Hendrick’s Gin has a reputation for putting on incredible immersive experiences. When we saw The Journey of (Tini) Martini Enlightenment in the Edinburgh Fringe guide, we knew it was going to be the perfect way to start out Saturday night off. We definitely weren’t disappointed.
Located in the Assembly Gardens right in the middle of the action in George Square was the Hendrick’s bar. To the right of that was a secret little door that we were led through by a well-dressed man, and whisked away into the fantastical world of Hendrick’s. After heading through a small, dark corridor covered floor to ceiling with foliage, we were seated at a round table with a tiny martini.
The next hour was spent being entertained by a very engaging, very camp duo who spoke to us about the art of the martini. Seamlessly flowing through song, dance and plenty of clever jokes and innuendos, we learnt about the history of this iconic cocktail. A few fun stories about the history of this duo and Hendrick’s gin were also thrown in for good measure, ensuring things didn’t stop rolling along for a moment.
One of the highlights for us was learning about all the different garnishes you can use in a martini. From bitters and vermouth to pickled goods and citrus peels, we were presented with a beautiful little case that held all the different combinations for us to play around with. Olive or pickled onion? It’s a hard choice, but one we had to make when garnishing our own perfect tiny ‘tini.
Though The Journey of (Tini) Martini Enlightenment was only on during Edinburgh Fringe, Hendrick’s often organise fun immersive events around London. Keep an eye on their website and their socials to stay up to date.
First image sourced from Edinburgh Live
