Valencia gin bar enters Guinness Book of Records for stocking over 500 varieties

The Doce Gin Club ('Twelve Gin Club') in the Cánovas area of the city started off with 112 varieties, then grew to 212 and, by the time it reached 450, had earned its world record.

Now, the bar has 518 varieties, but needs to reach 612 to continue with its 'Doce' or 'Twelve' tradition, says owner Jorge Bataller.

Some of these are extremely rare, others come from unlikely corners of the world, whilst some were created in bathtubs, some at temperatures of double figures below zero, and one is even made with flecks of 24-carat gold.

Barista Javier Borja, who has been preparing cocktails for over 40 years, says there are basically four main families of gin – aromatic ones, made with laurel berries, dry ones, distilled ones, and London Dry Gin which 'appeals to fans of classic gin and tonic'.

But within those four families is a massive range of flavours and blends which means gin and tonic cocktails are 'not just a drink, but a multitude of drinks in one', Borja reveals.

The bar's range includes limited edition Bombay Sapphire and Beefeater which are no longer manufactured, plus the Castellón-made Ginself, made with tiger nuts – the main ingredient in the sweet, milky drink typical of Valencia, horchata, and the Spirit of Hven, which is the only gin on the menu in the Danish Noma Restaurant, considered the world's best eatery in 2014.

Borja says gin and tonic mixers should be made by pouring the gin from a height so as to trap oxygen, and the tonic poured over a spoon to prevent the bubbles from bursting.

The mix is normally 5cc of gin and 20cc of tonic or, when making up different sizes of drink, four parts tonic to one part gin, Borja reveals.

A typical gin-and-tonic mixer at the Doce Gin Club costs €8, although some are more expensive where they are unique blends – particularly the one made with flakes of 24-carat gold.