London’s Notting Hill district just got a whole lot more appealing to the gin lover. The Distillery, a unique, four-floor concept is a now the new home of Portobello Road Gin’s distillery, two bars, a museum, an off-licensed shop, a gin-making experience titled The Ginstitute and three boutique guest rooms that overlook Portobello Road.
The Distillery’s ground floor is home to The Resting Room, a bar dedicated to serving an eclectic range of spirits that are created by master distiller Jake Burger and his team of instructors from within the two 30L copper stills on-site. Guests will be able to enjoy a specially curated selection of international spirits that have been aged in hand-built barrels suspended above the bar from which they will be directly served, ensuring no two cocktails will ever be exactly alike. Small dishes from a British menu will allow guests to enjoy some of the nation’s most well-known dishes.
GinTonica is a Spanish-inspired bar and kitchen that resides on the second floor, inspired by the country’s passion for local design, food and of course the Gin and Tonic cocktail. A tapas food menu reflects the restaurants Spanish-studio décor. G&T’s are served in traditional Copa de Balon, a balloon goblet glass, though guests can choose from a variety of cocktails from a menu as well. This bar is ideal for the foodie, as the Plus menu pays homage to Spain’s love affair with juniper and a variety of other innovative garnishes.
The top floor will host a private dining room that comes complete with a private bar, The Boardroom. Also on the top floor are the three boutique guest rooms, each designed by the brand’s founding directors. Amenities of the rooms include a special minibar filled spirits crafted on-site, as well as a bespoke hand-made record player with a vinyl playlist specially curated by Rough Trade Records.
Also within The Distillery is the new home of The Ginstitue, London’s premiere gin making experience. Guests are taken through historic journeys by knowledgeable "ginstructors" who will discuss crucial events in the history of gin.
A museum of artifacts including the first-ever English cocktail book is another addition to The Distillery, as well as its on-site liquor store will be filled with gin-related memorabilia along with spirits available for purchase.
The Distillery is only Portobello’s most recent addition to a portfolio of successful ventures in the food and beverage industry. The gin’s sister company, Leelex, has launched recent successful projects including Mexican social eating experience Cielo Blanco and cocktail bar Jakes Bar & Still Room, among a few others.
The first concept of its kind within the UK, The Distillery was created by Portobello Gin founder Ged Feltham, alongside directors Jake Burger, Tom Coates, Del Jones and Paul Lane. The concept was created to full immerse guests in an interactive Gin experience, explaining the history of gin and its cultural significance, enabling guests to see how the spirit continues to evolve over time. An on-site 400L copper alembic still will allow guests to see how the brand continues to expand its growth by capitalizing upon and meeting demand in new markets like Italy and the United States.