Holborn Dining Room opens 400-strong gin bar

The bar, set within the Des McDonald-operated restaurant, officially launched yesterday where it lists 400 types of gin and 27 different branded tonics, allowing drinkers to choose from one of 14,035 possible gin and tonic pairings. 

One hundred of the gins stocked are distilled in the UK with examples including the Northumberland Gin Company’s Steam Punk Gin and Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin made with ingredients found along the traditional spice route including Indonesian Cubeb berries, Indian black pepper and Moroccan coriander.

International offerings include Belgian gin Forest Dry, made from seasonal botanicals grown at the distillery and Pink Pepper Gin, made in Cognac. 

Branded tonics include including Merchant’s Heart, Peter Spanton and Fever Tree with drinkers also able to select from a list of classic gin cocktails as well as order a G&T. 

Gins have also been sourced from different types of producers, from big international brands to small-batch local distillers. Prices range from £9 for Rathbone London Dry to £52 for the rare 1950s Taplows London Dry Gin.

Sales of gin within the hospitality sector are set to reach £1bn by next year​ according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association who said younger drinkers are leading the trend. 

Bar manager and gin enthusiast Matthew Sloper said the creation of a dedicated gin bar sat well with a British-themed restaurant like the Holborn Dining Room while also tapping into the trend for gin.

"We always want to have a strong British feeling in everything we do at Holborn Dining Room so why not work with the most celebrated UK spirit? At over 400 gins and counting, we have the largest selection of gin in London which is really exciting, especially when coupled with the 27 different tonics, including our top-secret homemade tonic," he said. 

Holborn Dining Room opened in early 2014 following an £85m revamp of the hotel on Chancery Lane in London.