There’s nothing wrong with a nice afternoon tea, but typically it’s not the purview of this column (let’s be honest, we’ve never, ever, never, talked about tea before). However, lest you think I’m soused (more likely than writing about tea), this time there is a twist: Tea at the Grand Central Hotel Belfast, Northern Ireland, is now paired with the world’s largest bottle of gin.

The luxury hotel, which lays claim to having Ireland’s tallest cocktail bar (an important feature as you will see), teamed up with local gin distiller Jawbox Spirits to unveil the huge Giant’s Edition bottle, which is the attraction of the playfully named “G & Tea” afternoon tea experience, also dubbed “tea with a twist,” and now served in The Observatory on the 23rd floor of the Grand.

Nearly 1,000 measures of gin are included in the huge Jawbox Giant’s Edition bottle, which takes its name and inspiration from Jonathan Swift’s famous novel Gulliver’s Travels, in which the writer was said to have been inspired by the sight of the Belfast Hills, which he felt resembled a sleeping giant safeguarding the city.

At 73 cm tall, the Jawbox Giant’s Edition holds almost 46 standard bottles of gin, with the huge flagon weighing more than 50 kg and containing a staggering 32 litres of the spirit.

The G & Tea menu includes a selection of delicate sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats inspired by the botanicals and flavours of the gin.

Guests can also sit back, relax, and take in the stunning views overlooking the Belfast Hills, where one of the spirit’s ingredients, Black Mountain Heather, is gathered, while enjoying a new, specially designed Jonathan’s Twist Cocktail.

The G & Tea experience is notably supported by Tourism Northern Ireland and the ‘Embrace a Giant Spirit’ campaign, which is evident everywhere one goes in the streets of Belfast.

The Tea is served daily from 1 to 5 p.m. and is priced at £40 (£50 with the Jonathan’s Twist Cocktail). The hotel is located in the heart of the city at 9-15 Bedford St. in the Linen Quarter.
With glass purposefully in hand, we at Travel Industry Today continue our series on some of the planet’s best bars, patios and rooftop venues. For more articles in the series, click here:

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