Bombay Sapphire Distillery

My friend was given two tickets to visit the historic distillery at Laverstoke Mill for his birthday. I was the lucky person he chose to take and i was very grateful!

If you enjoy history and love Gin, then this is an experience for you!

The site itself has over 1000 years worth of history! Before it became a Gin distillery it was a paper mill for 300 years! Laverstoke mill has also been recorded in the Doomsday book as being a corn mill.

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as we arrived and went to book in we was welcomed by a lovely member of staff who gave us a booklet. In the booklet provided was a map, a chip (so we could hover it over certain points to listen to the tour) and a page full of flavours (so you can mark the scents you like for a cocktail)

Will listening to the tour/information. 

when you came across a point like this, you would tap it with your chip so you could listen to the provided information

You also get a lovely tour from one of the very well educated members of staff who know everything there is to know about the Gin distillery. I have to admit when they was talking about the history of Gin and said it used to be a poor person drink a few century's ago, I immediately thought of the scene from the 1968 musical Oliver, where fagin says " shut up and drink ya Gin"

This is the conservatory, what is a very fascinating site indeed! packed full of beautiful botanical plants that are steam fed

After you have learnt the history and facts, taken a few selfies and sampled the extraordinary botanical scents, its time for that relaxing cocktail experience!

So as i previously mentioned, you get to sample scents. You are probably wondering what i am going on about, as its a Gin factory not a perfume shop....

You can go into the botanical room and sample scents that you like. The ones you like the most will tell you what cocktail to have. There are citrus scents, floral scents, woody scents and so on. In your booklet you are supplied with at the start, there is a page with all the different scents/flavours that you get to sample. The ones you like you mark off.

You go into the mill bar and hand your card over to a member of the bar staff and they will recommend what type of cocktail you will enjoy from the scents you liked.

We was told we would enjoy the "laverstoke" cocktail, and believe me we very much enjoyed them!
it was really hot the day we went to visit ad the ginger in the cocktail defo helped us to cool off!

Tickets cost:

• Adults - £15
• child under 5 - FREE
• child age 6-17 - £10
• concession - £13.50

for the price you get to explore around by your self with an interactive map, a look at part of the factory  with a great guide who will tell you the history and some great facts and a complimentary drink in the Mill bar.

me and my friend really enjoyed the day! I do have a video to follow what i will post on my youtube vlog channel under the name "yo sammy vlogs"

for more information check out their website - bombay sapphire distillery