Dillons Gin Recipe

Prepare botanicals

Lightly crush the juniper berries using a mortar and pestle or a heavy pan — you want them cracked, not powdered. Lightly crush the coriander seeds so the oils are exposed. If using whole angelica root, break into small pieces. Zest the lemon and orange with a sharp peeler avoiding the white pith; cut zest into thin strips. Measure orris root, cassia/cinnamon bark, angelica seed and licorice root.

Cold maceration

Place the crushed juniper berries, crushed coriander, angelica root pieces, orris root, cassia/cinnamon, angelica seed, licorice root, and citrus zests into a clean 1.5–2 L glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour 1.0 liter of neutral spirit (or vodka) over the botanicals so they are fully submerged. Seal the jar and shake gently. Store in a cool, dark place for 24 hours, shaking once or twice to ensure even extraction.

Warm infusion (gentle heat)

After 24 hours of maceration, perform a gentle warm infusion to coax additional aromas: transfer the jar (lid removed or loosely covered) to a warm water bath at 40–50°C (104–122°F) for 60 minutes. If you don't have a controlled bath, place the jar in a pot of warm (not boiling) water on the stove with the heat off and an insulating towel around the jar to maintain temperature. Do not exceed 55°C to avoid evaporating delicate aromatics or boiling alcohol.

Rest and taste

Remove the jar from the warm bath and allow it to cool to room temperature. Let the infusion rest for another 6–12 hours (overnight is acceptable). After resting, open and smell/taste a small amount diluted with water to evaluate intensity. If juniper or other flavors feel weak, you may add an additional 0.25–0.5 tbs crushed juniper and macerate for another 12–24 hours.

Filter the spirit

When the flavor balance is to your liking, strain the infused spirit through a fine-mesh sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter into a clean container. Press gently on solids to extract liquid but avoid pushing through fine sediment. Optionally re-filter through a coffee filter for extra clarity.

Dilute to drinking strength

To bring the gin to a typical bottling strength (40–45% ABV), dilute the filtered spirit with dechlorinated water. The recipe assumes a starting spirit of about 40–96% ABV depending on your base — approximate dilution: mix 250 ml of room-temperature water into the infused spirit, stir gently, then measure alcohol strength if you have a hydrometer. Adjust final water quantity (up to the listed 300 ml) to reach desired proof (40–45% ABV). If you want slightly sweeter/mellower gin, dissolve up to 5 g sugar in the water before adding.

Rest and marry

Once diluted, transfer the gin to a clean, sealed bottle. Let it rest in a cool, dark place for at least 3–7 days to allow flavors to marry and any remaining particulate to settle. For a smoother profile, rest up to 3–4 weeks, tasting periodically.

Final filtration and bottling

If any cloudiness or sediment remains, perform a final filtration through a coffee filter or fine membrane filter into your final bottles. Label and cap bottles. Store in a cool, dark place. Serve chilled or use in cocktails.

Yield and serving suggestions

This batch yields approximately 1.0–1.1 liters of gin depending on absorption by botanicals. Serve as a classic gin in a gin & tonic (garnish with lemon twist or fresh juniper), martini, or Negroni. Store unopened bottles for many months; flavor will slowly evolve.