Auckland’s getting its own gin festival!

Gin lovers get excited – Auckland is getting its very own gin festival!

For the first time ever, the East Imperial Gin Jubilee will be visiting New Zealand shores from February 27th – March 4th.

Established in 2013, the premier gin festival has hosted 10 successful jubilees across Southeast Asia, with punters enjoying the finest Gin & Tonics across Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh, Bangkok and Singapore.

A celebration of the finest gins, the region’s best bars and bartenders, this year’s East Imperial Gin Jubilee will bring people together across different locations around Auckland City to explore gin culture and sample creative iterations of the traditional G&T.

Mercedes G&T

How do I get involved I hear you ask? Well my friend, gin novices and aficionados will explore the history of the G&T, learn how to create the perfect one for themselves, and taste updated versions of the drink by the city’s best bartenders. Not forgetting the Gin Ramble bar trail, a decidedly sophisticated version of the classic Kiwi pub crawl.  A full list of confirmed events during the week can be found here: http://ginjubilee.com/auckland-calendar/

Fans of mother’s ruin will also have the chance to get involved in the ‘Best Gin & Tonic’ competition, open to 33 bars across the city. These include Remix faves like 46&York, Azabu, Clooney, Mr Toms, Paris Butter, and Pineapple, among others. There are 11 gin brands involved, and each participating bar has been assigned one to craft their own bespoke interpretation of the classic G&T; ranging from global brands like Hendricks, Sipsmith, and Beefeater, through to local favourites Rogue Society and newbies Sacred Spring Gin.

The best part of the competition? The winner is chosen by public vote, which means there’s plenty of taste testing to be had. We’re in!

To vote for a specific Gin & Tonic during the Jubilee, consumers need to follow East Imperial on Instagram (@eastimperial), snap a pic of their favourite bar’s concoction, simply tag #ginjubilee2017, as well as geo tag the bar’s name and location.

Added bonus: the best pic will be crowned ‘The Best Ginstagram’ and will take away a year’s supply of East Imperial tonic!

The East Imperial Gin Jubilee will close on March 4th with the famed ‘Gin Lane’ street party, which will showcase a series of pop-up bars hosted at inner-city hot spot Gypsy Caravan, where the winner of ‘Auckland’s Gin & Tonic’ for 2017 will be announced, as well as the ‘Best Ginstagram’ pic (punny, we know).

Find out more here.

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