There’s no denying that 2016 has been seriously shoddy – and, with Donald Trump’s orange face looming heavily in our futures, it seems as if 2017 won’t be all that much better.

One side effect of all this misery, however, is a huge surge in the nation’s appreciation for gin.

From gin baubles to gin hot chocolates, Brits have turned to mother’s ruin as means of helping them get through the ruin that is this year - but it’s expensive, isn’t it? Paying out for gin ain’t cheap.

Which is why we’re stoked to hear that we still have a chance at becoming ILoveGin ’s new gintern – aka our dream job.

Read more: The amazing health benefits of gin, revealed

Earlier this year, we reported that the drinks company were looking to pay a lucky gin lover £20,000 a year to travel around Europe and track down to a whole new world of tongue-titillating gins, tonics and tinctures.

However, due to the sheer number of applications they received, ILoveGin have yet to fill the vacancy.

Speaking to The Bristol Post, they said: “We were so overwhelmed with demand, over 4,000 applicants, that we couldn't work through them all before Christmas.

“We're looking to re-start the process and hire someone in early 2017.”

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Describing their dream applicant, they said: “We're looking for an enthusiastic gin-loving intern - 'Gintern' as we like to call it - who will be happy to spend their days trying new gins, new mixers, finding new brands to work with, visiting distilleries, pairing gins and ‘ginspiring’ us with their new-found knowledge.”

On top of all the free booze, the lucky gintern will also “get to travel around the UK and parts of Europe discovering new gins to work with and, of course, sampling them." 

Read more: 14 signs that gin is your one true love

If you’re intrigued by the part-time position (just two days a week), ILoveGin is also offering you the opportunity to set your own hours – and will even allow you to work from home, if that’s what you’d prefer.

You can also expect plenty of goodies delivered straight to your doorstep every month, and, if you prove to be a ginspirational employee, they may even offer you a full-time position.

However there are, of course, a few rules.

• All applicants must:
• Be over 18 years of age
• Live in the UK
• Hold a driving licence
• Love gin (duh!)
• Know a good G&T when they taste one

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If you fancy swapping in your daily 9-to-5 for something a little more extraordinary (and gin-fuelled), you can still apply for the role here.

Fair warning, however: we’ll also be putting ourselves forward for the role – and we’re more than willing to get Machiavelli-gin about it, too. So, if you’re our competition, prepare for us to become even colder than a perfectly chilled G&T.

Good luck...