A commemorative gin produced to promote the campaign to return the Viola trawler to Hull has now joined the array of food and drink available at Hull’s Trinity Indoor Market after an expansion by Hotham’s Distillery.

The Viola gin will also line up alongside more than 100 other tipples at this year’s Hull Gin Festival on Friday 17 May and Saturday 18 May as Hotham’s make their debut at the event.

Hotham’s Distillery was opened in Hepworth’s Arcade last year by Emma Kinton and Simon Pownall. In addition to operating a gin school to show people how to make gin to their specific tastes, Hotham’s sell varieties of its own gin and produces bespoke bottles for others including the Viola Trust and 1884 Wine & Tapas Bar, which hosted a launch of the Viola gin in March.

The market expansion brings the opening of Hull’s first kombucha bar as part of a high-end bottle shop and bar selling Yorkshire-produced drinks, including the award-winning Hotham’s Cardamom Gin and their fundraising Viola Old Tom Gin, along with other quality spirits and mixers

Emma said Hotham’s is working closely with Kinoko Kombucha to offer visitors to Trinity Market a new experience which is taking the drinks industry by storm.  

She added: “We’re really excited to be bringing the first kombucha bar to Hull, and we think this is a drink that will be really popular, particularly as the weather warms up.  

“Kombucha is a lightly sparkling, green tea-based drink which is delicious on its own, but also pairs beautifully with the flavours of a good gin. When people don’t like a G&T, it’s often the tonic they don’t like, and Kinoko have developed a lovely range of kombucha with the subtle flavours that go so well with gin and other spirits. 

“Although it’s made from tea, it actually tastes more like a refreshing and light fruit cider – but it’s non-alcoholic!”

In another first, Hotham’s aims to be the first bar in Yorkshire to offer kombucha on draught and hopes to launch this by the summer. To find out more about their range of drinks, visit Hotham’s Bar and Bottle Shop in Trinity Market, Hull, or visit www.hothams.co.uk

To find out more about the Viola Trust, visit www.violatrawler.net 

To find out more about Kinoko Kombucha, visit www.kinoko-kombucha.com