As a former professional racing driver for over 25 years I’ve been very fortunate to have enjoyed a career in an exciting industry, however this has tended to go hand in hand with some fast-living.

As I’ve got older I decided I wanted to make some healthier lifestyle choices, one of which was to give up alcohol. I decided two years ago to give it up altogether as – like many others – I really wanted to be fitter and healthier in general, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve lost lots of weight and feel really good about myself.

The whole idea to develop a non-alcoholic spirit came about after discovering one of the major drawbacks of going teetotal is the distinct lack of decent drink alternatives for grown-ups.

Particularly at social occasions, you really want something to sip that’s not overly sweet and sickly, and also tastes good. There’s only so many sugary fizzy drinks one can drink!

I really wanted something a little more sophisticated and refreshing, but also something more discreet than the alcohol-free drinks sold in bars, to help avoid the frustrating peer pressure to drink.

After reading statistics about the rise of people quitting or cutting down on alcohol - particularly amongst millennials (a UK survey released in 2017 stated more than a quarter of 16- to 24-year olds do not drink) I knew there was demand in the market.

I’ve always enjoyed a good gin and tonic and so the idea was born to develop a drink with the ingredients and flavour of a traditional gin, minus the alcohol. It’s been really exciting working with our distillery in London and we’re proud of The Driver’s Tipple flavour profile after undertaking many trials and tests to get it just right.

The recipe is of a classic London Dry gin distilled with water rather than alcohol, with botanicals including juniper combined with ginger, angelica, cardamom, grapefruit and coriander. The prominent notes of juniper really work with the addition of tonic and served with ice and a slice. You wouldn’t believe how similar it is to a Gin & Tonic!

I really wanted our bottles to stand out from the surge of craft gin producers and for my own personality to come through. The name ‘Driver’s Tipple’ makes it immediately clear who this is aimed at.

I moved to Woodstock from London about 10 years ago and consider myself an adopted local now, so we launched at the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance at Blenheim Palace in August, and Driver’s Tipple drink has gone down a storm since.

It’s tough launching a new business, particularly in today’s economy, so my advice is to be as resourceful as you can, be creative, be online and focus on social media. There’s been such a buzz since we launched.

Taste The Driver’s Tipple at Blenheim Palace Christmas Fair in November. thedriverstipple.com