SUPPLIERS, investors, gin-lovers and families turned out to celebrate The Oxford Artisan Distillery's first birthday.

The event on Saturday at TOAD, as it's known, featured live music, food stalls, cocktail masterclasses, tastings, an array of children’s activities and, of course, a gin bar.

Visitors could take a look at the city's first legal gin distillery, tucked away next to Oxford's South Parks, including its two handmade, purpose built stills, Nautilus (2,200 litre) and Nemo (500 litre), which were built by Paul Pridham from South Devon Railway who was there to talk about his creations.

Oxford Mail:

The day also included the launch of the company's latest spirit – master distiller Cory Mason led guests through a special tasting of TOAD’s bright green Artemisia Absinthium, a super-premium absinthe of 70 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) making it 140 per cent proof. Just 44 bottles were made in the first batch and they retail for £75 each.

Mr Mason, an American, who began his distilling career making "bootleg ansinthe" in his Brooklyn apartment's bathroom, went on to take a Master’s Degree at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling in Edinburgh.

Oxford Mail:

He said: "It took over 15 years to fine tune and is a culmination of the journey that has led to TOAD. As a rare grain to glass distiller, TOAD gives me the opportunity to influence and quality-control every single step of production – right from the planting of grain through to bottling the spirit."