It's a must do experience in London for tourists and locals alike and i now proclaim the superb concept of it to anyone that will listen.
The concept is simple: 5 different cocktail bars, 5 speciality gins (straight up), developed into 5 gin cocktails = genius or ginius! Our tour party consisted of such a great mix of people (couples, friends, solo travellers, grannies) that no-one would be out of place. The tastings are interspersed with the history of gin, the distilling process & ingredients of the many different types of the gorgeous spirit. You are whisked between the high end bars in a gin carriage where Leon Dalloway, hostess with the mostess and founder of the company Shake, Rattle & Stir, waxes lyrical about his obviously passionate hobby. There's even a prize of miniature gins if you get a quiz question right (and you know how much i love a quiz! although there was a couple with a pen and pad for god's sake, i stood no chance!), what more can you ask from a night out? The bars visited are constantly changing so no Gin Journey will be the same!
To whet your appetite here is the run down of our journey:
Opium Bar, Chinatown - Elephant Gin - An Elephant Never Forgets; Elephant Gin, creme de mure, three
squeezes of lime, lavender bitters topped with grape soda and created by Susie
Wong (a brilliant mixologist)
The City of London Distillery, Blackfriars- City of London Dry Gin- G&T: City of London Dry Gin and Fever Tree Tonic with a slice of grapefruit.
Perkin Reveller, Tower Bridge- Beefeater London Dry and Beefeater London Dry 24 Gin- Spring Revival; Pineapple, Black Pepper and Sage infused Beefeater, freshly pressed pineapple juice, house grenadine, garnished with house a pineapple chutney and Lancashire Bomber cheese topped cracker, created by Jeremy Pascal.
Worship Street Whistling Shop, Shoreditch- Dodd’s Gin- The Ultimate Gin & Tonic, Dodd’s Gin and house tonic flavoured with black cardamom, bay leaf, lavender, raspberry, cassia and chinchona served in a medicinal style bottle with a bespoke label, created by Leon Dalloway and Jess Cheeseman.
Callooh Callay, Shoreditch- Martin Miller’s Gin- The Curious Gincident about the Grog and the High-Top; Martin Miller’s Gin, rosehip cordial, fresh grapefruit juice, prosecco served in a high top, created by Leon Dalloway and
Matt Fairhurst.
Just remains for me to say, get g-involved!
This Little Piggy Approves