Make sure Saturday 8th June is on your radar, because it’s the day we celebrate all things gin. Not that we need a reason to imbibe the juniper-based spirit, of course but it’s always nice to have an excuse.
But wait! This year the team at DrinkUp.London have made it even easier to get involved, with the World Gin Day London Festival.
Running from 5-9 June, the festival will celebrate the drink that was once known as ‘Mother’s Ruin’ and is now the most popular spirit in the UK. Did you know that now 1 in 4 of us now calling a G&T our favourite tipple?
And, for the first time ever, DrinkUp.London will also be bringing World Gin Day Festival to Manchester and Edinburgh. Could this be the best #WorldGinDay yet? Juniper-queen Emma Stokes aka Gin Monkey certainly thinks so.
“The ethos of the day has always been to get folk from around the world to drink and celebrate gin as a category. Right now, if you search for the hashtag you’ll see events and activations worldwide! For me, that shows that the love for gin is something that unities drinkers around the world, and it’s more than I could have ever wished for!”
There are a bunch of ways to get involved, so read on…
Festival Passes and £6 cocktails
If you like to be in charge when it comes to your bar safari, then this is the option for you. Sign up here for free Festival Passes, and you can devise your own tour, taking in some amazing bars, all offering £6 cocktails. Yes, that’s right – gin-based specials from top-quality establishments such as The Ned, Blind Pig at Social Eating House and FAM Bar can be yours for little more than a fiver!
In Scotland, £6 cocktails are available from Rabble, The Bon Vivant, Panda & Sons and Lady Libertine, whilst the North West bars include Cottonopolis, Hawksmoor Manchester and Blind Tyger.
Get charitable with HYKE Gin
Want to join in with World Gin Day whilst also satisfying your philanthropic side? Drink HYKE gin. The new grape-based gin from Foxhole spirits that uses surplus fruit, is teaming up with the like-minded folk at The Felix Project. This great initiative is an amazing food redistribution charity based in London which collects food, which is still good to eat but can’t be sold, and distributes it to people who need it. Head to FAM Bar, Nine Lives and Merchant House, and for every HYKE Gin cocktail sold, they’ll donate 50p to The Felix Project.
More details here:
Mr Fogg’s Five Day Gin Journey
Five days of gin? We’re in! Mr Fogg’s is offering a Grand Tour – a five-day gin journey featuring special Bombay Sapphire gin cocktails at each of the Mr Fogg’s venues in Fitzrovia, Mayfair, Covent Garden and Liverpool Street. Guests collect their map from Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals before starting their five-day gin expedition, where they enjoy a special cocktail at each venue and customise their drink with a selection of garnishes, making each libation completely bespoke.
Until 9 June. Tickets £40
First stop: Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals, 48 Newman Street, London, W1T 1QQ
Book here:
Whitley Neill Rooftop at Century Club
Gin enjoyed while gazing out over the rooftops of Soho, at a private member’s club? How very swish! Whitley Neill is taking over The Roof Terrace at Century Club, usually reserved for members only. If you want to be involved, be swift – there’s a limited list available exclusively from DrinkUp.London. The traditional English gin company will be serving a range of cocktails such as the delectable sounding Blood Orange Negroni, as guests soak up the unrivalled views of Soho and beyond.
7 June, 6pm-9pm. Guest list entry. See DrinkUp.London for more details
Century Club, 61-63 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6LQ
Bombay Sapphire x Wright Bros journey on board the Gini-bus
A bus, seafood, and plenty of gin? What could possibly go wrong? Bombay Sapphire has teamed up with seafood specialists Wright Brothers to offer specially curated experiences lead by the founder of Gin Journey – and the Gin Boss himself – Leon Dalloway. Guests will embark on the special tour aboard the Gini-Bus enjoying five gin cocktails, seafood bites and a whole heap of fun!
8 June, 2pm-5pm. Tickets £25
First Stop : Wright Brothers, 26 Circus West Village, London, SW8 4NN
Book here:
Sky-high masterclass with City of London Distillery
City of London Distillery, the first distillery to open in the Square Mile for nearly 200 years, will be hosting a masterclass like no other; at 1,016 feet from The Shard’s Skydeck. Attendees will enjoy samples of key cocktails from history and then sample a selection of G&Ts and Martinis from the specially created pop-up bar.
9 June, 3pm-8pm (every half hour). Free with View from The Shard Entry (from £24)
View from the Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG
Book here:
Sample over 200 gins at Junipalooza!
An absolute must in any gin lover’s diary – the annual Junipalooza festival. Held at East London’s Tobacco Dock, visitors will receive a tasting glass on arrival and see over 60 different distillers showcasing over 200 gins.
8-9 June, 11am-3pm. Tickets £35
Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane Entrance, London, E1W 3HZ
Book here:
VIP Gin-credible experience at the Shard
Want to push the boat out this World Gin Day? We have just the experience for you. Gin lovers can enjoy beautiful views 800ft above London at the top of the Shard, while sipping on some of the world’s finest gins with this a sensational masterclass experience – exclusive to Virgin Experience Days.
Check for dates, £99 for two people
The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG
Book here:
Gin and tonic baked Alaska at Berners Tavern
When we’re not drinking gin, we’re eating it – who’s with us?! Berners Tavern at The London EDITION are celebrating this World Gin Day by reinventing their famous Baked Alaska – with a gin & tonic twist! Served with Gin & cucumber sorbet and flamed tableside with gin.
The Gin & Tonic Baked Alaska is available for two to share for £18 throughout the month.
10 Berners St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3NP. Bernerstavern.com
Bargain booze in Brixton on World Gin Day
Fancy making a five pound day of it on. World Gin Day? Head down to Brixton Village, London’s most diverse and vibrant market, where Seven, Supercute, Agile Rabbit, Jalisco, and Casa Sabila have put together a special cocktail menu. The entire day can be spent enjoying £5 cocktails across ALL five venues. Keep an eye out for a special mixologist session.
8 June
Coldharbour Ln, Brixton, London SW9 8PS. Instagram: Brixton.Village
In the words of Gin Monkey – “All for gin, and gin for all, and don’t forget the hashtag!”
For more information and gin-centric activities, see DrinkUp.London
#WorldGinDay
Images courtesy of DrinkUp.London
