G’Vine on Dalloway Terrace
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…”. Well it is at the G’Vine pop-up on Dalloway Terrace, a gorgeous outside space at The Bloomsbury Hotel.
The pop-up runs until the 9th October and will showcase G’Vine gin from a bar on the terrace. G’Vine gin is from France and uses French wine traditions to create a unique product blending grape spirit, botanicals and flowers from the vine. We were given an early taste of the fare on offer at the launch where gin and tonics and a selection of cocktails were served, along with grape-based small plates to match the gin.
Londoners grasp any opportunity to get outside with their drinks; the smallest pavement outside a pub is thronged at the merest hint of sun, so a space like the Dalloway Terrace is a treasured place indeed. We were amazed that we had not happened across it before. The terrace hints at the elegance of the 1930s Bloomsbury Set (it is named after a Virginia Woolf heroine), brought up to date with a nod toward an elegant English garden.
As we accepted our G’Vine Floraison and tonic, we cast our eye around the bright young things sipping a variety of G’Vine-based drinks; hipster beards and not a sock in sight! We thought it the perfect spot to retire to after a hard day’s work, visit to the nearby shops or British Museum.
We chatted to Barrie Wilson of Scotch + Limon drinks consultants (he is Scottish so we were not sure if the Scotch referred to him or the drink; both probably) who explained that G’Vine is distinctive in that it is distilled from grapes and enlivened with the grape flower, giving it a unique place in the market. It has been produced in Cognac since 2006 and is the second most popular premium gin in Spain and aiming for a greater audience in the UK. We listened intently while munching happily on the small plates being offered. I particularly liked the cured Sole Veronique with avocado and white grapes and the French vanilla and peanut cheesecake with praline brittle and grape jus.
We were ushered to the downstairs bar area where there was to be a gin masterclass held by Anthony Bannier, G’Vine’s newly appointed brand ambassador. Walking down the rather unprepossessing steps I was not expecting much but was bowled over by the bar area; it is a cosy space adorned with fairy lights weaving in and out of vines, just the right amount of lighting and seating. A place to impress a new amour or rekindle a fading romance. I resolved to bring Mrs. Gin as soon as possible.
The area will be used to screen movies, tastings and host events leading up to London Cocktail week (3rd – 9th October).
We were given six glasses of gin and sipped our way through. First was a grain spirit (harsh), which was to be compared with the second, grape spirit (smoother). Next was the grape spirit with added botanicals (I have tasted some pretty pricey gin that is inferior to this). Then the vine flowers are added, making the taste more floral, then after that, more distillation to create the finished product. A smooth, floral gin (see review). Last up was G’Vine Nouasion, an interesting counterpoint as it is more traditional, stronger and less floral (see review).
We also tried some Vermouth La Quintinye, made by the same producers. I would like to get my hands on some for an extensive review as it seemed on first taste to be amazing stuff.
On emerging to the balmy evening back on the terrace we were handed a G’Vine Rickey cocktail (Nouasion gin, apricot liqueur, lime, basil and soda), which we sipped appreciatively while reflecting on the evening. I have been to many venues worldwide that have spent a fortune and still not attained the class and character of the Dalloway Terrace. Both the gin and venue deserve a wider audience, which this event will hopefully secure.
