214 Bermondsey, London
This cosy bar tucked away in Bermondsey was the brainchild of Nick Crispini and Lawrence Mason, who sought to bring the best of the world's distilleries to the capital. But not only do they have more than 100 gins available, they have gone as far as making their own tonic water, after finding others obscured the spirit's taste. The resulting BTW uses quinine infused straight from the South American cinchona bark for a crisp and clean taste.
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Gin Bar, Holborn Dining Room, London
This bar boasts London's largest collection of gin, with more than 400 to choose from. Factor in a selection of 30 different tonics and that's a mind-boggling 14,000 different gin and tonic combinations to navigate through. Fear not, as the expert bartenders are on hand to guide you, or just opt instead for one of the cocktails, from the Gingin Mule to the Floral Negroni.
252 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EN; holborndiningroom.com
The Distillery, London
A one-stop shop for gin lovers in the capital, this destination combines two bars and a distillery-cum-museum in the historic hotel, handily offering rooms to retire to for those who may have had one too many. While you'd be remiss not to try the signature Portobello Road Gin, head to the GinTonica bar where you can sample more than 100 brands from around the world served up in a Spanish-style gin and tonic, which comes in a copa de balon with carefully selected complementary garnishes.
186 Portobello Road, London, W11 1LA; the-distillery.london
Atlas, Manchester
This award-winning bar takes its gin seriously – so much so that it's set up the website ginbible.co.uk to showcase its ever-growing collection. For those who want to learn more about the spirit head to one of the regular events, including themed supper clubs that match a three-course food menu to the chosen gin.
376 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4LY; atlasbarmanchester.com
Pollen Street Social, London
Jason Atherton's Pollen Street Social has more than 60 gins on the menu, helpfully organised into nuanced tasting groups such as citrus, floral or juniper-heavy. Each month the restaurant highlights one particular brand: the Bombay Spirit Company takes its turn in June, being transformed into two drink specials, a Martini and the classic gin and tonic.
8-10 Pollen Street, London, W1S 1NQ; pollenstreetsocial.com
The New Ellington, Leeds
This luxury boutique hotel, named after jazz legend Duke Ellington, is home to the Gin Garden, offering more than 100 different brands of the popular spirit. Perhaps the best way to compare and contrast is to book into one of the regular gin-tasting events, where guests will be guided through the history of gins, sample four different varieties and learn how to make the perfect gin and tonic.
23-25 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2EY; thenewellington.com
Heads and Tales, Edinburgh
This hidden gem in the Scottish capital's West End plays host to local distillers Edinburgh Gin. There are two stills installed in the bar – affectionately named Flora and Caledonia – allowing you to watch the distilling process in action while sipping on one of the expertly made cocktails. If you're feeling adventurous, opt for the 'Gin It Yourself', which allows you to design your own drink, from the choice of glass to complementary flavours.
1a Rutland Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2AD; headsandtalesbar.com
Mr Fogg's Gin Parlour, London
While Mr Fogg's gin collection doesn't match that of the Holborn Dining Room in sheer numbers (coming in at a mere 300), combine it with the 25 tonics and 40 botanicals on offer and the bar reckons there are at least 9,000,000 different variations on a gin and tonic it can whip up. To make an afternoon of it, however, indulge in the quirky G&Tea, serving up gin-infused tea cocktails with Victorian inspired sweet treats.
1 New Row, London, WC2N 4EA; mr-foggs.com/gin-parlour
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