This month, Ask For Janice is transforming their downstairs bar into a gin den with a little help from artisanal Scottish spirit makers, Arbikie.

The first in a series of month-long gin takeovers at the Smithfield bar, the Arbikie pop-up will focus on Arbikie AK’S Gin, and will feature masterclasses, a supper club, and a dedicated gin cocktail menu. Here’s what you need to know:

Ask for Janice x Arbikie: The Pop-Up

The Arbikie pop-up will kick off on Thursday 3rd May with a free evening hosted by guest bartender, Francesco Petracci from The Gibson who has created a bespoke menu of Arbikie cocktails for the event. Arbikie won the World’s Best Martini Competition in January 2018 in collaboration with The Gibson and Petracci will be whipping up his winning gin martini for guests to sample.

Ask for Janice x Arbikie: Events

The Arbikie Highland Estate distillery is a single-site operation in Scotland; unusually, all the ingredients for all their spirits are planted, sown, grown and harvested from the estate. On Thursday 10th May Brand Ambassador Alexander Forsyth will host a fascinating masterclass delving further into Arbikie’s unique ‘field to bottle’ process. Guests will learn more about the unique provenance of Arbikie AK’s gin while sampling other delicious spirits from the innovative range.

The pop up will culminate with an ‘Arbikie Supper Club’ on Saturday 19th May. Ask For Janice have designed a three-course seasonal supper paired with inventive Arbikie cocktails. The menu will focus on locally sourced ingredients, hand-foraged herbs, fresh greens and minimal waste and will reflect their shared devotion to sustainable produce.

Ask For Janice and Arbikie have also worked together to devise a menu of signature serves which will be available throughout the venue for the duration of the residency. The menu includes classic G&Ts, and signature serves, as well as an herbal, bee pollen-infused, cocktail of the month.

50-52 Long Ln, London EC1A 9EJ