How to Celebrate World Gin Day in Bristol This Saturday 9th June
Posted on: 06 Jun 2018Listen up gin lovers! Not that you need an excuse, but this Saturday is World Gin Day. I repeat - World. Gin. Day. That means that without a doubt it’s time to get to your closest bar and treat yourself to a tipple.
Gin derives its distinctive flavour from juniper berries and, despite being said to have its roots back in the Middle Ages, has been fashionable in the UK since the late 1600s. Whilst its initial uses were of a more *ahem* medicinal nature, it has since become one of the country’s best loved liquors.
The 18th Century even saw an epidemic of extreme drunkenness when people across Great Britain, especially in London, embraced the drink with (slightly too wide and wobbly) open arms. Several major acts were passed by parliament in the 1700s to try and control consumption… but luckily for you, there are now no such rules and you’re welcome to partake in as much as you can handle!
So without further ado, here are 365’s recommendations for where to celebrate with a g&t or gin cocktail in hand this weekend…
If you’re struggling to settle on just the one drink, why not try a local gin tasting session at The Rummer Hotel in St Nicholas Market? This bar-restaurant is considered the grandfather of cocktail making in Bristol, with over 500 premium gins, rums and whiskeys in stock and friendly staff on hand who are happy to help you decide which one suits!
Their gin tasting classes are held on Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm, and Saturday Afternoons at 3pm. They’re £27.50 for just over an hour and five gin tasters. If you really want to make a day of it, this is the place to go.
The Rummer is located at All Saints Ln, Old City, Bristol, BS1 1JH.
Flipside Cocktail Club and Faraway Cocktail Club
For tropical drinks and a party atmosphere, visit one of Bristol’s two FCC bars. Flipside Cocktail Club, sat opposite Clifton Down, is a well established evening venue serving up some of the best cocktails in the city with old time classics accompanying their own creations. Their menu features a hefty number of gin based boozy numbers such as ‘Lady in Waiting’ - No.3 gin, thyme infused Cointreau, lemon juice and egg white - and Heisenberg Lemonade - Bombay Sapphire, Blue Curaçao, Hooch and ‘suspicious’ blue sherbet.
The team behind Flipside have recently opened Faraway Cocktail Club, located on Small Street in the city centre. Faraway specialises in rum and tequila based drinks but we’re sure they’d be more than happy to make you a G&T if you ask nicely! They are stockists of a huge range including Bristol Dry Gin and Nicholson’s Original London Dry Gin, which is perfect with tonic and a slice of rhubarb.
Flipside Cocktail Club is at 109 Whiteladies Rd, Bristol, BS8 2PB and you can check out their website here.
Faraway Cocktail Club is at 15 Small St, Bristol BS1 1DE.
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Located on Whiteladies Road opposite Clifton Down Station, Bar 135 is a bar and nighttime venue which is perfect for a night out with friends. Always lively, the bar offers a selection of gins and accompanying mixers. Try their black pepper & lime for something a bit different, or cucumber & rose water if you’re in an old fashioned mood.
Bar 135 is at 135 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2PL.
Classic cocktails from a buzzing location on Clifton Triangle. Their happy hour runs from 4.30 till 7pm, or all night on Mondays, and the drinks are so good that you’ll definitely need more than one! Kiss from a rosé is a personal favourite - Beefeater gin coupled with rosé wine alongside strawberry, cucumber, pomegranate and elderflower tonic.
Be At One is at 55 Queens Rd, Bristol, BS8 1QQ.
If you suspect that you’ll be needing some food to soak up the spirits, head to the Cosy Club for sophisticated dining in a stunning setting within Bristol’s Old City. The restaurant is based in a former banking hall with a Neo-Palladian style grand exterior and equally impressive domed roof.
Their gin based offerings include the English Rose (featuring prosecco and fresh strawberries), Rhubarb & Ginger Bramble (Tanqueray gin, rhubarb, ginger, lemon, blackberries, cassis) and the elderflower and apple juice based English Garden.
Visit Cosy Club at 31 Corn Street, Old City, Bristol, BS1 1HT.
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A classic country pub providing a cosy atmosphere and great food, The Duck and Willow are the place to head at the weekend if you’re wanting a low key night with quality food and drink. They offer a selection of gins served with various mixers from always friendly bar staff.
The Duck And Willow is at 64 Downend Rd, Bristol BS16 5UE.
Owned by the team behind Love Saves The Day, what else would you expect from The Love Inn than a cocktail crafted with…well…love? The bar come nightclub is located in Stokes Croft, just outside the city centre, and has a variety of drinks on offer through the day and carrying on into the night.
Beefeater gin forms the base of both It’s a Love Ting (lime, gomme, pineapple, grapefruit soda), and Sloe Jamz (Chambord, lemon, egg white, elderflower cordial, Damson jam - served on the rocks).
These classic gin cocktails served year-long are joined by a seasonal take - Brazilian Lady - which is listed as ‘a fruity latin twist on a classic… Sagitiba Cachaca, cointreau, passion fruit syrup, lemon juice and egg white served with half a passionfruit’.
Find The Love Inn at 84 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QY.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your dancing shoes and head to one of the above to get your fill of Mother’s Ruin. Because didn’t you hear? On World Gin Day, it’s almost rude not to.
Article by:
Iona is a final year Biomedical Science Undergraduate at the University of Bristol. Her passions include blogging, walks by the harbour and exploring new cocktail venues. Iona is working with 365Bristol as part of the Santander Internship scheme for spring and summer 2018.
