Jenever

On a business trip to Liverpool I dropped in here and found a cozy, welcoming gin bar. You don’t have to like gin to come here – but with about 65 varieties, it helps. I had their version of a French 75 and it was one of the best I’ve had anywhere. I also ordered some of their tapas, and they were excellent. I was also extremely impressed by the service – Liverpool is such a friendly town and the wait staff didn’t disappoint. They saw that I was alone and didn’t hover too much, but when they realized I wanted to chat, they were extremely welcoming. There was lots of good advice about gin – and also about the city.

After spotting Jenever on a list of the latest Liverpool openings, our recent stay at Hope Street Hotel provided the perfect opportunity to pay it a visit. Named after the liquor which gin evolved from, it’s a contemporary gin bar and café, with over 50 types of gin.
It’s easy to find and very much in the heart of Hope Street, so an easy stop if you’re in the area. What struck us at first was just how bright it felt — after spending so long hanging around in what most people would refer to as dive bars, this took us by surprise! Although this did lend itself to the contemporary feel, it didn’t feel especially welcoming.
We managed to grab a spot on the sofa at the edge of the room after a small wait at the bar. It’s worth noting that this is not a large area, so prepare to be standing or move very quickly when you see someone leave… The bar is also very small, with only two people service, so it did feel like an effort to get anyone’s attention.
The gin menu is very extensive, with a small description for each option. We were happy to spot a family favourite in Adnam’s, so the other half had this with tonic, and I went for a bramble cocktail. It was very tasty and not too sweet, with just the right amount of blackberry.
Food is available in the form of tapas, which looked good, but it was hard to decide whether they were focusing on the food or the gin more. The extensive gin list obviously says the latter, but the predominantly table seating says otherwise.