The Netherlands comes to Manchester to Taste Gin

A Group of Dutch Friends

were in Manchester for a long weekend. Ruud van Otterdijk and friends from Rotterdam booked their Northern Wine School gin event before travelling. They joined us for a gin tasting at The Castlefield Hotel on Saturday March 17th. We gave them a taste of local gins including Thomas Dakin, Zymurgorium Manchester ​Gin and Whitley Neill’s Rhubarb and Ginger Gin.

​We made sure that they enjoyed some other local delicacies with their drinks including Eccles Cakes and Butler’s Crumbly Lancashire Cheese.

​As an extra John surprised them with a traditional protected spirit called Genever, distilled in Amsterdam since 1675. This is the national liquor of Holland and Belgium. It is juniper flavoured and is the drink from which gin originally evolved. Amusingly this was the one they liked least. Apparently it is regarded as an Old Person’s tipple in Holland! Craft Gin is considered a much trendier drink. Seems like young people in the UK and Holland have similar tastes when it comes to their drinks.

Other highlights of their trip included jazz events and beer tasting. Luckily the early Spring snow and wind did not spoil their enjoyment of Manchester.

Netherlands Gin Tasting Group Manchester

Assessing the Gin Aromas Manchester