installations by some of the most innovative and inspirational artists adorn the walls, and the vibe is cosy and intimate yet lively, fresh and stylish at the same time. From historical cocktails to Paint Tin Punches, even seasoned gin drinkers will leave having learned something new.

Duke’s Hotel

Address: Duke’s Bar, St James’s Palace, SW1a 1NY

Website: www.dukeshotel.com

Duke’s is hidden down a quiet cul-de-sac in the centre of Mayfair and has been dubbed by the New York Times as “the hotel bar which some say concocts one of the world’s best Martinis”. There must be some truth in that statement, as the bar was frequented by James Bond author Ian Fleming – and is the birthplace of the now-classic line “shaken, not stirred”. What more could you ask for?

Berry Brothers & Rudd

Address: No.3 St James Street, SW1A 1EG

Website: www.bbr.com

Family business Berry Bros & Rudd was established at No.3 St James Street in 1698 by a women known only as Widow Bourne, and three centuries, two Royal Warrants and eight Masters of Wine later it remains an institution as Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant. Around 6 years ago the brand decided to create a London Dry Gin, and with the help of De Kuyper, created a texture-centric spirit made from just six botanicals, in the form of three fruits and three spices: grapefruit, orange, juniper, cardamom, coriander and angelica. The gin – No.3 London Dry Gin ­– is named in homage to the St James Street address, and has been a storming success ever since.

Houses of Parliament Shop

Address: 12 Bridge Street, Parliament Square, SW1A 2JX

Website: www.shop.parliament.uk

Located in the heart of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament Shop gives gin buffs the opportunity to get their hands on Sipsmith’s exclusive Houses of Parliament gin.

The Savoy Hotel

Address: The Savoy Hotel, 100 Strand, WC2R 0EU

Website: www.fairmont.com


Home to the renowned art deco-style American bar – known as such as for serving “American” style drinks (aka, cocktails). In the late 19^th Century, an abundance of American bars opened across London, and of these the American Bar at The Savoy is the longest surviving. In 1903 influential bartender Ada ‘Coley’ Coleman began working at The American Bar. Her signature cocktail was the Hanky Panky; a blend of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Martini Rosso vermouth and Fernet Branca.

City of London Distillery

Address: 22-24 Bride Lane, off Fleet Street, EC4Y 8DT

Website: www.cityoflondondistillery.com


This small batch distillery-cum-speakeasy is a hidden gem. Exposed copper stills – named Jennifer and Clarissa, after the stars of BBC cult series Two Fat Ladies – beam through the walls, while the dimly-lit bar is decked out with quintessentially British period furniture, soft leather sofas and retro treasures. Take advantage of the distillery tour and gin flight taster tours, and for those who feel a little more daring, try the gin lab experience – where visitors can design and distill their very own gin.

Beefeater Gin

Address: 20 Montford Place, SE11 5DE

Website: www.beefeaterdistillery.com


Pernod Ricard’s Beefeater Gin has a rich history, producing millions of cases of gin every year using the same recipe and distilling method as was used in the 1800’s by pharmacist and distiller James Burrough when he first bought a distillery in Chelsea. A self-guided interactive visitor’s centre will whisk you through London pre-and-post Gin Craze, while upstairs a sensory botanical hub awaits – along with a cocktail bar. 

214 Bermondsey

Address: Antico Restaurant, SE1 3TQ
Website: www.214-bermondsey.co.uk
With a back bar that is home to more than 80 gins, the gin lovers behind 214 Bermondsey are so dedicated to the cause they’ve even made their own tonic water. BTW (Bermondsey Tonic Water) is used exclusively in their Gin and Tonic Tasting Flights, which come highly recommended. Participants are given three unlabelled mini G&Ts with a sealed envelope containing the answers, and are challenged to taste their way through the flight – making an educated guess of which is which using relevant tasting notes.

Happiness Forgets

Address: 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU
Website: www.happinessforgets.com

The bars strapline – Great Cocktails, No Wallies – should already tell you everything you need to know, but if you’re after a little more insight… This tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nocturnal basement bar is a haven for extraordinary gin cocktails. Low lighting, blood red walls and cushioned benches offer an intimate relaxed urban feel, with the sophisticated sounds of jazz/groove/soul perfectly complimenting the ambiance. Still not convinced? The bar was voted number eight in the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2015.

East London Liquor Company

Address: Unit GF1, 221 Grove Road, E3 5SN
Website: www.eastlondonliquorcompany.com

East London Liquor Company has brought spirits production back to London’s East End after almost a Century, finding its home in a former glue factory in Bow Wharf. A bottle shop completes the distillery, while the vast bar gives a birds eye view of the glittering stills and boasts a comprehensive gin cocktail list that also champions the brand’s vodka and rum.