This gin school is the perfect activity for a hen party

Welcome to The Bride Files - covering all things related to weddings as Laura prepares for her big day.

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Last week we told you about the Listoke Gin School, nestled away in the countryside outside Drogheda, Co. Louth. Listoke is the former home of Lt. Colonel Battersby, and now offers evening and day time gin making classes in their brewery. You get to create your very own bottle of gin with whatever flavours you want and also sip on some of the Listoke 1777 gin. I already have my hen party booked, my trusty bridesmaids have got that covered, but if I were to go on another hen or organise it for someone I wouldn't look further than Listoke. From the moment we arrived they could not have been more accommodating. The setup of the gin school means that you can only have 12 people at one time so it's very intimate. This activity isn't limited to gin drinkers alone. Granted it does bode well if you fancy a G&T every now and then, but the class offers more than just drinking gin. You learn about the history of Listoke, how to make gin, taste some unbelievable pizzas and come away with a unique bottle of gin. For the class, you are all assigned to a work station with your very own mini brewery. Before you choose the flavours for your gin you learn about the ingredients that go into gin. It might just be me, but I was surprised to learn that coriander is one of the core ingredients in a bottle of gin. The other three are juniper, angelica and a small bit of orris root. After those four, you can add in whatever you like. I prefer a sweet type of gin so for my gin I added vanilla, rose, honeysuckle, orange and lemon rind and cubebs. Some of the other more unusual ingredients include black pepper, jasmine, star of anise, ginger, salt and many other herbs and seeds. Once we had selected the ingredients we popped them all in the mini brewery and let it work its magic. While we waited they served the most delicious homemade pizzas from a wood-fired oven, made with the freshest of ingredients. For dessert, they made custard tarts which were divine. Every now and then we were invited to sample our gin as it dropped into our collecting jar. The first few sips would blow your head off but it's good to try it in its purest form. Roughly 30 mins later our gins were ready to be mixed with purified water. They were then poured into our bottles and sealed. The whole class costs €95 per person but the price goes down to €90 if there are more people booking. It's within easy reach of Dublin City, taking just 45 mins to get to. There are b&bs nearby if you don't want a designated driver. I genuinely couldn't recommend Listoke highly enough.

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