ABOUT US
WE BELIEVE QUALITY GIN AND SUSTAINABILITY SHOULD GO HAND IN HAND.
That’s why we’re ushering in the Roaring 2020s with a new breed of gin fit for the times.
At our three London Distillery Bar venues we produce our four sustainable urban gins, which have been perfected based on feedback from literally 10,000's of punters who've visited our bars.
Whilst we serve up a banging G&T, we also strive to push methods to reduce waste, reuse resources and regenerate our London surroundings.
We’re on a mission to revolutionise what it means to be located within the big smoke.
OUR VENUES
ELEPHANT AND CASTLE
Find us inside Mercato Metropolitano. This is where our flagship Distillery Bar is located as well as Grand Central Bar and various service points outside in London's largest gin and beer garden!
Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6DR.
MAYFAIR
Find us inside Mercato Mayfair. We're based up on the altar where you'll find our micro-distillery (the only distillery in Mayfair!), as well as downstairs in the crypt.
Mercato Mayfair, North Audley Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 6ZA.
DALSTON
Find us inside Kraft Dalston, which is the bar and restaurant attached to the trendy Kingsland Locke Aparthotel. Located on the bustling Kingsland High Street, this is a collaboration between Jim and Tonic, German Kraft Brewery and Le Bab.
Kraft Dalston, 130a Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2LQ.
HI, I'M JIM...
I'm the Founder of Jim and Tonic.
I'd just like to say a huge thanks for visiting our website, it really means a lot. As a small, independent gin company every customer genuinely does make a difference and the J&T crew and myself hope you'll end up visiting one of our bars or ordering some gin online (or both!) so we can get to know each other some more.
I've always been partial to a G&T, even when it was unfashionable and something your Gran would drink.
My lightbulb moment came, randomly, in 2016 when I was on a ski trip in Norway and the bars there were serving these unbelievable gins in big balloon glasses, loads of different brands, tonics and epic garnishes. It wasn't really a thing back in the UK in 2016 (most pubs would serve a Gordon's with crap tonic, no ice and a scabby bit of lemon) so I decided to create Jim and Tonic!
What started out as me and my friends serving craft gins out of my converted vintage van has since grown into a network of gin bars, an online shop and a distillery focussed on another passion of mine: sustainability and eco-practices.
If you want to learn a little bit more about my journey, read my blog post 7 GINteresting reasons why I started Jim and Tonic >
OUR JOURNEY
2016: MOBILE GIN JIM AND TONIC VAN
In the midst the UK's craft gin boom, Jim decided to renovate his battered old Peugeot J9 and transform it into a craft gin bar on wheels. Jim and Tonic was born!
Over the next couple of years Jim added another gin van to the fleet and Jim and Tonic was being hired for corporate functions and parties up and down the land.
Jim's founding focus was very much on finding the very best craft gin out there, and pairing them with the best tonics and garnishes... a philosophy that we stay true to today, but only this time with gin we lovingly distil ourselves.
You can still hire Jim and Tonic! Our events team put together bespoke packages for parties, corporate gigs, virtual cocktail classes, and more. Check out our Event Hire page.
2018: SETTING DOWN ROOTS
In the glorious summer of 2018, Jim and Tonic moved into the sustainable, artisan food and drink market in South London, 'Mercato Metropolitano', which transformed a previously derelict site into a market of over 40 small, independent traders.
After many trips to Screwfix and a few all-nighters to bosh the area into shape, our very first permanent bar opened to the thirsty punters of Elephant & Castle!
In fact, this very spot (which has undergone many face-lifts since that first pic was taken!) remains our flagship Distillery Bar to this day, and chances are, if you've had a J&T, if may very well have been here.
2018: SUSTAINABLE URBAN DISTILLERY IS BORN
Only a few short weeks after we opened our bar inside Mercato Metropolitano, we installed our 100 litre copper pot still, which we aptly named 'Clella'.
Clella is an amalgamation of the names Clare, Lauren and Ellie, the partners of Jim and his two business partners. If you struggle to pronounce the name (don't worry, you're not alone), it's CL-ELL-AH! (rolls of the tongue once you get the hang of it).
We started to create our own gin recipes and serve them up at our bar. After feedback from literally thousands of customers we settled on a few favourites, and have doubled-down on those gin recipes since.
What sets Clella apart is her focus on sustainability, using a 'closed-loop' system to significantly reduce water wastage and conserve energy.
2019: EXPANSION AND MAYFAIR
In the summer of 2019 we partnered with German Kraft Brewery (our next door neighbours at Mercato Metropolitano) to recreate the outdoor area at Mercato Metropolitano in London's Elephant & Castle area.
In fact, this is London's largest gin and beer garden!
In the Autumn of 2019 we opened our second gin cocktail bar, this time inside a beautifully restored Grade-II listed Mayfair church, which is part of the food and drink market 'Mercato Mayfair'.
2020: LOCKDOWNS AND REACHING NEW GIN LOVERS
When lockdown hit in March 2020 our business ground to a halt as our bars were forced to shut. But then we had so many customers ask us if they could get our gin delivered to their homes.
It was from this point that we revamped our bottles and packaging and launched our online distillery shop across London and then nationwide.
We were bowled over with how many orders we were getting! During the first lockdown we shipped 1,000s of bottles of gin, G&T Survival Boxes and gift packs and then started hosting virtual cocktail classes for the public and companies.
We're now stocked in a growing number of retailers, online marketplaces and wholesalers, and our online shop continues to grow as more gin lovers hear about us!
2021: VENTURING INTO EAST LONDON
As lockdown restrictions eased, we said hello to our newest venue, Kraft Dalston: a joint bar and restaurant collaboration between Jim and Tonic (the gin), German Kraft Brewery (the beer), and Le Bab (the food).
Inside Kraft Dalston we've installed our own sustainable micro-distillery (named 'Kirby' after the girlfriend of Chris, our Marketing geeza) which stocks the bar and restaurant areas with plenty of fresh gin.
We might be bias, but we think it's the best gin cocktail menu in East London #justsayin'
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION METHODS
We only distil with Organic Grain Alcohol in line with Soil Association standards. The condenser of our still is cooled through a 'closed-loop' water system to significantly reduce energy and water wastage. We redistil the heads and tails from our gin production to create Triple Sec and ‘Zero Waste’ Vodka that we serve at our bars.
URBAN BOTANICALS AND INGREDIENTS
We grow rosemary, basil and thyme as well as citrusy hops onsite using innovative hydroponic walls and traditional urban farming techniques. We compost any waste botanicals and use as soil fertiliser. Leftover citrus from our bars is used to make Triple Sec and other ‘waste’ fruits used to distil limited edition fruit spirits. We partner with local community gardens and beekeepers to source many of the other ingredients that are used in our gin recipes.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
We package and ship all orders using recycled and 100% recyclable materials, and absolutely no plastic. Our bottle labels are made of cane fibre (more sustainable than traditional paper) and printed using vegetable-based inks. Our bottles are some of the lightest you'll find, meaning we reduce carbon-emissions when they're in transit.
