Bombay Sapphire Distillery Tour & Gin & Tonic near Winchester

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.61 (737 reviews) 75% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/20

Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 4

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Make Your Own Gin & Tonic, Then Learn How Bombay Sapphire Actually Gets Made

You make your own gin & tonic at the start, then spend 90 minutes with a distillery host exploring the ten botanicals in the glasshouses, learning your flavor preferences in the Botanical Room, and discovering the vapor infusion process that makes Bombay Sapphire distinct. The tour wraps in the afternoon, and you leave understanding the gin from the inside out.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Bombay Sapphire Distillery tour and tasting

Make gin & tonic at Turbine Bar
Watch Bombay Sapphire cinema room
Explore distillery with guide
Discover botanicals in Glasshouses
Experience Botanical Room sensory tour
Learn vapour infusion distillation process

The Experience

The Turbine Bar is where most people start, and the first thing you notice is that you're not being handed a drink — you're making one. The self-serve gin dispensers sit there waiting, and your guide walks you through it: pick your Bombay Sapphire expression, pour it over ice, add tonic, and that's your complimentary gin & tonic before the tour even begins. It's a small thing, but it shifts something. You're not a spectator yet; you're already part of the process.

After the bar, you head into the Cinema Room to get your head around what Bombay Sapphire actually is — the brand, the history, the whole thing — before moving into the real tour. Your distillery host takes you through the Botanical Glasshouses, where the ten exotic botanicals that go into every bottle are growing right there in front of you. The glasshouses were designed by Heatherwick Studios, and it shows; the space doesn't feel like a factory tour. Then comes the Botanical Room, which is less a room and more a sensory setup where you start to understand your own flavor preferences — what you're drawn to, what makes sense to your palate. Your host helps you navigate it, pointing out how each botanical contributes to the final gin.

The rare vapour infusion distillation process is the thing that actually sets Bombay Sapphire apart from other gins, and that's where the tour gets technical. Your host explains how the botanicals are infused using vapor rather than being steeped in the spirit — it's a slower, more delicate method that preserves the subtle flavors. You see the equipment, understand the logic behind it, and by the end of the 90 minutes you've moved from making your own drink to understanding why Bombay Sapphire tastes the way it does. The distillery is at Laverstoke Mill near Winchester, and the whole experience is wheelchair accessible; there's a small amount of walking involved and some uneven surfaces, so closed-toe shoes are required. The venue is cashless, so bring a card or use contactless payment.

What’s included

Your experience includes a complimentary Bombay Sapphire and tonic (or non-alcoholic alternative) made at the Turbine Bar, entry to the distillery, a 90-minute hosted tour through the Botanical Glasshouses and Botanical Room, and an explanation of the rare vapour infusion distillation process used to make Bombay Sapphire gin.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by The Bombay Sapphire Distillery

Is this one for you?This tour suits anyone who wants to understand gin beyond the taste — you'll see where the botanicals grow, learn how they're infused, and make your own drink before the guide even starts talking, which takes the mystery out of the whole thing.