While the city is well-known for its 18th-century architecture, there’s another remnant of the Georgian era that also demands celebrating in Bath - gin!
If you’re looking for a hefty measure of ginspiration, here's our pick of the best gin bars and experiences in Bath.
The Canary Gin Bar
This bar is the home of Bath Gin (who you can thank for bringing gin distilling back to Bath for the first time in more than 250 years, after stills were closed due to the Gin Act in the 18th century).
Each week, the distillery creates a select gin list of new flavours alongside which its team of mixologists whip up inventive gin-based cocktails. Not enough gin for you? They also have a whopping 230 other gins on their shelves, each paired with their own unique mixer and garnish.
Mother’s ruin enthusiasts can learn all the booze-fuelled secrets of Bath Gin on a one-hour tasting experience and distillery tour (now located a short stroll from the Canary Gin Bar). Alternatively, perfect your own Bath Gin tipple in one of the cocktail masterclasses.
The Botanist Milsom Place’s octagon-shaped building began life as a fashionable private chapel for Georgian high society and can count Jane Austen and William Herschel (discoverer of Uranus) among its many distinguished visitors. Now in the hands of national chain The Botanist, upstairs is a bright, airy restaurant and bar where people come to brunch and expert bartenders whip up a whole host of gin cocktails. It’s here you can book onto a 90-minute group gin tasting masterclass to discover the origins and history of the spirit and learn to identify the unique flavours and botanicals in every bottle.
Beneath @ The Botanist For something a little more mysterious, head underground to The Botanist’s (evil) sister bar. Amid the stone tunnels and rocky arches of the old vaults is ‘Beneath’, a medieval apothecary-style watering hole serving curious elixirs and stunningly crafted cocktails.
If you’d like to mix and muddle like a master apothecarist, Beneath offers cocktail classes for private parties and events in Bath.
Sub 13
Set over three floors of a swish Georgian townhouse, Sub 13 has gained a reputation as one of the coolest places to drink in Bath. Make your way to the ground floor for a serious gin fix – here you’ll find The Gin Bar, dedicated to G&Ts with a twist, served in a balloon glass. Take your tipple onto the twinkly lit terrace, try a cocktail in Bar Two or carry the party on in the club below.
For those that want to get clued up on the wonders of England’s national spirit, you can book a one-hour gin masterclass with the Sub 13 experts.
The Gainsborough Bar
Situated in The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel, a luxury hotel with many glittering hospitality accolades under its belt, The Gainsborough Bar is not your average hotel bar. With a stellar collection of artisan gins and craft spirits, plus expert bartenders adept at curating bespoke concoctions, it’s a drinking destination in its own right.
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ArtBar at Abbey Hotel The quirky interior of ArtBar at the Abbey Hotel was inspired by an artist’s studio. Wine glasses dangle from the ceiling and an ever-changing, expertly curated collection of art supporting local artists and charities graces the walls. Apparently, there are 64 gin and tonic combinations to tempt your tastebuds!
Bar 15 Hidden within luxurious boutique hotel No.15 Great Pulteney, in one of Bath’s grandest streets, Bar 15 is a peaceful cocktail spot. Swizzling and shaking the best British spirits, liqueurs, shrubs, syrups, brews and bitters, the bar staff mix all kinds of scrummy cocktails. Their gin selection is particularly impressive and features all the usual classics, as well as local tipples.
Bath Botanical Gin Distillery Based in Widcombe, this charming craft gin distillery is laid out like an old apothecary shop, dispensing artfully arranged gin bottles and intriguing jars of coloured liquids – seasonal fruit gins, cocktail bitters and herbal elixirs.
Qualified medical herbalist Sue Mullett is the mixologist behind Bath Botanicals and her No.1 Gin is concocted using her knowledge of plant flavours and historic flower and herb-based remedies. Created in-store in a gleaming copper still, all ingredients are locally sourced, organic, biodynamic and hand-picked (where possible), including lime flowers from Bath.
Tastings can be arranged on Mondays and Tuesdays. There are also private group gin tastings after business hours, or you can book for a private event.
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