This post has all you need to know for making botanical gin. Interested in seasonally flavored gins? Scroll down to the recipes to get started handcrafting your spirits!
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What is gin?
Gin is neutral alcoholic spirits infused with juniper and other botanic extracts. It can either be spirits distilled from a specific mash blend or created by steeping botanicals in a vodka base. Juniper must always be the primary flavor of the resulting spirit.
Composition | Juniper and Botanical Gin
Gin, the word, is derived from the Dutch word for juniper, jenever.
That’s because the qualifying determinant of a spirit being called gin is the presence of juniper to the nose and on the tongue. The full flavor of the juniper berry must be present. There are many juniper varieties, and the different berries can have a marked impact on the taste of the resulting gin.
Juniper is a pretty rugged shrub found in many regions of the world. It is an evergreen that produces its defining berry. While the fresh-picked berry has more flavor and essential oils, most gins are made with dried berries.
The flavor is a very distinct earthy-pine.
Juniper has long been held as a medicinal botanical. The Romans used it for stomach ailments, and juniper berries were found in the tombs of the Great Pharaohs. The Greeks used juniper berries as a purifier, administering it to athletes before the Olympics.
Juniper Resources
To learn more about the horticultural and medicinal facts of juniper and its berries, I recommend these resources:
An overview of juniper berries from Richard Whelan, a medicinal herbalist.
Juniper defines Gin. An indepth look at the spirit's core botanical
Gin Foundry goes deep on the facts about the juniper plant and its berries.
I source my juniper berries from the much trusted Mountain Rose Herbs. Here's their profile of the berry.
History of gin
The first recording of the spirit we call gin was first documented by the English during the 100 Years War. Simon Ford of Food Republic explains:
The English actually discovered gin when they were fighting the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century in Holland and saw Dutch soldiers drinking Jenever to boost morale before heading into battle. The term “Dutch Courage” was born, and the English brought the idea of making and drinking gin back with them. It would take another 150 years before they would have their own version.
~ Simon Ford, Food Repblic
Distillation vs Infused Vodkas
Today, there is a variety known as London Dry Gin. This gin can be made anywhere in the world. The name is associated with a particular distilling method.
Distilled Gins
London Dry Gin is a distilled gin. This means that the juniper and botanicals are distilled once, with no artificial flavors. Then no other ingredients may be added except for a legally defined and minimal amount of sugar.
The term “London Dry” is a quality designation. For a gin to be called London Dry Gin, the base spirit must be distilled to a completely neutral spirit of 96% ABV, must add all flavors through distillation in presence of “natural plant materials,” and can have nothing added after distillation save water and a trivial quantity of sugar.
The Gin is In
Redistilled Gins
This method first creates grain alcohol from a mash blend, and then the alcohol is placed back in the still with the juniper berries and other botanicals for 24-48 hours. The mixture is then distilled and watered down to a bottling quality of 80 proof.
Compounded Gins
We will be making compounded gins in the seasonal recipes below.
This is when a base spirit like vodka is used to extract the flavors of juniper and other botanicals for a 24-48 hours period. Then, the liquid is poured off and bottled for use in cocktails.
Curious about these methods of making gin products? Flaviar has this excellent breakdown of the processes for you!
Soaking Botanicals in your Spirits
Vodka is the most popular spirit for compounded gin because it is created to have no flavor of its own. This purity makes it is the perfect base for handcrafted gins that highlight well-selected botanicals.
So, making botanical gins that are seasonally flavored begins with a 740 ml bottle of vodka. Any $20 +/- bottle will do. I tend toward Sky and Tito’s when handcrafting cordials and gins.
After the Juniper, then what?
Pour your vodka into a 2-quart mason jar and add 2-3 tablespoons of juniper berries.
You can then play around with flavor profiles based on what’s at hand and how the gin will be used.
Popular flavor profiles include the following botanicals:
- Angelica Root
- Black Pepper Corns
- Cardamom Pods
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Citrus Zest (lemon or orange)
- Coriander Seed
- Dried Florals (lavender, rose, chamomile)
- Fruits and Vegetables (rhubarb or cucumber)
When creating your gin recipes, remember that a little goes a long way with these ingredients. If the flavor is too strong, cut the gin with a little vodka before bottling to get the flavor where you want it.
Gins are made for cocktails, not for sipping. So, it’s ok for the flavor to be strong enough to hold up to a mixer.
Recipes for Seasonally Flavored Gin
As we mentioned, gins are for making cocktails!
Here are 4 recipes, one for each season, that will provide the perfect base for cocktails made with seasonally flavored syrups, teas, and sodas.
Winter
Winter is perfect for evergreen and fir flavors! We” forage them and add them to some fresh rosemary for this winter gin recipe.
You’ll need:
- 750 ml vodka
- 3 tablespoons of juniper berries
- 3-5 inch sprig of white pine
- 3-5 inch spring of fresh rosemary
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1 allspice berry
- 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 5 black peppercorns
- Zest from 1/2 a lemon
- Zest from 1/2 an orange
- 2-quart mason jar with lid
- Hand strainer and cheesecloth
Place ingredients in a 2-quart mason jar, cover, shake or stir. Let sit for 24-48 hours and strain the liquid from the other ingredients. Bottle up! It’s ready for your soon-to-be favorite winter cocktails!
Spring
Rhubarb is one of the first plants to emerge in the spring kitchen garden. It gives this gin a lovely pink hue that sings the praises of spring and makes a lovely brunch cocktail.
You will need:
- 750 ml vodka
- 3 tbsp juniper berries
- 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
- Zest from 1/2 grapefruit
- Zest a small portion of orange and lemon
- 1 cardamom pods
- 1, 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 1.2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp fennel
- 1 tsp angelica root
Place ingredients in a 2-quart mason jar, cover, shake or stir. Let sit for 24-48 hours and strain the liquid from the other ingredients. Bottle up! It’s ready for your soon-to-be favorite spring cocktails!
Summer
This floral gin brings all the summer sunshine right into your garden party cocktails!
You’ll need:
- 750 ml vodka
- 3 tbsp juniper berries
- 2 tsp dried culinary lavender
- 2 tsp dried rose petals
- 2 tsp dried chamomile
Place ingredients in a 2-quart mason jar, cover, shake or stir. Let sit for 24-48 hours and strain the liquid from the other ingredients. Bottle up! It’s ready for your soon-to-be favorite summer cocktails!
Autumn
This autumn flavored gin recipe relies on all the richness of the warming spices.
You’ll need:
- 750 ml vodka
- 3 tbsp juniper berries
- Zest from 1 orange
- 1, 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 clove
- 1/2 tsp coriander seed
- 1 tsp angelica root
Place ingredients in a 2-quart mason jar, cover, shake or stir. Let sit for 24-48 hours and strain the liquid from the other ingredients. Bottle up! It’s ready for your soon-to-be favorite summer cocktails!
Handcrafted Botanical Gin Cocktails
Gin Cocktails
Some spirits are made for sipping, think your best bourbons, tequilas, even vodkas...but gin is made for cocktails! Here is a collection of my favorite gin cocktail recipes. Be sure to match them with the best seasonal gins from your collection to highlight the flavors of the various botanicals.
Bottoms Up Killer!: A Winter Gin Gimlet with fresh lime and rosemary — Recipe Fiction
Lime will highlight the pine flavors in your winter gin.
She had me with the charred orange slices as garnish. For the gin, use half your concoction and 1/2 the smoked gin.
Mmmmm, sage...
Strawberry basil gin cocktail! Can't think of a better match for rhubarb gin.
With a rhubarb garnish, no less!
I knew I'd find a way to get ginger in the mix!
An amazing collection of floral gin cocktails!
Nothing says autumn like apples!
Fig simple syrup? Yes, please!
- What is gin?
Gin is neutral alcoholic spirits infused with juniper and other botanic extracts.
- Is it difficult to make your own gin?
All you need is 750 ml of vodka, 3 tablespoons of juniper berries, any other botanicals you desire, and 24-hours to handcraft your own botanical gin.
Make Limoncello, too!
Do you like handcrafting cocktails like making botanical gin? Me too!
This recipe for limoncello will take you 3 ingredients, 30 minutes upfront time, a 4-week wait, and endless hours of enjoyment! Check it out at the link below.
Handcrafted Limoncello | A Perfect Holiday Cordial
The Seasonal Living Framework
If you like thinking this way about your lifestyle choices, I invite you to explore the Seasonal Living Framework. It’s built upon four pillars: gardening, cooking, personal wellness, and activism.
I’ve created a workbook and email sequence to help you explore the Seasonal Living Framework and you can get them for free at this link, or by clicking the image below.
There’s a party happening and we’re waiting for you to arrive!
A bunch of us meet every day in the Create Your Seasonal Life Facebook Group and over on Instagram!
We also gather over email once a week to focus on one specific garden, kitchen, or wellness topic in-depth, with lots of step-by-step how-to’s. The best way to jump into the email conversation is with the Seasonal Living Workbook, you can download it here and explore the seasonal living framework with an email course!
So much love and free information in one place, but it’s not the same without YOU!
WANT TO REMEMBER THIS? SAVE THE SEASONAL GIN RECIPES TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
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