CHOCOLATE, elderflower and spice-infused spirit will pour into Oxford this summer at the city’s first ever gin festival.

More than 100 artisan-distilled gins from across the UK will be served up at Oxford University Examination Schools on Saturday, August 5.

The hallowed High Street hall will also be filled with traditional English garden games like hook-a-duck in a golden age gala which organisers hope will be just the tonic.

Examination Schools events manager Anna Munday said her team was excited to build on the success of last year’s Oxford Comic Con with another first for the institution.

She said: “We can’t wait – it’s something a bit different, something we’ve not had before here or anywhere in the city.”

The cocktail of grown-up drinking and childish games has been mixed by a group called Gin Festivals UK.

The friends set up last year as a touring roadshow of one-day mini-festivals to showcase small gin producers from across the country.

Organiser Clint Jones, who lives in Cornwall, said his group wanted to dispel any snobbery around the tipple.

He said: “The last few years have seen a real renaissance in the industry: lots of start-ups are doing really crazy things like chocolate-infused gin.

“Last year we had hen parties turn up and all sorts of people with a real desire to learn about gin.

“It’s not like any other spirit: you can flavour it with whatever you want – there’s something for everybody.”

Festival-goers will have to pay £10 to get through the doors, including a souvenir glass, and once inside it will be another £20 for a card worth four gins: festival goers will be able to stroll around and chose from a variety of exotic flavoured drinks and tonic to mix.

Alongside the 100 artisan gins to sample with the card system, there will be seven stalls from bigger brands like Sipsmith, Copperhead and JJ Whitley.

There will also be live music, talks and cocktail-mixing demonstrations.

The news of Oxford’s first gin festival comes just months after the announcement that the city is set to get its first gin distillery later this year.

Entrepreneur Tom Nicolson won planning permission before Christmas to convert a former Oxford City Council depot next to Cheney School, Headington, into a gin, vodka and whisky factory called The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD).

Mr Nicolson commented: “How wonderful – Oxford gets its first distillery in the spring and, hot on its heels, its first ever festival dedicated to gin in the Autumn.

“Looking forward to seeing you all there.”