Over the last five years, gin and tonic has become the king of long drinks in Budapest. It can be drunk in a million variations, suit every mood, consumed in classy fashion, but as it comes is also enjoyable. Sweet, tart and bitter at the same time, it has the refreshing factor but you have to handle it with care as it can sneak up on you. This weekend, the Westend Roof Garden is all about gin and its endless long-drink varieties, surrounded by hot jazz and swing sounds. Head to Gin & Jazz at the Westend Roof Garden!
The Westend is not only known
for its shopping and range of services. Twenty million people visit the giant retail
and leisure complex at this busy city hub every year where, in addition to 400 stores,
there are around 50 food and drink outlets, one of the city's favourite multiplex
cinemas and many other amenities.
The summer of 2022 offers real communal fun,
as the Westend Roof Garden is preparing such diverse summer events that you can’t possibly pass up. Until September, the agenda at the Westend Roof Garden is full of
markets, exhibitions, sports activities and gastronomic events.
This weekend between 14-17 July, the spotlight falls on the long-awaited Gin & Jazz festival, since these few days will be spent under the spell of everyone’s favourite, fashionable and evergreen spirit. With no exaggeration, the location can be said to bring the ambience of an oasis to the concrete surroundings.
You can park your bike or car, or come by tram, bus or train to the centre of the action, accessed either through the shopping centre or via a flight of stairs from street level. Up here, everything is green – the Roof Garden is festooned with leafy trees and although you are not so high up, this is still a rooftop park with a great view. It’s best to come at sunset, sinking over the city as you watch.
In terms of design, the Roof
Garden really does look like a small (well, perhaps not so small) oasis: cushioned
benches, seats, sprinkler gates and small pavilions fill the space in front of
the stage.
It has its own attractions by day, especially in the heat, but the illuminated
buzzy atmosphere after dark is something else. Especially since you don’t even
have to worry about getting home – there are a thousand ways from Nyugati
station alongside, Obviously, after enjoying the Gin & Jazz events to the
full.
Whether you like the pairing of gin and tonic, or you’re a connoisseur who prefers to sip this juniper-based, herb-rich spirit neat, even on ice, these combined pleasures can begin with a little tuition at 6pm. You can take part in a free workshop, with prior registration, courtesy of Premium Gin Hungary. All will become clear – how to sample it, which side dish to match with which flavour and also which additional aromatics Persian rose enriches everyone’s favourite alcoholic refreshment.
For these four days, the best Hungarian gin producers are relocating to the pavilions of the Westend Roof Garden. Balaton Gin, Lavander Tihany Gin, Haris Gin, Opera Gin and Seven Hills Tokaji Gin will all be showcased. But there will also be international craft-gin producers with a serious history and a new-wave approach.
It doesn't matter if you’re an aficionado of stronger, more complex, extra spicy, very dry, London dry, sloe or rye gin, the bartenders and brand representatives are here to help out on all topics.
With all this gin around, the
premium tonics also stand out proudly. After all, it would be a shame to sip a quality
spirit with an average tonic. Premium has to be the best accompaniment.
Bartenders can easily explain the essence of the perfect serve: that a gin made with
berries, for example, is extracted with the lyophilised variety, and the version
topped with a mixture of Indian spices can be further embellished with the help
of raw ingredients.
And if you get peckish during or after tasting and snacking, the Westend Roof Garden is equipped with four food trucks: Duck You, Csóka Truck, Black Box BBQ and Kell Fagyi oversee delicious snacks, street food and desserts.
In addition to tonics, gin is also accompanied by jazz in the Roof Garden, and the performers at the weekend offer a varied repertoire. On Saturday, it’s the Bakos Bettina Trio and Swing à la Django, and on Sunday, the Vera Tóth Quartet and Blanka Dárdai take the stage, their music caressing the ears and the soul.
Entrance to the Gin & Jazz festival is free and, of course, the glass deposit system will be in operation: for 400 forints, you can buy a glass specially designed for the Roof Terrace, which can then be exchanged for a token. If you’d like to sip your gin and tonic in a glass glass, you can buy a tasting one for 1,500 forints, non-refundable.
See you there!
