What’s so special about gin that Zoltán Nagy, the owner and founder of Boutiq’ Bar and the director of London Academy of Bartenders has opened a spot dedicated to this noble spirit?
It’s been the talk of the town for a while that another craft cocktail bar is about to open, and so it did: Gin Shop has been in operation on lively Ráday utca since the end of February, and serves as the first gin-centric drinkery in Budapest.
The rich history of gin shops is well-documented, thus it is known that they served as the number one destination for alcohol-thirsty gentlemen, and were the focal points of societal life in late 16th - early 17th century England. Just like the majority of alcoholic curiosities, gin kicked off its success story fuctioning as a medicine, and first appeared in Holland under the name of jenever, which originates from gin’s basic ingredient, juniper. Jenever’s English domestication proved to be so successful that after being declared as an effective antidote for battlefield-anxiety (hence the term Dutch courage), the government repeatedly issued decrees urging distillers to prefer gin to other spirits. This resulted in the mushrooming of gin shops, which later improved into grandiose gin palaces. Recently opened Gin Shop Budapest revives the atmosphere of the more down-to-earth gin shops, and infuses it with a great deal of contemporary approach, the highest degree of professionalism, and a confusing selection – just like Boutiq’.
And what are the necessities for a gin bar in Budapest? To put it short and simple:
gin and tonic water. Besides offering the most simplistic gin-based cocktails, around 50 types of gin line up behind the counter, in the honorable company of tonic waterspecialties, with homemade ones looming on the horizon. The ginselection incudes G’Vine, a bottle of Dutch courage made from grapes and grape flower; Broker’s London Dry, a juniper-flavored delicacy used as the base ingredient of several cocktails; the compelling Bluecoat gin with a bottle that got its shape, name, and color from the uniforms of the American militia forces of the Revolutionary War;
Beefeater24, which has a tea-ish flavor and a name referring to London’s non-stop buzz and the 24-hour-long soaking process.
As you can see, the selection is as wide as the Danube, and we’ve only just begun, so we could basically go on until eternity.
Music is always a crucial topic, and has the potential to make or break a place. In Gin Shop’s case, it's definitely a make, because the playlist is made up of soothing tracks perfectly harmonizing with the venue's overall vibe; so the soundtrack to your gin makes it even more tougher to leave before closing time.
As for the interior, the walls are plastered with early20th century wallpaper, pictures reviving the era of gin bars, and mirrors. When you enter the place, you’ll find yourself in a parallel universe, just like in an English wizard tale, where dead end streets serve as portals to worlds unknown. If we had to summarize the gist of Gin Shop Budapest in a single word, we would say it’s intriguing. It certainly brings a gap-filling vibe to both Ráday utca and Budapest, for there’s a significant emphasis on personalized service, which is not only a pleasant surprise, but also a guarantee for a colorful palette of experiences. The counter is covered in a thin cloud of basil scent, and the water you’re offered is spiced up with cucumber; thus there’s something extra in even the most minute details. According to the guys at Gin Shop, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who love gin and tonic, and those who have never drunk a decent one. We believe that if you give Gin Shop Budapest a try, you’ll not only be drinking the best gins and tonic waters in the whole wide world, you’ll also stay until closing time, and will think about becoming a bartender on the way home. Oh, and as we all know, gin is the new vodka.
