For a taste of the Med without leaving town, the Gin Mare Med Gardens take-over has arrived to brighten up the English summer. The three gardens have taken up residence in Highgate’s Red Lion & Sun, Ibérica Canary Wharf and Ibérica Manchester, each capturing the sprit, lifestyle and holiday vibe of the Med.
And, of course, the flavours of the Med. Gin Mare sources many of its botanicals from the idyllic coastlines that hug the Mediterranean Sea, including basil from Italy, rosemary from Greece, thyme from Turkey and the Arbequina olives from Spain that give Gin Mare its distinctive savoury note.
Gin Mare's Med Garden at The Red Lion & Sun in Highgate
The classic Gin Mare G&T, garnished with orange and a sprig of rosemary and served in a balloon glass with plenty of ice, is the obvious thing to kick back with. Then there’s the Triple Orange G&T (Gin Mare, orange marmalade, 1724 tonic, orange bitters and orange) and the Mediterranean Tiger (Gin Mare, Ysabel Regina brandy, tiger nut liqueur, banana liqueur and pineapple juice) – just two of the specially curated serves that will leave you feeling like you’re soaking up the rays on a sun-kissed shore.
The Gin Mare Triple Orange G&T, at The Red Lion & Sun
At Highgate’s Red Lion & Sun, Gin Mare has transformed a north London beer garden into a Mediterranean oasis where pub benches are inlaid with vibrant Moorish tiles and oranges and lemons hang from a wall of greenery. Pair your gin cocktails with flavours of the Med in the likes of pan-fried sea bass fillets with ratatouille and basil oil, wild garlic gnocchi with burrata, Parmesan, tomato sauce and herbs – or for that full-on Brits abroad vibe, beer-battered fish and chips.
The Gin Mare Garden at Ibérica Canary Wharf
Over at Ibérica, meanwhile, you’ll find a pergola hung with trailing flowers and Gin Mare bottles transformed into lamps that flicker into life as the long summer nights slowly turn dark. Try your Gin Mare cocktails at both Ibéricas with a range of tapas that will whisk you straight to Barcelona in the likes of ham croquetas, calamares with alioli, prawns with garlic sauce or the famous chorizo lollipops fried in tempura batter.
The summer holiday starts here!
Gin Mare’s Med Gardens run until September; gin mare.com