Gin Journey

Tour of Liverpool gin bars, www.ginjourney.com

Review by Sarah Brown

With the warmer months fast approaching our invitation to the first official Gin Journey (tickets £45) of spring was very welcome indeed.

Having launched its first London venture back in 2013 it was only a matter of time before the Gin Journey made its way to Liverpool, putting its own unique stamp on the city’s vibrant cocktail scene.

Our hopes were high as we made our way to Oh Me Oh My – the first stop of the night – where we were greeted by our ‘Gin Guardian’ Kate and whisked up onto the majestic roof garden (pictured).

After acquainting ourselves with the rest of the group we were served a specially brewed G ‘n’ Tea (Oh Me Oh My is a sister venture of Leaf on Bold Street so we knew it would be good!) – Leaf rose petal tea infused with Liverpool Gin and topped with Fever Tree tonic and a rose petal garnish – a light and refreshing start. Suitably impressed we sipped away overlooking the Royal Liver Building and the River Mersey as we were told all about the tricks and tips of gin tasting and the spirit’s long and colourful history with the city.

With the sun on our side we ventured across the city to the Baltic Triangle (via Gin Carriage), where we found ourselves in one of Liverpool’s most exciting summer venues, the Botanical Garden. Here we sampled a Rosemary and Sloe Gin Fizz – Plymouth Sloe Gin, lemon and sugar, topped with soda and a rosemary garnish – as Kate imparted yet more of her vast gin knowledge onto us. We jumped at the opportunity to order some of the Cuban street food (not included in the ticket price) on offer, courtesy of Finca Liverpool – bunuelos and cubanos proved firm favourites.

By now we were starting to recognise certain botanicals and discovering our favourite blends as we moved onto Filter & Fox and my personal favourite cocktail of the evening, the Marmalade Spritz. A zesty blend of Sipsmith and Campari with a bar spoon of orange marmalade, pink grapefruit juice and topped with Cava and San Pellegrino. A distinctive flavour which I’m sure is going to become my drink for the summer.

Next was Buyers Club, a vibrant venue where we sampled one of its latest creations; a Rhubarb Ramos. This is no ordinary cocktail as it took a whole 12 minutes of shaking for the perfect consistency, using Warner Edwards (the gold dust of gin) mixed with rhubarb, sugar, lemon and lime, with cream and egg white for a silky smooth finish. A splash of absinthe was added to unleash the flavours.

With the evening drawing to a close we approached the final destination of our Gin Journey – the business district’s atmospheric speakeasy, Jenny’s Bar. Here we were served up a very 70s (and very wonderful) Disco Ginferno – Whitley Neil gin with sugar syrup, lemon juice, pink grapefruit and peche de vigne, topped off with Fever Tree tonic.

Overall the evening provided a unique voyage into Liverpool’s rich history with gin, revealing some of the city’s best hidden bars and, of course, exceptional cocktails. Already somewhat legendary amongst its alumni, the Gin Journey is certainly a must try.

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