In recent months, the variety of gins on the market has exploded, but signs suggest the trend might be getting a little too kooky. A new spa in Glasgow, Scotland, has us asking if we have now reached peak gin. The Gin Spa, billed as “the very first botanically inspired day spa in the world”, opened up in December 2017 to much gasping from the British press.
What exactly is a gin spa? Well, it does thankfully involve drinking: One complimentary gin cocktail is provided with all but the most basic of treatments. But the treatments themselves are gin-inspired, rather than gin-based. (So no bathing in gin and tonic, then…)
You can choose between treatments like Just the Tonic, a 30-minute treatment plus afternoon tea, a glass of prosecco and a gin-and-tonic from the Fever Tree Trolley, and Botanical Bliss, your choice of 60-minute treatment with the same trimmings. True gin fanatics will likely opt for the Twilight tasting, which includes a five-course gin-inspired tasting menu. There’s also a juniper bath foot soak on the menu, and something called aromatherapy chocolate, which we’re sceptical about.
The products used are all custom-made, developed with botanical Scottish brand Justbe, and feature gin-inspired ingredients like clove, lavender, eucalyptus, and pink grapefruit. Which does sound kind of good, we guess?
If that still doesn’t seem like enough actual gin for you, the founders also run a specialist bar dedicated to the spirit, Gin 71, in the Scottish city, which offers gin flights, something called ‘botanical mac and cheese’, and gin-pickled strawberries. Now there’s a concept we can get behind!