Gin Recipe

Lightly toast/prepare botanicals

Gently warm a small dry skillet over low heat. Lightly toast the coriander seeds, broken cassia/cinnamon and crushed cardamom for 30–60 seconds until fragrant — do not burn. Lightly crush juniper berries with the back of a spoon or in a mortar so they release oils. If using fresh citrus peel, pat it dry for a few minutes so it doesn't add too much water to the spirit.

Combine botanicals with spirit

Place the prepared juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, citrus peels, cardamom, cassia and liquorice (if using) into a large, clean glass jar with an airtight lid. Pour 750 ml of the neutral spirit over the botanicals, ensuring they are fully submerged. Seal the jar.

Macération (macerate)

Store the sealed jar in a cool, dark place. For primary flavor extraction, macerate 24–48 hours, tasting at intervals (use a clean spoon or small pour). Juniper and citrus character will extract quickly; longer maceration (up to 72 hours) increases intensity and pulls more bitter or vegetal compounds from angelica/orris. For a balanced gin, 24–48 hours is typical.

Short vapor/rest extraction (optional)

If you prefer lighter top notes, you can remove citrus peels after 12–24 hours to prevent bitterness and continue maceration with remaining botanicals, or perform a quick 'basket' vapor infusion if you have distillation equipment. This recipe assumes cold maceration only.

Strain and clarify

After desired maceration time, strain the infused spirit through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean vessel. Squeeze the solids gently to recover liquid but avoid forcing sediment. If the liquid is cloudy, filter again through a coffee filter or use a paper funnel lined with a couple layers of muslin to clarify.

Proof down to bottling strength

Measure the alcohol strength if you have a hydrometer or alcoholmeter. To bring the spirit to about 40% ABV (typical gin strength), gradually add filtered water in small amounts and mix, checking strength until target ABV is reached. As a rough guideline, adding ~200 ml of water to 750 ml of 40–50% spirit will bring the final volume and ABV into the 37–42% range depending on starting proof. Add water slowly and taste between additions to maintain flavor balance.

Optional sweetening (Old Tom style)

If you want a lightly sweet Old Tom style gin, add up to 15 ml of 1:1 simple syrup per 750 ml and stir to combine. Add less or omit for London Dry style.

Rest and marry

After adjusting strength and optional sweetening, let the bottled gin rest for 24–72 hours to allow flavors to integrate and settle. This smooths any sharp edges from dilution.

Bottle and store

Using a funnel, transfer the finished gin into clean bottles. Label with date and style. Store in a cool, dark place; gin is shelf-stable. Refrigerate or freeze if you prefer it very cold for serving — alcohol will not freeze solid at typical home freezers if ABV is above ~30%.

Serve chilled, with tonic and a citrus garnish (lemon wheel or orange twist) for a classic Gin & Tonic, or use in cocktails such as a Martini, Negroni (substitute in recipes to taste), Gimlet, or Tom Collins. Adjust garnish to mirror botanicals used (e.g., extra juniper berries, lemon peel or orange slice).