Ginjams Gin Tasting

Ginjams in a new wine and gin bar, in the heart of Westbourne. Walk past the restaurant chains and boutiques and you’ll see the bright orange beacon of hope standing waiting for you. Step through the orange and into a world of wine and gin, get lost listening to Chris recommend and talk about gin for hours. Knowing the best tonic accompaniments and garnishes each gins backstory and distillery knowledge. Created by Chris and Thomas, you can read their full story over on ginjams.co.uk. ( more eloquently written then anything I could write) they are really lovely friendly guys that are clearly passionate about their creation.

My first taste of gin was at a festival, I was given a free gin token from Hendricks but at 18 I had no clue what gin was and didn’t get it at all. I was at a festival so needed cider. But I want back the next day and ordered another. This past December my love for gin was reignited when we went to Edinburgh.

With over 65 gins Ginjams is really the place to go for your gin and wine fix. Go as a couple with your gal pals. Or go alone like I did to the Bournemouth bloggers event held for National Gin Day.

We were given tokens to trade-off for the different G&T’s we wanted to try. A little passport to remember what we had. I decided to pick gins I had never had before, and completely forgot to use my passport but I did take photos so at least I’ll remember that way.

I follow Lilliput Dorset Gin on Instagram as I live round the corner, but never tried their gin before. Seeing is LDG was up for tasting I knew I had to try. Through the tasting, I discovered that my gin preferences really lie in more savoury tastes. Lilliput Dorset Gin is a Mediterranean gin, think olives, thyme and rosemary. I mixed mine with the mediterranean Fever-Tree tonic and it was perfect.

You could say I’m a fan.

The interior is gorgeous, perfect modern wine bar meets cool gin hide out. The front hosts the bar and a more communal setting, step further into Ginjams and find more intimate snug corners and tables for two. At the back you will find the gin garden as a hothouse vibe.

Empty bottles festoon the garden creating the best art installation going. But back to the full bottles.

The Botanic tastes like jelly babies, I amped up the sweet taste with Elderflower Fever-Tree tonic. It was so sweet and delicious. Honourable mention to British Polo Gin and Jinzu Both very different. From my tasting the BPG is very traditional where as the Jinzu had sake and cherry blossom in it.

I really want to go back for dinner with H and with the girls. Thank goodness for Ginjams, they also do a G & Tea which sounds perfect.

Do book a table to avoid disappointment, the weekends are busy Ginjams