Newcastle Gin Festival

If there’s one thing I love, its gin. As a gin lover I feel it’s my duty to try as many as I can and discover some truly incredible gin. Well, recently I was invited to attend the Newcastle Gin Festival as a guest with a view to giving some feedback on it. I honestly couldn’t have been more excited if I’d tried, especially as I was intending on buying tickets to the event myself. Naturally I was more than happy to oblige and give my thoughts on the day. The event was held at Newcastle Racecourse in Gosforth Park and was in association with Schweppes.

Having never been to a drinks festival I wasn’t too sure what else to expect other than copious amounts of gin on offer. Of course this made up the majority of the event, but in addition to the generously stocked bars there were gin masterclasses, cocktail making classes, and presentations on the distillation process. There was definitely plenty to see and do. Alongside the good stuff, of course there was food, because who doesn’t love to tuck into a cheeky plate of chips after a drink! On the main bar floor there was a live band playing which gave the place a great atmosphere.

The festival was held over a Friday, Saturday and Sunday and ran between 1200-0000. There were more gins on offer than you could shake a shiny stick at. The choice was incredible and there was gin from all over the world divided between four bars. British, international, flavoured and gin liqueurs.

On arrival I was provided with a guide to what was on and all of the gins on offer with a flavour description and which bar I could find them. I was also given my own gin glass and reusable bag which I was able to keep. After each gin it was cleaned and reused which I though was a really great idea. They had no plastic straws on the bars either which I loved! We’ve got to do our bit for the planet after all. The plastic waste saved from this festival alone would have been huge. Each gin came beautifully garnished as suggested by the gin company. I made sure to only try gins I’d not had before and take full advantage of the huge selection on available to me. To buy gins first you must buy tokens, each gin is one token so there isn’t any handing over of cash at the bar which I prefer.

Upstairs in one of the other function suites they had stands for various gins where you could try samples, get an insight into the gin and brand and also purchase your own too. There was a stand called “Pimp Your Gin” where you could get flavoured edible liquid balls added to your gin that would turn it into a shimmering and subtly flavoured drink. I thought it was pretty cool, you need huge straws to get the little balls through. You were also able to buy your own to take away with you.

The presentations on the distillation process were really interesting and it’s great to see how you actually get a gin. I enjoyed learning more on my favourite drink. The cocktail classes were fun too, I’ve got some recipes to try at home myself! I’d never really tried gin in cocktails until this event, it’s fair to say it won’t be the last time either! If they turn out well I might share some on my social media for my fellow gin lovers to try.

I had a really great day spent at the gin festival, this was the second year it had been on and I definitely hope it becomes an annual event. It provides the perfect opportunity to sample more gin and to learn about how gin in made. My personal favourite gin from the day was Tinker Pink Gin, it is a flavoured gin and served with a garnish of strawberry and mint. If you get the chance you must try it, it’s so good!

What is your favourite gin?