Sipsmith opens pop-up gin bar in Soho

Chiswick-based boutique distiller Sipsmith has opened a pop-up gin bar at the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho called Swan on a Hot Gin Roof.

Punning on its swan logo, the winter pop-up will run from 26 January until 14 February on the hotel’s fourth-floor terrace and will serve hot gin cocktails inspired by historical recipes.

Among the sips on offer will be Victorian favourite the Smoking Bishop, a warm punch that makes a cameo in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol; Soho Gin Broth, created in 1664; and hot gin and ginger, said to have been invented in 1731.

Also on pour will be Steaming Gin Juleps and hot G&Ts. To keep guests warm from the winter chill, blankets will be provided.

“Sipsmith is a celebration of where the old meets the new, so I’ve been delving into the history books for inspiration,” said Sipsmith master distiller Jared Brown.

Founded by Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall in a disused garage in 2009, Sipsmith was the first copper-pot distillery to open in London in nearly 200 years.

The company has since upped sticks to Chiswick, where original still Prudence is joined by sibling stills Patience and Constance.