Gin takes centre stage at city bar
Gin has dominated the gantry in Glasgow bar The Finnieston since it opened four years ago. Back then, the category’s resurgence was still in its infancy. But Kained Holdings, the firm behind The Finnieston, reckoned the trend was only set to continue and nailed its spirits colours firmly to the mast.
Its prediction turned out to be spot on. And while there’s been no shortage of small batch gins hitting the market in recent years – especially from Scotland – the team at The Finnieston reckons it’s about more than numbers when it comes to building a strong range.
The bar has about 60 gins on the gantry – around the same number as when it opened in 2011.
And James Kemp, marketing manager at Kained Holdings, said although the range is constantly reviewed and tweaked, it’s unlikely to grow much beyond that.
“Obviously there’s only so much space on the gantry,” he told SLTN.
“But we’re focused on quality over quantity.
“It would be easy to stock a huge number regardless of what’s in the bottle or how it’s served.
“For us, the liquid has to be good.”
The Finnieston sources its 60-strong range from suppliers including Hotsauce Drinks, Woodwinters and Inverarity Morton.
Tanqueray Export Strength is currently the house pour. And a range of different gin and tonic serves are promoted in the drinks menu, including Fallen Star: Star of Bombay gin, Fever-Tree tonic, orange twist and star anise; and the D&T: Daffy’s gin, Fever-Tree tonic, lime wedge and fresh mint.
Gin cocktails are a speciality at The Finnieston, and there’s a full page of Martinis as well as a range of gin-based drinks, including the Pegu Club: Tanqueray Export, triple sec, lime juice, orange bitters and Angostura bitters.
Kemp said consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and adventurous when it comes to gin.
“One of the biggest changes is that everyone is now a bit of a gin expert, but that’s great,” he said.
“Guests are not only asking for a specific gin, but also a specific tonic and garnish. It’s our job to make sure we keep the range and the way we serve gin fresh and make sure the quality is there all the time.”
