5 of the Best: September Gin Events in LondonBy Angelica Malin
Want to learn about the history of gin? Try whipping up a cocktail? Or, maybe, you just want to drink this popular spirit in all its delicious forms. Well, if you answered yes to at least one of those questions – here’s the best gin events taking place in London across September:
1. For a Boozy Screening: Hayman’s Gin
The Lowdown: On Thursday (20th September), Hayman’s of London is hosting an immersive evening of gin and opera at The Home of English Gin. Welcoming critically acclaimed opera company, Pop-Up Opera, for the opening night of their Autumn season, the Hayman’s distillery will provide a unique setting for La Tragédie de Carmen, Peter Brook’s re-imagining of Bizet’s masterpiece Carmen.
What to Expect: Tickets for Pop-Up Opera’s performance of La Tragédie de Carmen at the Home of English Gin include a welcome G&T on arrival, made with Hayman’s classically balanced True English London Dry Gin, a variety of traditional Spanish snacks, an interval cocktail, inspired by the action on stage and one final cocktail after the performance, to round off the evening.
Price: £45 per person. Buy here.
Where: Hayman’s Distillery, 8a Weir Road, London SW12 0GT
2. For a Gin Masterclass: Martello Hall and Canova Hall
The Lowdown: Hackney’s Martello Hall and Brixton’s Canova Hall have introduced Gin Masterclasses at their all-day drinking and dining hotspots. Recently launched, you can choose from two different options; Gin Blending or Gin Cocktail Making, which take place from Monday – Thursday.
What to Expect: The Gin Blending Masterclass takes you on a full-blending gin experience; try four gin cocktails, learn how to match tonics, before blending, bottling and naming two gins of your own to take home, all under the guidance of head distiller Jack Mannering. Fancy learning more about the art of cocktail making? The Gin Cocktail Masterclass is a chance to learn how to fashion the perfect tipple, the history of gin, and a chance for you to make two cocktails.
Price: Gin Blending Masterclass: £80 and Gin Blending Masterclass: £40. Book here.
Where: Martello Hall – London Field, 137 Mare St, London E8 3RH and Canova Hall – 250 Ferndale Rd, Brixton, London SW9 8BQ
3. For a Gin Residency: Berkeley Square Gin x Morton’s
The Lowdown: Berkeley Square Gin has unveiled its exquisite new look for the first time with an exclusive residence, GINTESSENTIAL, at Mayfair members’ club, Morton’s. Open to all until 28th September, expect a gin oasis featuring bespoke cocktails and elegant serves created by the world’s most refined gin, Berkeley Square Gin.
What to Expect: The GINTESSENTIAL menu, co-created by Berkeley Square Gin and Morton’s head bartender, Constantino Armocida, includes a selection of gin cocktails that show the versatility of the UK’s favourite spirit, and also how enjoyable it can be sipped neat with only a garnish. The GINTESSENTIAL menu includes the gin brand’s signature serve, Berkeley Square Gin on the rocks, garnished with fresh basil, plus a collection of iconic Martini and Negroni cocktails designed to showcase the smooth and refined taste of Berkeley Square Gin.
Price: Cocktails from £12
Where: 28 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 6EN
4. For a Gin Takeover: Sipsmith x POLPO
The Lowdown: POLPO has teamed up with quintessentially English spirit brand Sipsmith for a series of food and drink matching events and menus, including a take-over and pop-up bar at POLPO Notting Hill.
What to Expect: Each POLPO site now offers a new Sipsmith cocktail menu available all day every day. The menu feature the Sipsmith Negroni (Sipsmith London Dry Gin, Campari and Cinzano Rosso) and The Sipsmith Sloe and Amaretto Sour (Sipsmith Sloe Gin, amaretto, lemon and egg white), developed to complement the bacaro-style bars within each POLPO site, and the strong Venetian flavours on the menu. Head to the Notting Hill site for the pop-up bar, where Sipsmith brand ambassadors are on hand to offer matching notes, complimentary samples and cocktails, alongside matched cichèti from the POLPO menu, of course.
Price: Cocktails from £9.50
Where: Locations here
5. For a Gin Tour: The Flash Pack
The Lowdown: The gin safari is a juniper-fuelled jaunt around the backstreets of London is a wonderful way of delving beneath the surface of the capital’s rich gin heritage, and seeing the city you love from a whole new perspective. Hop aboard a fleet of vintage-style Pashley bikes for a gentle afternoon pootle down the quiet alleyways and cycle lanes that stretch beyond Lambeth to the riverside.
What to Expect: The first stop is a boutique gin distillery that’s hidden beneath the railway arches of Bermondsey. Learn all about the passion and craftsmanship that goes into curating your favourite drink, and see the complex distillery process at play. Onwards you go, through the industrial splendour of Dickensian London. Discover old wharfs that Charles Dickens used as inspiration for Fagin’s Den in Oliver Twist, and pass through genteel Southwark gardens you never even knew existed.
Price: From £58. Buy here. Next event: 15th September
Where: Location will be shared once you’ve bought your ticket.
