A wise person (probably) once said “home is where the gin is”, and you can certainly feel at home in the cosily decorated Vintedge gin bar.
What was once a menagerie of vintage sellers under one roof has now become a gin emporium for juniper junkies. Both the owner and much of the antiques remain, however, with the venue fully kitted out in turn of the century pieces. The bar counter itself, owner Sally Mastin told us, is an old relic from the Netheredge post office.
Why the change from vintage shop to gin bar? Well, the decision didn’t come totally out of the blue; from the success of their ‘gin wagon’, she saw an opportunity to tap into the drink’s resurgent popularity. “You’ve got lots of connoisseurs coming in,” said Sally, “but then also people who just like gin, especially the flavoured kinds”. And there’s certainly enough flavours to choose from, with nettle and rhubarb to chilli and ‘unicorn tears’ on the menu.
Soon to be introducing more gin cocktails too, we got a sneaky peek at their creations, the most surprising of which being an indulgent, chocolatey martini made with a cream gin liqueur rather than the traditional vodka.
After a busy opening weekend, Vintedge is already becoming a top evening destination on the Abbeydale circuit. There are big plans to extend its appeal to daytimes with Afternoon Teas arriving in the new year, along with gin talks and masterclasses. Open from 12 on weekends, you can snack on complimentary nibbles until 6pm on a Saturday too. We’ll drink to that!
The Gin Bar at Vintedge, 444 Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield S7 1FR. Open 4-11pm Tues-Fri, 12-11pm Saturday and 12-9pm Sunday.