Winston Churchill once said, "Gin and tonic has saved more Englishman’s lives and minds than all the doctors in the empire." While, a little out there, we love this ode to the G&T and we think it applies to more than just the English.
Mexico has tequila and mezcal, we know that, and both are used for celebrations and as heartache remedies alike. However, gin is totally different. It’s one of our favorite spirits because of its refreshing and delicate juniper berry notes and has been considered medicinal since ancient times (extra point for Churchill).
We like to think of Gin Gin as more a pharmacy than a bar. The menu has lots of concoctions, or healing potions if you will, that tip their hats to the original combo of gin, tonic, and lime. It also has many variations on the classic which make us rethink everything we thought we knew about gin.
Our top-three is: the vellocino de oro (gin, rosemary, olives, tonic, key lime tincture, garnished with a key lime slice), the Acapulco Golden (gin, mate and coconut infusion, tonic), and the mexican Pimms (rooibos and berry-infused gin, Cinzano, ginger extract, simple syrup, lemon juice, ginger ale, muddled fruit, edible flower garnish). Each of these drinks is made with a different type of gin to maintain a balanced flavor throughout.
Rest assured that whichever one you choose, it’s going to be good and you’ll get to enjoy it while being surrounded by plants and trees in a beautifully-lit oasis in the urban jungle. The star of the show here is the main bar, as it should be.
Since Gin Gin is so close to Plaza Cibeles in the Roma neighborhood, the clientele is a grab bag of hipsters, yuppies, and the I-drank-gin-before-it-was-cool crowd that’s ready to judge this place for their execution.
The music is fun for everyone, the pizza is good, and everyone seems to be pre-gaming here. The harmonious vibe here makes it easy to say that, if nothing else, gin makes us feel a bit hippie-ish.