Gin Recipe

Toast and prepare spices

Lightly toast the juniper berries, coriander seeds, cardamom pods and grains of paradise in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Let cool and gently crush the juniper, coriander and cardamom with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon to expose oils.

Prepare citrus

Use a vegetable peeler or small knife to remove just the colored zest from the lemon and orange, avoiding the bitter white pith. Cut the peels into thin strips (approx. 6 g each).

Measure and combine botanicals

Place the cooled, crushed spices and toasted juniper together with angelica root, orris root, cassia/cinnamon pieces and any optional floral/herbal ingredients into a clean glass jar or stainless steel container with a tight-fitting lid.

Add base spirit

Pour 700 ml of neutral grain spirit or high-proof vodka over the botanicals so they are fully submerged. Seal the jar tightly.

Macerate

Leave the jar at room temperature (18–22°C) for 24–48 hours, shaking gently twice daily. Taste after 24 hours: juniper and citrus should be present but not overpowering. If you want a heavier juniper character, macerate up to 48 hours. Avoid over-maceration of citrus (becomes bitter) and delicate florals (become dominant quickly).

Cold infusion with water (optional gentle extraction)

After maceration, add 200 ml room-temperature water to the jar and stir or shake gently. This helps extract heavier root and resinous notes. Let steep an additional 6–12 hours, tasting periodically. Do not exceed 24 hours for this step.

Strain solids

Strain the spirit through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean container. Press lightly on solids to recover spirit but avoid squeezing too hard (which can extract harsh tannins). Repeat filtration until the liquid is clear.

Taste and adjust

Taste the filtered spirit. If the gin tastes too strong or high-proof, proceed to dilution. If certain notes are lacking, you can perform a short botanical vapor infusion (see optional) or adjust with small fresh zest or a tiny additional maceration (no more than 6–12 hours).

Initial dilution

Combine the strained infused spirit with up to 200 ml filtered water to lower proof toward your target bottling strength. Aim for 40–45% ABV (by volume): roughly, mixing the 700 ml of 96% spirit infused will be reduced by adding water — final ABV calculation depends on your starting spirit. Start by adding 200 ml filtered water, stir and rest 30 minutes, then taste.

Rest and marry

After dilution, let the gin rest in a sealed container for 24–48 hours at room temperature to let flavors marry and any sediment settle. If sediment appears, filter again through coffee filter.

Bottle

Transfer the finished gin into clean bottles using a funnel. Label with date and variety. Refrigeration is not required; store in a cool, dark place. Gin will improve slightly with a week of resting but is drinkable immediately.

If you have a small still or vapor basket: place fresh citrus peels and delicate herbs in the vapor basket and run the spirit through a single pass steam or vapor distillation. This will impart brighter top notes and preserve delicate aromatics. Collect spirit and then dilute and rest as above. Note: distillation requires appropriate equipment and legal compliance.

Serve neat chilled, on the rocks with a citrus twist, or as the base for classic cocktails like the Martini or Gin & Tonic. Garnish with a lemon twist or a sprig of rosemary to highlight botanical notes.