A gin of ten journeys, Bombay Sapphire is distilled from a recipe of ten botanicals: juniper berries, orris root, almond, lemon peel, liquorice, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise.
The botanicals are sourced from across the globe – almonds and lemons from Spain, liquorice from China, juniper berries and orris root from Italy, Angelica from Germany, coriander from Morocco, cassia and cubeb from Indonesia, and grains of paradise from Ghana. They come together along the banks of the crystal clear River Test at the historic Laverstoke Mill amid the green and lilting countryside of Hampshire.
I’ve teamed up with Bombay Sapphire for my own tasty little journey, which commenced with a visit to the distillery, which is less than two hours away from London. I took the train from Waterloo to Basingstoke and then a quick cab ride out to the distillery. In addition to the chance to learn about how Bombay Sapphire is made and what sets it apart from other gins, the distillery is a great place to grab a bite and enjoy a cocktail (of course) in a really beautiful setting.
Indeed, I reckon the distillery is worth a visit for the chance to see designer Thomas Heatherwick’s glass houses. These curvy and gently jutting structures housing live plants representing Bombay Sapphire’s botanicals were only built in 2014 but became instantly iconic when revealed to the public.
But, as I alluded above, my time at the distillery was just the start of things for me. Next stop on my Gin of Ten Journeys adventure? My own home bar and kitchen. Keep an eye out for more posts coming soon.
The Bombay Sapphire distillery is located at Laverstoke Mill, London Road, Whitchurch, RG28 7NR. Find out more at distillery.bombaysapphire.com.
