Love gin? Join the club, quite literally...
For the Glasgow Gin Club offers fans of the alcoholic beverage a chance to come together to discuss their favourite tipple.
Taking place in Finnieston’s Hidden Lane Tearoom, the quirky club celebrating a booming booze scene was formed after a joke had gone too far.
“Gin Club is a joke gone too far,” explained founder Stuart Caldow who started the club with friend Graeme MacDonald.
— Glasgow Gin Club (@GinclubGlasgow) July 31, 2015
He added: “Essentially, myself and Graham used to drink a lot of gin in my flat before going out. I decided to call it Gin Club.
“A few tweets with the hashtag Gin Club on Twitter lead to a few retweets, and a few gin companies picking up on it and sending us bottles of gin.
“We kind of therefore had to legitimise it and Gin Club was born.”
A year on and membership is still going strong with gin lovers from across the country turning up to the monthly meeting to experience what the club has to offer.
There is cake, music, experts and gin fusions offering a taste sensation like to other – what’s not to love about this club?
Stuart said: “Drinking gin is probably the best hobby you can have. I don’t know if we can call it a hobby, it is a passion that has grown into a pastime.”
Graeme added: “We do drink gin straight and we talk about it straight.
“We don’t go into the detail to bore people but we can if you want that knowledge
“We have all the brand reps here who can talk into that depth of knowledge.
“But most of the guys who make gin don’t want you to sit and sniff it
“They want you to drink it, pour a wee bit of tonic or any other mixer, or take it straight with something else and enjoy it.”
The club gives new brands a chance to showcase their gins and offers members a chance to try gin in ways they had not thought of before.
During July’s club, Fever Tree was the tonic of choice while Shetland Reel gin was garnished with raspberry; Minus 33 gin was garnished with rose petals; Diplome gin was garnished with grapefruit; and Sipsmiths London Dry was garnished with Lime.
So why Gin Club? Trying it for the first time Stacey Rooney, from Carluke, said: “We love gin so it seemed like a good excuse for a night out. It's been a good we night so far and the venue is absolutely fantastic.”
Her friend Sharon Russell, from Shotts, added: “I have tried loads of different gins and when I get the opportunity to try a new one I give it bash.
“Loving the venue and loving the fact they have the laboratory at the back with the gin.”
Watch Sam Trett of Minus 33 gin created a special cocktail
The club does, however, have one controversial rule – and that is no Gordon’s.
Graeme explained: “When people say to you they don’t like gin and tonic what they are actually saying to you is they don’t like Gordon’s served in a wee glass with a wee bottle of Schweppes tonic and a bit of lemon.
“That’s what they don’t like. They don’t like the tonic and they don’t like Gordon’s.
“They want to try a proper gin and tonic. That’s why we made the first rule no Gordon’s.”
Find out more about Glasgow Gin Club on Twitter Facebook or Instagram
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