Excellent Work!
Partial to a G&T or three? Indulge your juniper-loving side at one of these London gin hot spots.
1. Whizz around in a Classic Mini Cooper
This is The Indytute's most unique London experience gift and a brilliant present for gin lovers! You are collected from a location of your choice within zone 1 in a beautifully restored Classic Mini Cooper. Choose between two or three hours and stop off at either three or five exquisite gin bars in the city. We don't want to spoil the surprise but one of the gin bars has over 500 gins and 30 tonics, that's over 14,000 possible gin and tonics! Read about this gin experience.
2. Discover the History of London in Four Drinks
A best selling Indytute experience. Discover more about the social (and often very antisocial!) aspects to 4 well-known tipples, and how tea became our national drink. During this tour around Fleet Street, the Strand and the City, you’ll learn about 18th century coffee houses, gin palaces and beer houses. Book now.
3. Tour Sipsmith’s Distillery
London is fizzing with gin distilleries right now but one of the nicest to visit is the home of Sipsmith in Chiswick. Book onto an evening tour and you’ll be greeted with a tasty gin cocktail, learn how the sacred stuff is made, taste lots more delicious booze and meet Prudence, Patience and Constance, the three copper stills where the magic happens.
4. Go on a Gin Journey
Forget everything you know about bar crawls; the Gin Journey takes booze cruises to the next level. Book a Shoreditch or Bermondsey tour and you’ll be chauffeured around five bars (including a distillery) where you’ll enjoy five gin-based cocktails, learn lots of fun gintastic facts and get rather merry.
5. Visit East London Liquor Company
This beautiful old glue factory near Mile End has been transformed into a distillery where they make mostly gin, but also vodka and whisky. As well as offering tours and tastings, there’s also a well-stocked bar where you can sample their creations and a shop so you can take home a bottle or two. Visit the East London Liquor Company.
6. Spend a night in a ‘gin hotel’
The Distillery on Portobello Road is London’s very first ‘gin hotel’. Although you won’t find much mother’s ruin in the bedrooms themselves (apart from a well-stocked mini bar), this small boutique hotel from the people behind Portobello Road Gin is the perfect spot for gin fans: there are two gin-focussed bars on site where you can quaff bowl-sized g&ts before rolling back to your room. Plus they also host gin-making masterclasses at the Ginstitute in the basement.
7. Musical Quiz Night at The Other Gin Palace
Think you know your Phantom from your Fantine? Put your musical knowledge to the test at The Other Palace - the home of musical theatre. Not only do they show hot new musicals with west end stars but they also have an incredible bar with 54 different gins. So if an evening filled with musical clips, fun trivia, killer questions, Singo Bingo and of course gin is your thing then read more....
8. Sample the selection at Holborn Dining Rooms
Bored of seeing the same old gins everywhere? You won’t find a bigger selection of mother’s ruin than at the swanky Holborn Dining Rooms next to the Rosewood Hotel. Boasting an impressive 400 gins and 27 tonics, get cosy in one of the red leather banquettes, order some brasserie-style food and try as many variations of g&ts as your wallet allows.
9. Go on a Gin Cruise
Take your gin passion to the water on London’s first gin cruise. During the scenic three-hour boat tour from Little Venice to Camden Lock, you’ll have three gin cocktails, some stomach-lining tapas nibbles, a masterclass from a distiller and music from DJs. Just sit back, enjoy your drinks and soak up the slightly wavy view. Oh and you get a goody bag to take home too.
10. Sample the wares at the London Gin Club
Tucked away on an unassuming Soho backstreet, you’ll find gin heaven a.k.a the London Gin Club at the Star at Night bar. There are over 400 varieties of gin on offer here and some seriously delicious g&ts. Make a night of it by treating yourself to one of the tasting menus, where you can try four or (if you’re feeling brave) eight different gins. Be sure to book a table in advance though.
11. The Brilliant Gin and Markets Cycle Tour
This is the bike tour to remember, as you cycle London's backstreets on a sit up and beg Pashley bicycle. On this bike tour you will be discovering London through the story of gin from the 18th century to the present day. To get those legs turning a bit faster, there is a promise of a visit to a boutique distillery, tucked under the railway arches in South London, where there will be a sampling and a G & T to oil the wheels. Book this gin experience.
Written by Sonya Barber, author of 'East London: an Opinionated Guide' by Hoxton Mini Press, former News & Events editor at Time Out London and general woman about town.
See all our brilliantly inspired boozy gift experiences. Handpicked by The Indytute.
