What does it look like in the first gin distillery in Prague?

Do you feel like you can find absolutely everything in our capital city? Yet, Prague has only recently had its own gin distillery! You can conveniently find this stylish establishment in Holešovice – a district with a distinctive industrial atmosphere. The minimalist industrial interior of the distillery comes from the "workshop" of mars.architects.

A bold project by three enthusiasts named Garage22 proudly acknowledges its roots: it points to the true beginnings of today's successful project, which started in a garage as the production of tonic syrup made from quality natural ingredients. And since gin is inseparably linked to tonic, the idea to establish a distillery did not take long to materialize.

The temple celebrating quality gin can be found in the Vnitroblock of Holešovice. The inspiring space with an industrial genius loci was entrusted to architect Martin Šenberger by the investors, who had previously worked with him on the interior designs of two of their restaurants. And because "you don't change a winning team," the investors once again approached the architectural studio mars.architects.

The resulting interior design leaves no doubt about where you have just found yourself. The centerpiece of the entire space is the distillation equipment itself. This impressive machine made of polished copper was custom-made for the Prague distillery. The walls are "adorned" with endless rows of shelves filled with jars. "In these jars, you will find various herbs and natural additives that give the different types of gin their specific color, taste, or aroma: hops, cranberries, rose petals, and much more," explains one of the distillery owners, Mr. Matouš Ballík. A truly large table surrounded by chairs and a sofa with armchairs is also present: here, one can either ponder over new types of gin or simply taste them!

The raw look of the interior, characterized by exposed red bricks complemented by wooden framing, is cleverly enhanced by selected accessories: lighting, wall clocks, and retro rotary switches from the berker series 1930 in black bakelite, supplied by the design store Monobrand. "I am pleased that the architect decided to use our exclusive switches from the berker 1930 series," smiles Thomas Grund, director of Hager Electro, whose portfolio includes berker switches. "Although the founders of the distillery did not want to invest too much in the space due to the limited duration of the contract, I am convinced that their decision to treat themselves to beautiful switches crowned the otherwise minimalist interior and gave it a touch of nobility. And when they find premises where they want to settle permanently, our berker switches from the 1930 series in the version of real porcelain from Rosenthal or glass berker series glas – gems that you can find, for example, in the Tugendhat villa – will seem even more luxurious," adds Thomas Grund.

The overall impression of the distillery is a clever fusion of old and new: on one side, there are striking switches and custom-made shelves or a long table, while on the other side, there are TON chairs and an antique sofa or ceiling lighting that one of the owners literally rescued from being thrown into a dumpster. The space may be simple, but it perfectly fulfills its purpose. "The concept of Garage22, with its effort to do things in smaller quantities but with integrity, perfectly resonates with the philosophy of our global yet still family-owned company Hager. Especially regarding the design of switches, we advocate the motto that less is more. I am glad that more and more people are willing to indulge in smaller quantities of higher-quality items, whether it be home accessories or gin. I can only wish the first gin distillery in Prague many successful years and satisfied customers," concludes Thomas Grund.

You can find more information on the websites:
- hager.cz/vypinac
- monobrand.cz
- garage22.cz