Cambridge Gin Laboratory

Now I’m not much of a scientist but this is my kind of lab!

Recently moved to new premises in a stunning building in Green Street, The Gin Laboratory is “an interactive space, dedicated to the appreciation of gin”.  It’s operated by husband and wife team, William and Lucy Lowe, who own the Grantchester based Cambridge Distillery.  William is the Master Distiller while Lucy deals with branding and marketing, assisted by their labrador, Darcy, as brand ambassador (ambassadog?!)

The ground floor houses a shop where you can choose from their range of award winning gins.  As well as a Cambridge Dry Gin, which is available year round, twice each year Will creates a seasonal gin, distilled with locally grown and foraged botanicals.

Two other gins particularly caught my eye.  Anty Gin is an innovation that resulted from a joint venture with Copenhagen based Nordic Food Lab.  Each bottle contains the essence of around sixty two red wood ants, alongside flavours of wild springtime botanicals.  Then there is Truffle Gin, flavoured with white truffle from Alba.  Distilled in very small quantities, they tell me this is excellent served over ice as a digestif.

If you’d rather go slightly off more off piste, you can custom blend your own gin, creating a bespoke spirit from a selection of botanical distillates offering flavours such as rose petal, orange with grapefruit or cardamon.

Other rooms in the building include The Classroom, where you can boost your gin know-how with tasting masterclasses and The Tasting Lounge, where you can sample a flight of gins, order from the gin cocktail menu and have your own blend of coffee ground to order from a selection of speciality beans.  The Study on the top floor is a private hire space for groups who’d like to enjoy any of the tasting packages or maybe arrange a more bespoke gin experience.

Finally, if you’ve blended your own unique gin and things are a little hazy after all that tasting, the Laboratory helpfully keeps your personal recipe on file for future reference.

http://www.cambridgeginlab.co.uk

10 Green Street, Cambridge CB2 3JX