The perfect Christmas gift for the drink-lover in your life

Whatever your poison, The Botanist has the perfect Christmas-time experience for you and your friends to learn about ales, craft beers, cocktails or gin this festive season. We’ve taken a look at what’s on offer.

Cocktail Masterclass

Can you improve upon the classics? That’s the task the mixologists at The Botanist set themselves in crafting their cocktails with a phytologist’s – that is, botanical experts – touch. The answer is a resounding yes, with concoctions like their daiquiri taking an established recipe and elevating it with the addition of punchy green pepper and the sour tang of grapefruit, or the intriguingly delicate flavours of cinnamon and oregano in their old fashioned.

At The Botanist Masterclass, mixologists will teach you (and five or more of your friends) how to create their peculiarly perfect cocktails. Choose from the Ladies Option, where three divine drinks are taught (The Botanist, Poppy and Pomegranate, Raspberry and Amaretto Sour) or the Gents, where you’ll discover the secrets of the Blackberry and Rosemary Fizz, Green Pepper and Grapefruit Daiquiri and Cinnamon and Oregano Old Fashioned. Or if you really want to blend things – make it a Ladies and Gents evening.

All Masterclasses are 90 minutes and cost £25 per person.

Ale Tasting Masterclass

There’s no doubt sinking an amber pint at the end of the day is one of life’s great simple pleasures, but the story of how that brew came to be is far more complex than you might imagine. With Germanic and Celtic tribes brewing their own as far back as 3000 BC, Trappist monks perfecting their own versions in the middle ages to help fund their monasteries, and Flemish wheat beer emerging at the same time, every time you take a sip you’re downing a distillation of history.

The Botanist offers four distinct Ale Tasting Masterclasses:

Best of Britain – From our porters to our IPA – Britain is a giant in the global brewing scene. Take a sampling of some of our best as you take a fascinating journey through the history of British beer, from pre-Roman brews to modern marvels.

Best of Europe – Witbeir, saison, pilsner, tripel – a look at the creation of Europe’s most curious, and tasty, drops. You’ll try them as you learn their history. But of course.

The History of Ales – For the true connoisseur, here’s a singular opportunity to try ales from antiquity – brews made utilising methods developed prior to the invention of modern brewing technologies. From there you’ll learn about the geographical history of beer styles before trying the cream of the current crop of beers, crafted with the latest scientific techniques

What is craft? – It’s the buzz-word for beer at the moment, but what precisely is craft beer? Learn about the best of the best on the craft scene as you discover what distinguishes craft beers from the rest.

Each of the ale masterclasses require a minimum of six to book and run for 90 minutes, with a total of eight different beers and ales included.

Gin Tasting Masterclass

When William of Orange dropped taxes on spirits in 1689 to encourage the growth of the distillation industry (and line the royal coffers) he kicked off a British love affair with the juniper drop that endures to this day. From warming wintry figures at the Frost Fairs of the 18th century, to saving the lives of malaria struck colonialists in India in the 1900s, gin is an indelible part of the British identity.

Learn all about it as the Botanist’s experts guide you and your friends through a gin-tasting masterclass, sampling the best offerings available of the botanical elixir.

Each of the gin masterclasses require a minimum of six to book and run for 90 minutes. £25 per person.

To book any of the Botanist’s Masterclasses, or to learn more about their new menu, visit http://thebotanist.uk.com/