All you need to do is head down to your local supermarket and take look at booze isle for an idea of the revolution gin has been privy to in recent years. In fact, there are now over 18 distilleries producing gin in Yorkshire, many of whom were established within the past few years. Brands like Masons Gin, Whittaker’s Gin and Cooper King Distillery are fast becoming household names for those who love a tipple.

With that in mind, we’re taking a look at some of the fantastic bars which offer gin tasting in Leeds so that you can become an educated gin drinker and appreciate the creative lengths distilleries take in their quest for gin perfection!

Where To Find The Best Gin Tasting Leeds

Lazy Lounge

Lazy Lounge, 102 Wellington Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4JJ.

Lazy Lounge is a great destination for gin lovers. It’s an independent bar found a little out of the main attractions of the city centre. They’ve got a passion for fine wine, gin and whisky. Their gin tasting experience costs £25 and includes a 2-hour tasting session where they’ll talk you through the vibrant history of gin and teach you how to identify different tastes. The session includes 10 gins and they provide snacks. After you complete the session, you’ll get a Lazy GINploma certificate, something fun to put on your CV perhaps?

Shears Yard

Shears Yard, 11-15 Wharf Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7EH

Shears Yard is a fantastic bar and restaurant which is well known for its quality. Their gin tasting experience differs from the others on this list as it includes a 5-course menu, specially designed to compliment each drink. They hold the event several times a year and it costs around £50 a head.

The Botanist

The Botanist, 67 Boar Lane, Tirinity Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6HW

The Botanist is a great venue in the heart of the city centre, which has become one of the most popular bars in the city. They’re passionate about everything boozy, and in particular gin. Their Gin tasting experience includes 90 minutes of all things gin. They’ll describe the origins and history of gin before introducing you to a selection of specially selected gins which each have different botanical’s.

The Maven

The Maven, 1 Call Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 7DH

The Maven is Leeds’ favourite speakeasy. The atmospheric and attractive bar stocks more than 50 gins. Yes, you read that right over 50! They offer to share their love of gin with you for £35 per person and consists of a selection of three drinks, with history and lots of tasting tips. They’re happy to put together a bespoke experience for you and your party, so get in touch with them before hand if you have anything gin-related you’d like to explore.

Mojo

Mojo, 16 Merrion Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6PQ

Mojo is a quirky bar which hosts all kinds of events, including beer tasting and bands regularly play there. Their gin tasting takes place upstairs in “The Rhum Room” where they’ll give you the low down on the history of the drink before you get stuck in with the gin. They have two packages available, one which lasts an hour and includes canapes (£28.95) and a Platinum package which includes 90 minutes of gin and includes a 2-course meal and bonus gin (£40.)

The Gin Journey

The Gin Journey starts at a secret location in Leeds every Saturday.

The Gin Journey is a unique gin tasting offering. Rather than sticking to one venue, the Gin Journey takes you on a tour of the cities best bars, taking place every Saturday. You’ll travel round in their Gini-bus and includes a different gin and a gin-based cocktail in each bar. 

Yorkshire Wine School

No. 1, The Light the Headrow, Leeds LS1 8TL

The Yorkshire Wine School has recently launched their fabulous Gin Tasting experience. The experts there are super passionate about the gin and there are professionals from famous distilleries themselves in attendance. Throughout the evening of gin, you’ll be tutored in tasting 6 different gins, learn about how gin is made and the history of gin. You’ll even be taught about the aroma’s of different Botanicals that’re commonly found in your favourite gins. The course costs £30 per person and lasts 2 hours.

Where to find Gin Tasting Leeds

In 2018, alternative flavours have been at the forefront of the gin trend. Including the rise of pink gin, violet gin and even marshmallow gin. 

However, proud Yorkshire distillers, and arguably one of the most well-known brands in the region, Masons Gin have combined their passion for gin with their passion for Yorkshire Tea! We absolutely love the idea of drinking Yorkshire Tea during the day and then Yorkshire Tea gin at night. The only thing we’re yet to decide upon, is whether or not we should be dunking our hobnobs in it!

Yorkshire Tea Gin – WHAT it is, WHY you should try it and WHERE you can buy it!

Mason’s Gin is distilled in the small market town of Bedale and the original Masons Yorkshire Gin has been around since 2013, when their final recipe was agreed upon. Botanicals include almond oil, fennel, cardamon, bay leaf, lemon, orange, lime zest and a great deal of juniper!

In 2015, Masons introduced two new flavours of their fabulous gin – Yorkshire Gin Lavender Edition and Yorkshire Gin Tea Edition. Both flavours are equally as delicious but, it’s the Tea Edition which gets our vote, simply because it’s so unusual and combines our two favourite drinks!

The gin has over 50 reviews on Amazon with an average score of 4.5 stars out of 5! One gin lover said “Mason’s gin is no-nonsense good quality gin from Bedale in Yorkshire. Is it better than average and straightforward too. It comes in a plain bottle with Mason’s gin on the label. Nothing too fancy and there is nothing to tell you what particular blend of herb you should drink it with or what specific type of tonic you need to add. It is good quality, straightforward gin from Yorkshire and I like it. A lot.”

The Yorkshire Tea Gin is available to buy from Amazon in either 20cl, 70cl bottles or a gift set of three 5cl bottles.

The 20cl version is priced at a very affordable £13.50, making it a perfect stocking filler idea for any proud Yorkshire gin lover.

The 70cl bottle of Masons Yorkshire Gin Tea Edition is a little pricier but remains affordable at £34.

The trio of Masons Yorkshire Gin miniatures includes a 5cl bottle of Masons Original Yorkshire Gin, Masons Yorkshire Gin Lavender Edition and Masons Yorkshire Gin Tea Edition and it costs just £15 on Amazon. The perfect gift for the gin lover in your life!

The brand recommends serving their Yorkshire Gin Tea Edition as a traditional G&T, garnished with fresh lemon zest. They describe their wonderfully ‘Yorkshire’ tipple  as ” Delicate and fresh upon the palate, with a citrus sharpness hitting the senses and fresh aromas that swirl around. Plenty of Yorkshire Tea flavour develops on the palate, as well as fresh aniseed, cardamom & pepper notes before the tea returns for the long finish.”

Sound good? Head over to Amazon and stock up for Christmas!

Order your bottle of Masons Yorkshire Gin Tea Edition HERE 

Yorkshire has been producing gin since the 16^th century and we can proudly boast that some of the country’s most popular gins come from our county. The weekend is fast approaching and you may be wondering what brand of Gin you should be purchasing next.  Supermarkets, off licenses and even Michelin-starred restaurants in Yorkshire now stock a huge variety and, there is only so long you can spend in the gin section without people making assumptions. There are also countless bars offering gin tasting in Leeds. Therefore, we have put together a list of some of the gins crafted in Yorkshire and we recommend you work your way through it at a sensible pace! At the end of this article is a poll, where you can cast your vote for your favourite gin!

19 of the best Yorkshire Gins…

Cooper King Distillery – Dry Gin

Cooper King Distillery, near York, unite state-of-the-art vacuum distillation with the traditional copper pot method to produce a gin which has “incredible savoury lemongrass flavours, a silky mouthfeel and delicate floral notes.”

For every bottle of gin they sell, 1 square metre of native English woodland is planted through their Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust partnership. That alone is a great reason to buy a bottle of their Gin (as if the beautiful bottle isn’t reason enough!) and they recommend that you try it neat before adding your mixers!

Available from Amazon, £44. Buy Now.

Whittaker’s Pink Particular Gin

Whittaker’s Gin is produced by the family-run, Harrogate Distillery, on Harewell House Farm in Nidderdale. The artisian, small-batch gin uses naturally-sourced water from their own land, along with local Hawthorne Berries and Bog Myrtle.

The Pink Particular Gin is wonderfully aromatic with flavours of cardamon, lemon citrus and pink peppercorns. It should be served neat or with just a dash of tonic.

Available from Amazon, £33.50. Buy Now.

Premium Harrogate Gin

The first batch of gin from the Harrogate Tipple Distillery was released at RHS Harlow Carr in October 2016. Originally produced in an old Smokehouse in the centre of Harrogate, Premium Harrogate Gin is now distilled at Harrogate Tipple’s new distillery on the Ripley Castle Estate.

If you live locally, you can order a bottle and have it hand delivered to you by their little van (affectionately known as ‘Tiny Tipple’) at no extra cost.  In addition to their Premium Gin, they also produce Blueberry and Gooseberry flavoured Yorkshire gins which sound absolutely scrumptious!

Available from Amazon. Buy Now.

JacqSon Original Dry Gin

JacqSon Gin is named after the mother and son team, Jacqueline and Sam, who produce it in Huddersfield. The inspiration for the gin came during a shared gin appreciation afternoon when both were taken aback by the vast differences between brands.

Flavours and ingredients were heavily researched before they settled on what are now, the two botanicals fundamental to the taste of Jacqson Original Gin – locally grown rhubarb and liquorice.

Leeds Gin

Distilled in the centre of Leeds, aptly named ‘Leeds Gin’ incorporates some of Yorkshire’s finest botanical ingredients including Yorkshire forced rhubarb from E.Oldroyd’s in Leeds.

The first batch of Leeds Gin went on sale in 2016 and is now stocked by numerous shops, bars, and restaurants across the county. Serve with tonic water and a twist of orange peel for a classic G & T.

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Sir Robin of Locksley

Sir Robin of Locksley® Distilled Artisan Gin is produced by Locksley Distilling Co. in Sheffield and named after the legendary Robin Hood. It took them 8 months and more than a hundred distillations to find the perfect recipe. Batch no.61 proved to be everything they had aimed for and this was bottled and branded as their Sir Robin of Locksley gin.

They describe the spirit as being a blend of traditional botanicals “with more delicate infusions of Elderflower, Dandelion and Pink Grapefruit.

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin – Lavender Edition

Masons are probably one of the most recognisable brands on the list. No doubt you’ve seen their “The Original” behind numerous bars and knocked back a few during the warm weather (where did that go?). However, there are two very different editions of Mason’s gin available and they both sound equally as delicious – Lavender and Tea.

The favourite from this particular brand is their Lavender Edition, which promises dry lavender notes on the nose and candied lavender on the palette.

Available from Amazon, Buy Now.

Raisthorpe Oak Aged Dry Gin

Raisthorpe Manor were famous for their liqueurs way before they started to produce and sell their Raisthorpe Distilled Dry Gin. They made homemade Raspberry Gin Liqueur from their country kitchen and served it to guests at Raisthorpe Flyers.

Using mineral water from the ancient springs beneath their land, they now produce two versions of gin in addition to their range of tasty liqueurs. Raisthorpe Oak-Aged Gin is their traditionally distilled gin that is rested in oak barrels to give it smooth and mellow flavour.

Rare Bird London Dry Gin

Rare Bird Distillery is housed in a Grade II listed, former stable block in Malton, North Yorkshire. Rare Bird’s gin is crafted in their specially commissioned, 300-litre copper still, which takes pride of place at the centre of the distillery.

Their London Dry Gin is distilled with 11 botanicals from across the globe, including hibiscus, green pepper and rosemary. Best served with tonic and a slice of pink grapefruit.

Slingsby London Dry Gin

Slingsby London Dry Gin was created by Spirit of Harrogate Founders, Marcus Black and Mike Carthy. Inspired by the story of William Slingsby, who discovered Harrogate’s Tewit Well in 1571, they wanted to produce something that would celebrate the town’s heritage as a spa town, visited by many for the supposed medicinal qualities of its water.

Over 24 botanicals are combined to make Slingsy Gin, including primrose, rosehip and Taylors of Harrogate Tea. 

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Hedgerow Gin

Sloemotion is a small family business run from Green Farm in the village of Barton-le-Willows. Passionate about the countryside and the wildlife which inhabit it, the team at Sloemotion hand-pick the botanicals from local hedgerows. Their first gin was made with the sloe berries from their blackthorn hedges, which are rarely eaten by birds and small mammals due to their bitter taste.

Their more recent offering, Hedgerow Gin, is crafted in small batches and brings together the flavours of crab apple, nettle leaf, sloes, elderflowers, and rosehip. Sloemotion recommends serving this with a dash of tonic and a sprig of thyme.

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Sheeps Eye Gin

According to their website, “The Lickerish Tooth was born from the minds of two drunk men, and a wife who went along with it”. The people behind this quirk brand have a fascination with the history of the plague and a love of the play ‘Guys and Doll’, so everything they produce, somehow pays homage to one or the other.

Their signature gin is their Sheeps Eye Gin which is a unique blend of 10 botanicals including celery seed, black pepper and thyme. Soft and slightly floral on the nose with an intense flavour of juniper.

Lemon & Thyme Flavoured Gin

The Little Red Berry Company are a multi-award winning company based near Ripon. They have been producing alcoholic liqueurs and flavoured gins since 2011 when they took their first Yorkshire gins to Otley Show for locals to sample.

Their Lemon & Thyme flavoured gin is a traditional London Dry Gin which combines Yorkshire spring water with organic lemons and fresh Yorkshire thyme. Perfect poured over ice and served with a sprig of mint!

Sheffield Dry Gin

Sheffield Dry Gin is distilled by True North Brew Company is in the first gin to be distilled and bottled in Sheffield for more than a century. It’s produced in small batches in their handmade copper still, imported from Portual.

Alongside traditional botanicals,  Sheffield Dry Gin is distilled with a somewhat unusual combination of fennel, cardamon, gentian root, grapefruit, lemon peel, honey and a dash of Hendersons Relish!

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Purple Ram

Yorkshire Dales Gin Distillery is a family-run distillery near Richmond, producing some great handcrafted gins. All their spirits are distilled using ancient mineral water from Swaledale and local botanicals.

All of their Yorkshire gins are quadruple distilled and 100% vapour infused and they all sound equally delicious. We particularly like the sound of ‘Purple Ram’ which is described as having  “A sweet nose of spicy orange, a smooth citrus palate and a balanced juniper finish.”

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Spirit of Masham

The Spirit of Masham distillery is owned by Cork and Cases and located on a small business park just outside Masham. It is open to the public so visitors can learn about the gin-making process and see the copper alembic still, which is used to create their “Spirit of Masham Gin”.

A unique flavoured gin with an aromatic nose, Spirit of Masham is distilled using Cork and Cases very own Masala Chai Tea. The addition of hops gives the gin a lemon finish.

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Hooting Owl Veterans Gin

Hooting Owl Veterans Gin is produced at an artisian distillery at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds. Hooting Owl Distillery is based in the historic Barmby Moor House – an elegant Georgian building which was a famous coaching house during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Their Veterans Gin is distilled using 14 botanicals including Grapefruit Peel, Kafir Lime, Angelica Root and Mountain ash. It is aged for three months before bottling to aid smoothness and has an impressive ABV of 50%.

York Gin Cocoa

The York Gin Company was founded by four friends who share a love of gin and a passion for their historic city. York Gin was the very first to be distilled in the city of York and despite being on sale for just 6 months, it is one of the most popular Yorkshire gins on the Summer Tasting Menu at London Gin Club, Soho.

York Gin Cocoa is distilled using cocoa beans from York Cocoa Works to give it a unique and intensely satisfying flavour along with the unmistakable aroma of chocolate. A wonderfully fitting tribute to York’s history of chocolate production.

Available on Amazon. Buy Now.

Addingham Fruit Liqueurs

Addingham Fruit Liqueurs is a small family run business, set up by Fiona Mann in Addingham, near Ilkley. Fiona was introduced to Sloe Gin by her late father-in-law and soon realised that you can “add any fruit to any spirit base”. After much encouragement and support from family and friends, she began experimenting with locally foraged fruits.

Addingham Fruit Liqueurs have gone from strength to strength and now have a wonderful range of liqueurs, including their wonderful Blackberry Gin Liqueur. All their products are made using only locally sourced ingredients.