Lifestyle and Culture Editor, Jade Verbick, recounts her classy night at a cafe-turned-gin bar hosted by Sipsmith ambassadors.

 

It’s not every day that one gets invited to a gin tasting and masterclass with all the 20-something social media influencers of Leeds, but that’s how I found myself on the first floor of LS6 Café with an excellent gin and tonic in hand.

The night started out with a gathering downstairs of all the most well-dressed Instagram models and food bloggers in West Yorkshire, where we were greeted by Sipsmith brand ambassadors with beautiful drink menus in hand. We were then ushered upstairs to a private room with small café tables covered in white tablecloth, adorned with glasses and table cards with our names written in gold. My plus one-my gin-loving housemate- and I were very impressed by how classy the whole setup was and were, not for the first time that evening, feeling a bit out of place.

As we sat down at our private table, we were handed a gin and tonic which utilised a version of the spirit which was typically outside of the student budget. As we sat sipping on our G&T’s and nibbling on the olives and fancy crisps placed at our table, the ambassadors started recounting the history of gin and Sipsmith itself.

After their introduction, they showed us how to make a Bramble at the Sipsmith branded gin table using one of the many Sipsmith gins and homemade crème de mure. They gave everyone a sample in one of the three glasses place on the table. This was by far the best of the three drinks given to us.

The second drink sampled was a Martini. Made by one of the ambassadors with a few digs at James Bond for preferring his martini shaken, we were handed a beverage that tasted like pure alcohol. In all honesty, I had never had a Martini before and now I know why. Definitely not my drink of choice. We were able to try the gin used in the drink neat, which lived up to the description of feeling like ‘running through a pine forest naked.’

The third drink was a Sloe Gin Fizz. An amazing concoction made with Sloe Gin and Prosecco that really finished the night off sweet and bubbly. It was only after this drink that I started feeling the effects of the gin tasting.

Some highlights of the night included watching a bunch of social media influencers taking boomerangs of themselves shaking Sipsmith cocktail shakers and using the torches on their phones to take the perfect selfie with their drinks.

Overall the night was a great introduction to the Sipsmith brand and an excellent way to consume free booze. After this classy and delicious night, I think I’ve become an even bigger Gin lover. Who knew that was even possible?

 

Jade Verbick

(Image: SipSmith)