I think we could safely say I like gin. Possibly a little too much – especially given my birthday present to myself involved a pair of earrings made from miniature Bombay Sapphire bottle.
I’m not obsessed. Honest.
But I am big geek and I love nothing more than learning about the process of making gin, about what goes into it, about how it’s done and if there’s a still for me to ogle…. Well, I’m going to ogle it.
Which meant when I got an email about Bombay Sapphire’s latest venture, I got a little bit excited.
And before you query, no, this is not a sponsored post. I just got giddy and wanted to share.
Bombay Sapphire is opening the doors to its gin distillery and brand home, Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire on 1 October 2014.
Oh yes. Gin geekery.
The Mill dates back to the 10th century and has been completely renovated and repurposed, from it’s historical use as a paper mill, producing the paper used in bank notes for both India and the British Empire to housing a state-of-the-art premium gin distillery, that’s already received recognition for it’s distillery process buildings.
Visitors will be able to take in the history of both the Mill and Bombay Sapphire, and the centrepiece of the site, inspired by Britain’s rich heritage of Victorian glasshouse structures, is two intertwining Botanical Glasshouses – one tropical, one temperate – specifically designed to showcase examples of the 10 hand-selected botanicals from around the world, used in every bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin.
You’re understanding my giddyness a little bit more now, right?
Between wandering through the Botanical Glasshouses and the Botanical Dry Room (I’m imagining the scents now), and seeing the historical Dakin Stills in the flesh (should that be metal?), it’s a real gin lovers paradise and you can end your gin journey in style in the Mill Bar.
Even better, for those serious about their gin, there’s also the Empire Room, a new advocacy and training centre. Specifically tailored brand education master classes will be hosted for trade and media guests from all over the world – making it a global destination for bartenders, manager, hoteliers, managers and restauranteurs.
If, like me, you want to book your tickets, they’ll be available from 20 August on the Bombay Sapphire website.
See you in the online queue?
Um early Xmas present for Mr W…. SORTED! Just gotta hope the car passes its MOT in a couple of weeks!
Wow, sounds amazing! I look forward to your report… A few gin distilleries in Edinburgh are opening their doors too, but not like this! At Edinburgh Gin you can even make your own bespoke gin… I live in an old Papermill, so can imagine how fantastic it’d be as a gin place – heck, who am I kidding, my place is stacked full of gin! Have fun!