rustic gin

Being that it is New Year's Eve, I couldn't resist posting about making homemade gin! It is incredibly easy and only takes a minimum of 2 days to do. The history of gin is goes back to the 11th century where monks in Italy were producing distilled beverages with Juniper berries to improve taste and texture, this flavoring lead to its popularity. Later the beverage in the 17th century would be renamed dutch courage because the beverage had helped to calm nerves before battles. Gin, in the 18th  century, became popular in England, where it was widely distilled and available everywhere, shops, bars, groceries, even coffee shops. The spirit spurred an uprising and became one of the most widely popular beverages to make and create. That being said, gin itself is no more a vodka infusion than anything else. There is no secret in creating gin, aside from the distillation that happens after infusion, gin is only a grain alcohol, much like that of vodka, that has been soaking juniper berries! So here is how to make your own:

Ingredients

1 750ml bottle vodka

2 TBsp juniper berries

3/4 tsp coriander seed

1/4 allspice

3 cardamom pods

2 black peppercorns 

1 bay leaf

1 (3 inch) sprig of rosemary

1 (2 inch) lemon peel

Directions

1. Infuse vodka and juniper berries for 24 hours or up to a few days. 

2. Add remaning spices and botanicals to infusion and let sit for  8-12 hours. 

3. Strain and bottle, it will be a faint yellow to tan color, as the beverage has not been distilled again after making).

I recommend adding more peppercorns if you want to make a nice peppery gin for bloody marys or remove the pepper and lemon, and instead add 3/4 tsp lavender and 2 grapefruit peels to create something a bit more citrusy for the summer (great for a Negroni).