I’ve been wanting to share this blog post for bloody ages, but simply haven’t found the time recently to write it up. So, now my mental Summer of many, many weddings is over, I’m getting back on the proverbial blogging horse in earnest.
Starting with this fab gin experience from the amazing Manchester Three Rivers.
It’s currently Tripadvisor’s No.1 “thing to do in Manchester” and it’s easy to see why. You’ll learn all about the history of gin and learn how to make your very own…
Located just behind Victoria Train Station on Red Bank Parade is where you’ll find the Manchester Three Rivers distillery, the first of it’s kind in Manchester city centre. Located in the railway archways, the distillery is beautifully decorated. A gorgeous blend of copper, wood and industrial fittings.
Upon arrival we were treated to a classic perfect serve gin and tonic, and then shown a short film which explained the story behind the Manchester Three Rivers distillery. We were then taken through the origins of gin, it’s often dark and colourful history and it’s recent revival.
We were then taken down to meet Angel, the beautiful copper still which makes every drop of Manchester Three Rivers gin. As we were refreshed with some gin cocktails, our expert guide talked us through the distillation process.
As our gin knowledge was now fully up to scratch, we were led next door to the recently expanded gin school, where we got to make our very own bespoke bottle of gin! Now up to 30 people at a time can enjoy creating their own personal flavour of gin. How cool is that? Our guide gave us some great advice on what botanicals work well together, as there are over 50 to choose from.
As you can see from the pictures above, we were given our very own work station, which had everything we needed to get started. A mini copper still, neutral grain alcohol, essential botanicals like juniper and coriander and scales where we could measure out other botanicals of our choosing. There’s also a handy tablet at the work station which advises how much of a certain botanical to add to your concoction. You can also keep a record of your recipe on it, in case you want to order it again!
As you can see, I kept my recipe quite simple. Through there were a few wild cards in it like the pecan, and oats which were added for smoothness. After all this has been added to the still, it needs to cook for about 20 mins or so, during this time we enjoyed another delicious G&T.
Then add your distilled gin to some water and get your ABV tested (44.4% yikes). It’s then labelled up and there you have your very own 700ml creation, ready to take home!
After everyone was finished we all headed back to the main bar for some final goodbye drinks.
I highly recommend the Manchester Three Rivers gin experience, it was something totally different and expertly executed. It was such a relaxed and fun event, but you also really learn something. Its a great activity for groups, or for someone who’s visiting Manchester for the first time.
You can book your own gin experience here, tours currently run Thursday to Sunday until 30th November 2018. December onwards to be announced at a later date… you can also buy as a gift – which I think would be a wonderful Christmas present!
A huge thank you to Manchester Three Rivers for inviting me along!
The Manchester Tart 