Mermaid Gin partnered with The View from The Shard for the Weekend Warmup, a rooftop day party to really get the weekend started.
Made in the Isle of Wight's only distillery, Mermaid is a small-batch London Dry Gin with ethically sourced botanicals including organic lemon zest, grains of paradise and locally foraged rock samphire and elderflower. It is exceptionally smooth and has a refreshing, clean taste that works well in a G&T with citrus or herbal garnishes - try lime or cucumber, The pink gin has a strawberry flavour but thankfully without the added sugar that makes most flavoured gins too sweet. Oh, and the bottles are gorgeous.
The View from The Shard is London's highest viewing gallery, offering an impressive 360 degree panoramic view of the city. I'm normally underwhelmed by views you have to pay for (yes London Eye, I'm looking at you) but this was genuinely stunning, the city laid out beneath you like a living map.
(It's worth mentioning that this is pretty much the view you get from the ladies' loos, the cubicles of which also have glass walls. I'll just leave that thought with you.)
Looking out over Bermondsey Street and beyond; luckily a rare crisp, clear day made for breathtaking viewing conditions. As if that's not impressive enough, an Aurora theme inspired by the Northern Lights will be running at The View from The Shard until March 2022 and includes regular bursts from a snow machine on the open-air Skydeck. Your Insta will explode.
DJ Max Tyler played an amazing set, full of fun and energy - perfect for kick-starting the weekend.
I am an absolute convert to rooftop day parties as a statement of intent for the rest of your weekend and am also planning a return to The View from The Shard to see the city at night. Hopefully when there is gin and a DJ.
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Deputy Editor, Chatting Food London: Amanda David
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