New independent drinks specialist and bar opening in Cheltenham

Cheltenham is getting a new boutique bar, tasting room, micro distillery, and shop – and it’s announced its opening date!

By Zoe Gater  |  Published
Grab a sour apple and verbena gimlet or a jasmine and mandarin sour as Cheltenhams new drinks specialist Merchant and Lab opens in November 2021 on Pittville Street.
Grab a sour apple and verbena gimlet or a jasmine and mandarin sour as Cheltenham’s new drinks specialist Merchant and Lab opens in November 2021 on Pittville Street.

A new independent drinks specialist is opening doors in the heart of Cheltenham on Friday 26 November 2021.

Merchant and Lab is a brand-new shop, micro distillery and tasting room, specialising in natural wines, boutique spirits, craft beers and cocktails on the same site Olive previously occupied on Pittville Street.

Spread over four floors, the business will also offer tastings and masterclasses, all bookable through its website.

Customers will also be able to distil their own unique bottle of spirit with almost any flavour imaginable. If you like a particular flavour from your childhood or just want to get creative with flavour combinations for a gift, Merchant and Lab can make most things into a spirit of your choosing.

Every Friday it will also stage its ‘Mum’s the word’ evening, where the intimate top floor cocktail bar will open featuring a regularly changing drinks menu.

Owner, Matt Fairhurst, said: ‘Creativity and exploration is at the heart of everything we do.

‘The techniques we use mean we operate a closed loop drinks program where we reuse any waste products to create new ones.’

Merchant and Lab will be open to the public from 10am on Friday 26 November 2021.

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