The Botanical Garden’s graffiti-laced entrance portends its gin garden oasis. I discovered Liverpool's avant-garde gin bar one day, as I explored a stark graff-filled industrial alley in the edgy Baltic Triangle. Botanical's compelling façade is composed of a collage of colorful discarded doors, strewn with graffiti, that reflect its surrounding 'hood. Like Alice-in-Wonderland, I was compelled to step through the magical portal and found myself transported to a vibrantly decorated, secreted garden.
Now that spring has arrived and Liverpool’s Botanical Garden has reopened for the season, it’s time once again to ponder sipping on craft gin cocktails in a hip, artsy garden. Given its al fresco design, the gin bar is only open during warm weather months, so plan your Liverpool travel accordingly.
This seasonal garden space is whimsical and charmingly re-purposed. Every nook and cranny of the Botanical Garden provides an opportunity to chill and while-away the day with a gin beverage. The space has a variety of seating, and I adore the intimate snug carved into the garden wall.
But I was drawn further in to the gin bar, beyond the mural-laden patio filled with picnic tables and flora, to the cozy shabby chic greenhouse. The focal point of this indoor space is the bar, whimsically conceived from an old purple VW bus.
I immediately gravitated to an inviting settée and exhaled. The cozy greenhouse is delightfully decorated with comfy, mismatched vintage furniture.
As evening descended, the lights dimmed, candles were lit, and I prepared to sink into an herbaceous gin haze.
Don’t let the Botanical Garden’s friendly, laid-back setting fool you - this gin bar takes its cocktail concoctions seriously.
With their extensively curated gin selection, it was difficult to choose which one I would partake with my grapefruit-based Summer Thyme Fizz cocktail.
Confusion lifted when the bartender described Bloom Gin’s floral attributes. I was further compelled by Bloom as a local gin, produced just outside of Liverpool, and made by one of the few women master gin distillers in the world, Joanne Moore.
The gin bar's approach to fresh and botanical cocktail ingredients is reflected back by its inventive garden ambiance. The Botanical Garden’s casual food offerings seem to change from season-to-season. Be sure to check their events page for weekend music offerings and special events, such as tastings and World Gin Day.
The Botanical Garden was one of my favorite Liverpool experiences, in my favorite Liverpool neighborhood of the Baltic Triangle. The Baltic Triangle is a great ‘hood to graffiti hunt, and the Botanical Garden fits right in with the Triangle's urban revival and hip conceptual venues.
The Botanical Garden is only open in warm weather, generally March through September. It’s a perfect spot for a respite or just a quick stop on your way to the some other cool Baltic Triangle spot.
But fair warning – once the Botanical Garden lures you in to its cozy gin garden vibe, you will find it difficult to escape.
