They may have called it Mother’s Ruin back in the 18th century, but gin has shaken off this reputation to become the UK’s most popular spirit according to a recent YouGov poll*. Its rise to fame in the early noughties saw the birth of World Gin Day in 2009, and with events already planned up and down the country, one of Birmingham’s cultural hotspots is joining the annual celebration of the spirit.
On Saturday 9 June, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Edinburgh Gin will host a very special ‘night at the museum’, as gin lovers don their black ties and ball gowns and are treated to the red-carpet treatment with six-course feast perfectly paired with Edinburgh Gin’s award-winning gins.
Taking place in the Museum’s Industrial Gallery, the World Gin Day Gala Dinner will see guests dine in the midst of one of the country’s finest museum art collections, providing the perfect setting for an evening of culinary exploration and juniper tasting, with live entertainment adding to evening’s celebrations.
Created by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s Executive Chef, Christopher Lovatt, the menu will feature six hand-crafted courses, each accompanied by a signature gin serve. Known for its multitude of different flavours and infusions, from the fruity to the botanical, Edinburgh Gin will be showcasing a selection of its gins and gin liqueurs too with the help of esteemed mixologist Robert Wood who will be on hand to create cocktails that perfectly complement the cuisine.
Alex Nicholson-Evans, Commercial Director at Birmingham Museum and Art Trust, comments:
“We are so excited to be working with Edinburgh Gin for what promises to be one of the most exclusive nights of the year. At Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, we thrive on creativity so when the opportunity came about to team up with a brand whose core values are centred on the ‘artistry behind distilling’, we couldn’t say no! The prospect of using Edinburgh Gin’s wonderful range of flavours to complement the high-quality cuisine we pride ourselves on serving is a really exciting one – but what’s more exciting is that for one night only, guests will be able to dine in such culturally significant, decadent surroundings.”
Edinburgh Gin has taken the spirit world by storm since it was established back in 2010. Priding itself on its dedication to ‘distilling an art form’, the brand takes inspiration from its home city, which has a rich history of science, art, philosophy and invention. The gala dinner will include tasters of their award-winning gin, including their original masterpiece, the classic London Dry gin: : clean, zesty and juniper-forward, whilst balancing softness with bright citrus notes. Inspired by East Coast beaches near Edinburgh, guests will also be able to taste their foraged Seaside Gin; a unique London Dry gin, defined by juniper, soft salinity and sweet notes. Gin liquors of raspberry, elderflower, and pomegranate and rose, to Christmas gin and more – lend themselves well to the recent explosion of the gin cocktail, along with decorative aesthetic gin drinks that have taken social media by storm. Sitting at the heart of the range is Edinburgh Gin’s traditional serves; a classic juniper-forward gin, as well as ‘navy strength’ Cannonball gin.
Claire Sumner-Hughes, Business Development Manager for Ian Macleod Distillers, which owns Edinburgh Gin, said:
“ World Gin Day; a day to indulge in all things gin! It’s highlight within our event diaries and always so much fun for us! A black tie gala dinner with all the trimmings is a perfect fit for such an occasion. This bespoke event aligns with Edinburgh Gin’s ethos of celebrating creativity; giving guests the chance to enjoy our world class gins whilst surrounded by world class masterpieces. We’re delighted to be marking World Gin Day in Birmingham by bringing Edinburgh Gin to this really unique event with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. We look forward to welcoming you all to our special event.”
Tickets are priced at £85 per person and include a six course meal and six innovative gin serves. To book your ticket to the World Gin Day Gala Dinner, click here.
*The figures were released as a YouGov poll found gin is the most popular spirit in the UK, with 29% of drinkers voting it their favourite. Gin has leapfrogged from third place, compared with the same poll a year ago, with whiskies (25%) in second place and vodka (23%) close in third.