London Gin Tasting

Nicknamed ‘Mother’s Ruin’, gin distilling in London has a rich history and a bad reputation. Currently enjoying a return to popularity, gin hasn’t always had the air of grandeur it has today.

England’s taste for gin began in the early 18th century when the Dutch King William of Orange initiated The Corn Laws. This meant that while he was trying to weaken the French economy by increasing taxes of French wine and Cognac, tax breaks on spirit production resulted in a distilling free-for-all. A pint of gin was cheaper than a pint of beer!

Gin became cheap and easy to make which caused a significant amount of social unrest. Drunk and disorderly behaviour was rife, and dodgy batches of gin made with turpentine and sawdust circulated, damaging the reputation of the spirit and leading to the Gin Act of 1751.

The Gin Act eliminated small gin shops leaving the production of gin to larger distillers, resulting in the decline in popularity of gin.

Gin is enjoying its 21st century comeback due to the hard campaigning the people at Sipsmith who lobbied for the Gin Act to be repealed in 2008. Since then the craft gin industry has boomed!

Your tour will cover the 18th century ‘Gin Craze’ all the way up to today’s craft distilleries as you try seven different gins and learn about the botanical ingredients while you smell and taste the different elements. Your experienced guide will walk you through the gin hub of London Bridge, an area of the city that has enjoyed rejuvenation through breweries, distilleries, innovative restaurants and unique cocktail bars.