history of london in FOUR drinks
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OR JOIN ONE OF OUR PUBLIC TOURS
NEXT DATES:
25th november (FULLY BOOKED)
3rd february 2024
2nd March 2024
For more dates, click on the 'book now' button
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This tour, led by a knowledgable and engaging guide, takes you on a captivating journey, uncovering hidden gems and fascinating stories that have shaped London's drinking traditions. This tour will investigate all areas of British history that are linked to tea, coffee, beer and gin.
Most people, when they think of England or London, think of tea. We can follow its origins in this country back to the mid 17th century but which queen popularised it? Before tea, there was coffee. We were drinking it as a beverage in coffee houses before the rest of Europe. Its impact is enormous with many of these coffee establishments evolving into renowned institutions – e.g. Lloyds of London. Beer was almost a health drink. From the 16th century, it was safer to drink than the water and enjoyed by most of London. Which beer was created in London by accidentally burning barley and ended up being one of the most famous beers in the world? Clue: It is now better known as an Irish beer. Gin is a British-born drink that evolved out of a Dutch spirit called Genever. This strong, distilled alcohol had a massive impact on 18th century London. We will look at the history of gin and its negative social impact. So, how did this drink of the downtrodden Georgian era rise through the ranks to be the most important cocktail spirit and why are we drinking so much of it now? |
Brace yourself for a journey that will forever change the way you view London's favorite beverages.
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Length of tour:
Approximately 2.5 hours Price: £55 Start Location: Somerset House Start Time: Selected Saturdays at 2:00pm |
Included with the tour:
Tea/coffee to start Beer (or G&T en route) Gin & tonic at a distillery Tea to take home Places / Areas Visited: Somerset House Fleet Street City of London Distillery (when open) Twinings Tea Royal Courts of Justice |
What our guests are saying:
"Emma was an excellent guide and very informative. I know London quite well, but it is always great to find somewhere new. We were a small group of three couples, that made the whole experience more enjoyable. The tour should have been two and a half hours, which flew by and we were still enjoying our gin and tonics nearly three hours later. I would highly recommend this tour and will definitely be booking one of the other tours. Thank you Emma for a great afternoon" "We just had a fabulous walking tour with Emma-having booked it in the depths of lockdown, we hadn't even dared to think what it would be like. It turned out to be a perfect postlock down trip to the capital and we felt we had got an insider view of the City of London, Hatton Garden & Holborn in the company of a wise, witty and very knowledgeable friend. The other people on our trip were great fun too and we managed to dodge the downpours sitting in an atmospheric pub and a cool gin distillery where we drank Christopher Wren gin sitting amongst the gin stills. We are already planning our next trip with friends." |
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READY TO BOOK?
Private tours start from £440 for up to 8 people. Contact Emma for details and pricing for your group.
