Fords Gins Opens a Stylish Cocktail Bar Inside Its New London Distillery

London and gin go collectively like, nicely, tonic…and gin. 

Certainly, the juniper-forward fashion of spirit we all know and love was birthed within the British capital greater than 300 years in the past. Their respective histories have been intricately intertwined ever since. But it surely’s time for a brand new chapter in that ongoing love affair as Fords Gin — among the many hottest craft labels on cabinets immediately — broadcasts the opening of a brand new bar and model house within the London borough of Southwark. 

We scored a sneak peek inside these glossy digs, and now we’re calling all cocktail fans visiting town within the close to future: neglect the London Eye; Large Ben is overrated. This is the place your sightseeing ought to begin.

What makes it a Mecca for mixology? Nicely, that has every little thing to do with the notable personalities behind its creation. The gin’s eponymous founder, Simon Ford, launched the model again in 2013 as an ode to bartenders. A loyal historian and completed bartender in his personal proper, Ford was aware of the integral function gin performed in a number of the most iconic serves of all time. 

“Fords Gin was developed by mapping the important thing elements of traditional cocktails and matching them to a novel mix of 9 botanicals,” he recollects of the two-year-long course of. “Bartenders had been consulted in each step of the liquid’s creation course of, from tasting its totally different distillations and testing them in cocktails for us as we developed the recipe.”

In the end, this ongoing consulting led to a novel recipe rounded out by the presence of Jasmine flower and grapefruit. These components introduced a shiny stability to the ultimate liquid, in stark distinction to a number of the extra astringent London Dry gins dominating the market on the time. It ought to hardly come as a shock. In any case, bartenders are consultants within the effective artwork of equilibrium. 

For the design of his new bar and tasting room, Ford once more turned to celebrated colleagues from the commerce. It was largely the brainchild of award-winning mixologist Leo Robitschek, who previously ran the beverage program at Eleven Madison Park and at present serves as bar director for The NoMad Lodge. 

His marble-slabbed bar was conceived with the drink maker in thoughts. It’s butterflied with two cocktail stations organized round a central nicely space that homes {custom} bitters and modifiers. They’re all assembled in a large experimental kitchen, which views extra like a science lab due to sous vide machines, dehydrators, and professional-grade juicers. 

“The visitor space of the bar embraces components from my all-time favourite cocktail bars in its aesthetics and I really like the delicate nods to the model,” says Ford of the house, which is enveloped within the model’s signature smooth inexperienced shade palette. “We’ve got custom-designed brass handles and built-in drip trays that includes our trademark elephant. There are additionally umbrella-shaped faucets on the again bar, which can serve pre-batched cocktails.”

Upon opening, Ford plans to have a number of signature serves obtainable on that faucet system. Count on a Negroni, a Bee’s Knees, and a citrusy, spirit-forward London Calling to all play recurring roles. “However we are going to make drink menus to accommodate the teams we invite accordingly, relying on their wants and the way we intend to showcase Fords Gin, based mostly on the group and event,” Ford provides. 

And although the power flaunts that unmistakable new-bar scent, it’s nonetheless steeped in historical past. Lots of of years price of it, in truth. The location doubles as a working distillery: the official house of Thames Distillers, which produces Fords Gin and was based by the UK’s oldest gin-making household. Eleventh technology grasp distiller Charles Maxwell — typically thought to be the godfather of the trendy craft gin renaissance — will be discovered again right here diligently manning the twin 500-liter workhorse stills, alongside his son George, and Ockju Lee. 

“London is gin’s religious house, and it’ll stay a spot the place one of the best London dry gins are made,” in keeping with Ford. “It would proceed to be a cultural melting pot of bartending expertise the place well-known gin drinks will emerge — as they’ve because the fashion’s creation. Now that the [new] distillery is open we plan on engaged on some concepts early subsequent 12 months, so please watch this house.” 

His namesake bar will look to develop into extra extensively accessible within the ensuing months, as nicely. Within the meantime, it’s now open to bar commerce for occasions, excursions, and scheduled actions. For most people, it’s obtainable for personal rent by direct messaging the model on Instagram, @FordsGin.