WATCH: 'Cheers to England' - Portsmouth Distillery raises a glass of gin to celebrate upcoming Euros

Name a better combination than the Euros 2024, food and drink... I’ll wait.

As the Euros quickly approaches we have decided to take a tour of some local food and drink venues that represent countries gearing up for the start of the 2024 football competition, which commences from Friday, June 14.

Our first stop is the Portsmouth Distillery. Nestled in Fort Cumberland, the distillery’s location is seeped in rich Portsmouth history, making a visit mind-blowingly unique. Vince Noyce, owner of the distillery, took us on an eye-opening tour of the distillery and showed us the ins and outs of producing spirits, in particular gin.

England as a nation is wild for gin - whether it’s a traditionally dry gin or a botanical artisan gin, us brits tend to pour a glass or two. Despite its origin being in Holland, England adopted the tipple as its own during the ‘gin craze’ between 1695 and 1735 - and in recent years, it has once again been propelled into the industry. With an endless list of gin brands and flavours, the spirit is definitely one that England treasures - and with that in mind, we learnt about the production of local gin at an independent business.

The team at Portsmouth Distillery have a passion to create gin with a quality and taste that is unmatched - and Portsmouth is always kept at the heart of the business. Vince showed us around the distillery, highlighting each step of the manufacturing process and, as a novice and keen gin drinker, I was in awe. I stepped into a room that magpies would call heaven as the shiny distillation chamber sat predominantly around the edges of the room - and it was here that I learnt about the process of creating the popular spirits that people across Portsmouth, and the country, tuck into.

From the Fort Gin, which is also known as Portsmouth Gin, to the Tudor Gin which is pays homage to the Mary Rose and the Cherry Tudor ‘Pink Gin, the distillery is known for its collection of tasty spirits. After learning about the production, the bottling and the process of creating the unique flavours, I got to try some of the Fort Gin - and I was extremely impressed. As someone who loves citrus flavoured gins, the Fort Gin was slightly outside of my usual choice - but I gave it a sip (without any mixers) and it was perfect. Smooth yet crisp with a hint of lemon, it definitely surprised me and I would rate it a solid 10 out of 10.

We raised a glass to England in the upcoming Euros and Vince cast his vote that the team will perform well this year and he is keeping his fingers crossed for a good outcome.

The distillery also prides itself on its rum and it is going to be launching Britain’s first five-year-aged rum on Friday, June 14 with a party at the Fort. If you are interested in visiting the distillery for a tour or an event, click here.