At Bluffer’s we know that sometimes it’s hard to decide what came first: London or gin. Alright, London definitely came first, but gin has been one of Londoners’ favourite vices since the 1700s. And, because everything comes back into fashion, even flares and platforms, it’s been having a renaissance of late. So odds are your date will be into gin and if they aren’t, you’ll still be cool.
So which are the best gin joints in town?
DUKES BAR
Ian Fleming used to hang out here, and he knew a thing or two about gin. But seriously, the gin martinis are deadly. So deadly that you’re only allowed to order a maximum of two in any one sitting. Allegedly. When they ask you which gin you’d like, which they will, say No.3. It’s made by Berry Bros. just round the corner and was created with Dukes’ martinis in mind. One martini will set you back £17.50 though…
SEVEN IN BRIXTON
For a much cheaper gin-enriched evening head to Seven in Brixton Village. This is the other end of the gin spectrum. You’re more likely to be served your gin in a jam jar by an absent minded barmaid than in a frozen martini glass by a suited mixologist. But it’s a lot more fun. While you’re in Brixton Village, you should also check out Wishbone – a chicken restaurant which is on a slightly higher level than the KFCs and SFCs of this world – as they’re one of the few places to make a Pisco Sour with gin. It tastes better than you’d imagine.
EAST LONDON LIQUOR COMPANY
This year The East London Liquor Company started distilling gin, vodka and whisky on site at an old glue factory in Bow Wharf. Bluffers should mention that this is the first distillery to grace east London since the Lea Valley Distillery (which was located right about where the Olympic Park is now) closed down in the 20th Century. But it’s not the first to have sprung up in London at large; craft beer is growing up fast… The accompanying bar – which is the bit your date will be interested in – has a huge glass wall allowing you to see the copper-stills producing the craft spirits you’re about to imbibe. It’s all very meta, all very east London.
MAXIMUM BLUFFING VALUE
There was such gindemic (that’s a gin pandemic) in London in the 1770s that the government was forced to intervene. During the course of 1729-51 it slapped a load of regulations on the gin-making process (five to be exact). The most controversial, but least effective, was the introduction of a £50 (now equivalent to £7,000) licensing fee for distilling gin in 1736. Despite the continued production and consumption of gin, only two fees were ever paid. Instead, a seedy underworld of gin production crept up, which saw gin being flavoured with turpentine and liquorice rather than juniper berries.
DO SAY ‘Did you know, gin was known as ‘Mother’s Ruin’ because gin joints of the 18th century were the first places to allow women to drink alongside men.’
DON’T SAY ‘Gin actually did ruin my mother.’
