Gin Recipe

Sanitize

Sterilize all equipment (jars, spoons, funnels, bottles) with boiling water or a sanitizing solution. If using a Campden tablet, dissolve the crushed 1/4 tsp in 150 ml filtered water and set aside to neutralize free chlorine; allow 15 minutes before using.

If your neutral spirit is 96% ABV (neutral grain spirit), dilute it roughly to 60–70% ABV before maceration: combine 750 ml spirit with approximately 200 ml distilled water (adjust based on starting ABV) and mix. If using 40–50% ABV vodka, you may use it as is but maceration will extract differently; using a higher‑ABV spirit extracts oils more efficiently.

Crush and measure botanicals

Lightly crush juniper berries, coriander seeds and cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon to expose oils. Roughly break cassia/cinnamon and coarsely chop or measure orris and angelica roots.

Combine botanicals with spirit

Place all botanicals (juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, lemon peel, orange peel, cassia, cardamom, licorice if using) into a clean, airtight glass jar. Pour the diluted spirit (or vodka) over the botanicals so they are fully submerged. Seal the jar tightly.

Macerate

Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 24–48 hours for a quick maceration (or up to 72 hours if using lower‑ABV vodka for stronger extraction). Swirl once or twice daily to agitate. Taste daily by diluting a small sample with water to assess extraction. Stop when the juniper and supporting botanicals reach the desired balance — typically 24–48 hours for this recipe.

If you have a small still (recommended for clearer gin)

Carefully transfer the macerated spirit and botanicals into your pot still, leaving large sediment behind if possible. Run a slow distillation, collecting hearts at an appropriate strength (discard foreshots ~first 50–100 ml for safety if distilling from high‑ABV neutral spirit). Collect heads, hearts, and tails separately; keep the heart cut when the aromatic profile begins to drop and the ABV falls below ~40–50% depending on your target. Typical small batches yield a clear, aromatic gin. Dilute the collected hearts with filtered water to bottling strength.

If you do not distill (compound or steep‑and‑filter method)

After maceration, strain the spirit through a fine mesh and then a coffee filter or multiple layers of cheesecloth into a clean pitcher or jar to remove solids. Optionally, perform a cold clarification by letting the strained liquid rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours and decanting to improve clarity.

Measure alcohol by volume using an alcoholmeter or estimate based on volumes and starting ABV. Dilute the distilled gin or steeped extract with filtered water to your target bottling strength — commonly 40–45% ABV (about 40–45% is typical), which for this batch usually means adding ~150 ml filtered water. Add up to 5 ml neutral syrup if you prefer a slightly rounder mouthfeel and to help marry flavors. Stir gently to combine.

Filter the finished gin through a coffee filter or activated carbon if you desire extra polish. Transfer the gin into clean, sanitized bottles using a funnel. Seal and label with date and ABV.

Rest the bottled gin for at least 3–7 days to allow flavors to integrate before drinking; many gins improve over several weeks.

Serve neat chilled, with tonic and a lemon or lime wedge as a Gin & Tonic, or use in classic cocktails like the Martini (dry), Negroni, or Gimlet. Store in a cool, dark place.