The Gin Library is the largest private gin collection in the world – at least, that is what its owners claim.
Ali Bullock and his wife, Caroline, are the couple behind the unusual hoard, located at the Solar Branco Eco Estate hotel on the island of São Miguel in the Azores.
The stockpile includes more than 2,000 bottles on display. The spirits on show come from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand, but you can also find gins from non-traditional producers such as Botswana, Uganda or Bulgaria. It is well worth consulting the impressive [list](https://solarbranco.com/-downloads/Gin-list %28source in Portuguese%29.pdf) of gins, if that's your favourite tipple.
“We do not know of any other like it”, says Caroline Bullock.
The challenge is simple: “If you bring a gin that is not yet in the collection, it will be swapped for a bottle of your choice from the range of The Ghosts of The Ocean gins, created in the Azores,” she adds.
Island life - from Hong Kong to São Miguel
Ali and Caroline first discovered Ponta Delgada, the capital of São Miguel, in 2006, when they chose the island as their honeymoon destination. They fell in love with the place, the way of life, the food, the landscapes and the people – so much so that they came back to stay.
The couple are part of the growing number of people who “drop everything” to completely change their lives. They gave up their jobs in marketing and international relations to start again in Portugal, after 15 years living in Hong Kong. They arrived in the country at the end of 2018 with the idea of opening a hotel with a distinctive bar serving nothing but gin.
“We wanted to have something different for our guests”, Caroline tells Euronews. They had in mind a period house, which they eventually found. However, quite some time passed between developing the project, renovating the property and securing all the permits.
During the pandemic, Ali threw himself into spirits and began creating his own blends. The “flavours of the island”, such as seaweed, pennyroyal or pineapple, were the first to be explored. “We have around 10 types of gin, but not all are available all year round because of seasonality. The recipes are Ali’s, but production is done in a factory”, Caroline explains.
A 330-bottle “baby” that has passed the 2,000 mark
The Gin Library opened in autumn 2019 with 330 bottles from Ali’s personal collection. By July 2021 they had passed 500 bottles and, in July 2023, they reached the 1,000-bottle mark. Ali thought about stopping there, but the train was already in motion.
By the end of 2024, they already had 1,834 bottles with bottles from more than 70 countries and almost every continent. Only Antarctica is missing.
As the couple had always planned, every guest at the Solar Branco is invited to a gin and tonic every evening, as well as tastings and masterclasses. The venue, however, is open to all visitors, not just hotel guests.
