MORE than 20,000 people have visited the new Bombay Sapphire Distillery since it opened in October last year.

The Laverstoke attraction offers visitors the chance to discover how the gin is made and the history behind it.

During my visit I went behind the scenes at the distillery on a personal tour with master distiller Nik Fordham, and found out about the origins of gin from senior ambassador Sam Carter.

The day started at 11am, too early for gin drinking, so Sam made us a non-alcoholic cocktail with elderflower and ginger, designed to awaken our senses.

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Our group of eight were gathered in the upstairs bar area, where hundreds of blue bottles of Bombay Sapphire neatly lined the walls - aesthetically pleasing for those with OCD tendencies, such as my colleague Jessica who was accompanying me!

We were shown the new Star of Bombay gin, which had only been launched the week before our visit, and isn't yet in the shops.

Sam then explained the history behind gin in an hour-long talk, which was both informative and entertaining.

It was interesting to discover that, contrary to popular belief, gin is not a depressant because it is a white spirit which is tasted at the front of the mouth, giving your mood a temporary uplift.

Dark spirits, such as rum, are tasted at the back of the mouth and make the body more lethargic and relaxed.

We heard about the Gin Craze of the 1700s when the consumption of gin increased considerably in Great Britain because it was the cheapest, and safest, thing to drink - cheaper than a pint of beer.

But this led to carnage, particularly in the capital, as people over-consumed and drunk mothers were unable to look after their children.

The government then introduced various acts to improve the situation and control the consumption of gin.

It was in 1761 that Thomas Dakin launched Bombay Sapphire.

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We heard more about the story of the brand, and how the distillery in Laverstoke came about.

Bacardi, which owns Bombay Sapphire, began the search for a site following a fire at the distillery in Warrington.

Various locations were considered, including Kew Gardens and Battersea Power Station, but it was John Burke, who works for the company and lives in Overton, who discovered the mill site.

Following the talk we set off with Nik for a three-hour tour of the distillery.

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Nik is incredibly passionate about his work, and was keen to share with us his in-depth knowledge of gin and how it is made.

Some of the scientific bits may have gone over our heads, but it was fascinating to learn more about the various botanicals that are used to make Bombay Sapphire, and the meticulous process that ensures every bottle which hits shelves is up to standard.

A team of 10 local people were employed to test the gin in the distillery, chosen for their personalities rather than experience.

"You can't teach the care that's needed to make gin," explained Nik, "Every single distillation has to be done with care and attention."

We tasted, touched and smelled the botanicals used in the gin - which is also enjoyed by those on the self-discovery experience - before being shown behind the scenes to see how the ingredients are prepared, layered up in baskets to be used in the stills.

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At around 3pm we headed back to the bar for a cocktail making class.

Having been on our feet for three hours, we welcomed the chance to sit down and enjoy some much-needed refreshments, including a selection of delicious canapes.

Sam showed us how to make a Laverstoke, which includes Bombay Sapphire original and elderflower cordial, with fresh ginger and mint. We had great fun trying to copy his trick of pouring the fizzy mixer down the length of a metal spoon!

The cocktail was very refreshing and, despite having two shots of spirit, didn't taste very alcoholic, making it easy to drink.

We also sampled some rhubarb gin that Sam had made, along with the different varieties of Bombay Sapphire.

Drinking the gin was a completely new experience having learnt about what goes into it, and we appreciated the flavours, recognising some that we had tasted in their original form a few hours earlier.

We left with a new appreciation of Bombay Sapphire and some interesting facts to share with others, along with the feeling of being slightly merry.

But we were happy in the knowledge that we were unlikely to suffer from a hangover the next day - because gin is so natural and clean, there are less impurities to give you a sore head!