Get ginspired with a tour around the Sipsmith Distillery.
There are few things London does better than drinking. And when it comes to boozing in style, we’ve found something gincredible. Ginvincible, in fact. Quite possibly ginsane. I will apologise for none of those, and can’t promise that more will appear later on, as I tell you all about West London’s gin giants, the Sipsmith Distillery.
Back in the murky past of 2009, Sipsmith became the first gin makers to open a copper pot distillery in London in two hundred years. Since 2014, the Sipsmith Distillery has been settled in what is presumably a slightly sozzled part of Chiswick, crafting small batch gin by hand. The best part? They throw open their doors each week, inviting gin-thirsty Londoners inside for an intoxicating look around.
The tour begins – as all good things do – with a welcome drink. Once you’re nice and liquored up, the folks at the Sipsmith Distillery will explore gin’s tumultuous history, including the eighteenth century, when London was essentially addicted to the stuff. Sipsmith will then introduce you to Prudence, Patience, and Constance. Although this might sound like a Victorian AA meeting, the trio of lovely ladies are actually the three copper stills of the Sipsmith Distillery. Inside them, Mother’s Ruin is a-brewin’.
The Sipsmith Distillery tour ends with a tasting of their whole range, so it works out pretty bargainous at £25 per person. For those looking to make more of a splash, the distillery runs a supper club on Tuesday nights. Costing £85, the tour is complimented by a three-course, gin-inspired feast at nearby Charlotte’s Bistro, along with a bottle of gin for good measure.
No two ways about it: the Sipsmith Distillery is a veritable London ginstitution. (I did warn you I wasn’t done with those).
Location: 83 Cranbrook Road, Chiswick, W4 2LJ. Nearest stations are Stamford Brook and Turnham Green. See it on Google maps.
Opening hours: tours run every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 6:30-8pm. They also run occasional Tuesday tours at this time, and selected Friday tours between 4:30pm and 6pm.
Price: £25, which includes a welcome drink and tastings.
More information: from their website.
Featured image: @diborgo
More daring drinking dens:
? This Magical Pub Makes Spellbinding Cocktails
? The South London Boozer With 100 Gins
? This Cocktail Bar Is Hidden Inside A Dodgy Shop
? The First All-Prosecco Bar In London