There appears to be no end to the long list of “International Days of This” and “World Days of That”, but they are certainly not all created equal. No one can argue with the aspirations of Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th February), while it’s relatively easy to understand the appeal of Hug Your Cat Day (4th June) or World Nutella Day (5th February). On the other hand, fewer (surely) will get too excited about World Toothache Day (9th February) or World Toilet Day (19th November). But World Gin Day? That’s the real deal! Sensibly scheduled for the second Saturday in June – to avoid any unwise school-night drinking – and now celebrating its tenth year, it couldn’t be in better, or more capable, hands than Emma Stokes AKA Gin Monkey.

And, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, this year sees Emma collaborating with Drink Up London to host World Gin Day London, which will not be limited to just one day, nor one weekend, but will actually encompass a four-day festival running from 7th to 10th June 2018 all across the capital! The celebrations will see over 60 of London’s greatest bars  – from GinTonica in the West to The Natural Philosopher in the East – offering bespoke gin cocktails for just £6 to festival pass holders. Digital passes, which can be downloaded to your phone, cost £10 which (given the average cost of cocktails in the capital) means you’ll likely only need to order a couple of drinks to pretty much break even. Though I very much doubt you’ll stop at two!

And that’s not all that’s going on. Here are five more great events you can join in London:

Try Tanqueray’s new savoury and aromatic limited edition Lovage Gin on Aqua Kyoto’s stunning summer terrace, high above busy Regent Street. Entry is free; cocktails cost £14. Find out more here.

Take a tour through the Victorian bar collection of Mr Fogg’s from Covent Garden to Mayfair, enjoying a cocktail at each stop and even a ride in the Bombay Sapphire tuk tuk! Tickets cost £25 and can be purchased here.

Feeling creative? Learn about the history and production of Plymouth Gin, before making your own gin at the Plymouth Botanical Lab in Amathus Drinks’ London shops. Better still, you get to bottle it and take it home too! Tickets cost £25 and can be purchased here.

Junipalooza – the marvellous meet-the-maker festival for true gin geeks – promises to be bigger and better than ever in 2018 with more distilleries, more gins and four experiential rooms including Caorunn’s Highland Bothy and Warner Edwards’ distilling masterclass. Tickets cost £35 and can be purchased here.

Or go all out at Dandelyan’s botanical suite at the magnificent Mondrian London hotel. In collaboration with Bombay Sapphire, Will Meredith, senior bartender at the World’s Best Cocktail Bar, will be discussing how the disco era affected the world of mixology as guests enjoy four different cocktails, including a Sex on the Beach that they promise will actually taste good! Tickets cost £59.88 and can be purchased here.

Being World Gin Day, there’s plenty else going on if you don’t find yourself in the capital. From making gin in Edinburgh and hailing the Sipsmith Gin cab in Munich, to the launch of Gin Journey Singapore and high tea in Australia, there’s something for everyone everywhere!
Check out the World Gin Day website to find more events near you, or why not simply buy a bottle of World Gin Day Gin and enjoy your own celebrations at home?!