Brews & Eats
New gin festival comes to Oxford next month

Find the ‘Gin to Your Tonic’ this October in Oxford!

Gin lovers rejoice as a new gin festival will be taking over Oxford Town Hall for two days this October (5 and 6), giving visitors and residents alike, the chance to sample some outstanding local brands, much loved favourites and perhaps, a couple of wildcards. The Gin To My Tonic Festival will be bringing together over 80 different gins from across the UK and beyond. The selection has been collated based on each gins outstanding craftsmanship and delightful flavour, bringing the people of Oxford the opportunity to get involved in one of the most enjoyable drinking experiences this year. Aside from sampling the wares from various distilleries, ticket holders will also be able to chat to the people behind the scenes about their lovingly crafted gins, picking their brains and discovering even more about everybody’s favourite juniper-based tipple. Some local brands showcases are TOAD (The Oxford Artisan Distillery), which is proud tocelebrate its title as Oxford’s first distillery, The Chalgrove Artisan Distillery, which will be showcasing its OX range and the British Honey Company whose Keepr’s range includes Honey Gin, Strawberry & Lavender Gin and English Raspberry & Honey Gin to get your taste buds tingling. For those who’d like to get more hands on, there will also be the opportunity to attend workshops and masterclasses delivered by industry experts which will turn you into a G&T aficionado in no time. Co-Founders of The Gin To My Tonic, Emira Shepherd and Paul Hudson-Jones have a shared love of this juniper based tipple and Emira said, “We are delighted to be able to hold a Gin Festival in our home city of Oxford for the people of Oxfordshire. It is really important to us to showcase and support local fins, and share the best that Oxfordshire has to offer” Paul continues, saying “Gin drinking habits have changed dramatically in the last five years and today’s gin drinkers demand to know more not only about what they are purchasing, but also how it can be served. The Gin To My Tonic Festival is there to take you on a journey of discovery” Following the unfortunate cancellation of a previous Gin Festival event at Oxford Town Hall, The Gin To My Tonic approached the Oxford Town Hall events team with a solution. Luckily for gin lovers across Oxfordshire, many of whom had already bought tickets to the now-cancelled event, The Gin To My Tonic stepped in to fill the existing dates. Councillor Mary Clarkson, Board Member for Culture and City Centre, said: “The Gin To My Tonic approached the team at Oxford Town Hall with great enthusiasm and passion. After meeting with the organisers, the events team was very impressed by their quality set up and professional approach. “What really stood out was that by being very environmentally conscious and a local organisation supporting local gindistillers, their values lined up well with our own. The events team at Oxford Town Hall looks forward to working with them.” The first session will run on Friday October 5 (6.30pm to 11pm), with a further two held on Saturday October 6 (12.30pm to 5pm / 6.30pm – 11.00pm). The bar will operate on a token system with each token costing £5 which will include a single measure of gin, garnish and a complementary mixer. Both cash and card payments will be accepted, and there will also be live music to get attendees into the party spirit and who knows, there might be a few festive ginsurprises along the way! Tickets are available for £10 per person (aged 18+) and will provide each ticket holder with guaranteed entry to the session of your choosing, along with a beautiful ‘Gin To My Tonic’ Copa balloon glass, and a ‘Gin Explorer’ guide containing the range of gins available and brief tasting notes. During the festival, samples will be available as visitors make their way around the stands, and there will be a host of masterclasses and workshops for guests to attend for no additional charge. For more information and to book tickets for Oxford’s first ‘The Gin To My Tonic’ festival, visit: ww.thegintomytonic.com

  • New gin festival comes to Oxford next month