Here at Craft Gin Club we are all about transforming the at-home drinking experience into something wonderful. So we were super-excited to discover that one of our club members, Barbara, had already taken this motto and run with it, by transforming her ancient, run-down caravan into a fabulous garden gin bar, complete with craft gin collection, personalised bar signs and fairy-lit outdoor seating! The caravan has even been given a new identity: The Tipsy Bint!
Craft Gin Club: Hi Barbara! We love the Tipsy Bint, your amazing caravan-come-garden-gin-bar! Was the Tipsy Bint always in your family?
Barbara: “Originally the caravan belonged to a family friend and was very well travelled. It then found its way to our garden and was used as the kids’ playhouse. It was later on, that it was pretty much abandoned and left to rot for over 20 years, sadly.”
Craft Gin Club: So whose brilliant idea was it to convert the caravan into the gin bar?
Barbara: “My partner and I were in Liverpool one weekend and saw a horse box that had been converted into a fabulous gin bar. We had a light-bulb moment and the plan to convert our van started!”
Craft Gin Club: And who came up with the ingenious name for your new gin bar?
Barbara: “The name is one of my partner Ivan’s nicknames for me, so it seemed appropriate!”
Craft Gin Club: It’s quite the transformation. How did you go about converting the caravan into a gin bar?
Barbara: “lvan gutted it and stripped the inside. Then he wood panelled the roof, which was leaking quite badly, as you can imagine, and the walls. Between us we designed the bar. I painted, made curtains and dressed the inside. It really is best seen at night when it is lit up, it’s pretty special.”
Craft Gin Club: How have your friends and family reacted to the Tipsy Bint?
Barbara: “I had my 60th birthday in June and we had a big party. I hadn’t told many people about the Tipsy Bint, so we got a really cool reaction when they all saw it- everyone loved it! The daughter who had holidayed in it as a child could not believe it!
“Now I’m a member of Craft Gin Club, it will be great to open my Craft Gin Box in there and discover more gin to add to my collection!”