Broaden your gin horizons with these entertaining experiences

As the weather starts to warm in the Northern Hemisphere, our minds are turning once again to getting out and taking on new experiences. And this can, of course, include a bit of gin! With Mother’s Day in the UK and Easter around the corner, now is a great time to explore the different experiences that are out there to bring you closer to the world of gin.

GIN AFTERNOON TEA

You’ve heard of sipping a glass of sparkling wine alongside the typical English afternoon tea spread of sandwiches and scones – but what about a gin and tonic? Pairing food and gin is by no means a new concept, but it’s one that more distillers and venues are embracing, and the culinary variety you can get in an afternoon tea makes it an exciting prospect for gin pairings. Of course, if afternoon tea isn’t your thing, there are more substantial meals with gin to be found; look out for tasting menus with gin at restaurants and bars in your area.

MAKE YOUR OWN GIN

The opportunity to rectify a bottle of your own gin is an experience offered by many distilleries these days. Sitting at your own mini-still, getting to see, smell and taste a range of botanicals, and getting a quick lesson in distilling from the experts, with your own bottle of gin to show at the end of it – that’s not a bad day out in our book! Some distilleries, such as Slingsby in Yorkshire, offer different levels of experience that vary in length, depth and cost, so do your research to make sure the distillery and experience you choose is right for you (and whoever you plan to enjoy it with!).

DISTILLERY TOURS

For the past two years, making a visit to a distillery has been tricky. Varying restrictions led to a boom in virtual tours, and while these are an excellent way to see behind the scenes (especially with distilleries in other countries), now that the option is open to us again, we can’t recommend highly enough the merits of doing this is person! Have a look at the distilleries in your local area that offer tours; some are open to the public all the time, while others open their doors by appointment only. The vast majority of passionate gin distillers will be more than willing to share their products in this way with fans who show an interest. In some cases, the distilleries themselves can be worth admiring – Laverstoke Mill, Bombay Sapphire’s architecturally commended home in Hampshire, is a prime example.