DIY Gin

Gin and tonic is basically my jam come summer time.  It's hot and sunny out - there is a G&T in my hand.  However, as any imbiber knows, hard liquors are expensive.  Then I found out you can make gin at home...thank you knitting club ladies!

Some of you may already be getting nervous.  Have no fear.  Homemade gin is about as simple as it gets.  All you need is your foundation alcohol and your spices/herbs/aromatics of choice.  Let it set for several days, strain, and drink.  No, I'm not kidding.  At the base of it, that is all it took.

Obviously no recipe of mine is complete without a little stress.  But, if you adhere to the PSA that follows, you will avoid my near mishap.  Beware the size of your bottle.  I wasn't really thinking the whole process through and I used a bottle with a thin neck.  Well...what happens to cinnamon sticks after they've been steeping in liquid for several days?  They swell.  What does a swollen cinnamon stick do?  It gets stuck in the neck of the bottle.  Luckily a little patience and a thin knife did the trick.

A couple of tips before I jump to the recipe.  I did a bit of research and some recipes I found advised using decent vodka while others said it's best to use the cheap store brand.  I went with the cheap store brand that was also labeled as a grain neutral spirit.  I was out to make myself some gin, not make some infused vodka.  I happen to be a Tanqueray fan and Tanqueray is a grain neutral spirit, so that solved my first conundrum. Next, unless you are okay with destroying a britta filter, your gin will be brown.  I'm quite positive the coloration is a result of the juniper berries.  It doesn't affect the taste and once it's mixed with tonic you won't even notice.  The recipes that go low tech will have you strain the gin through a cheesecloth.  I went with a mesh strainer for the first pass and a coffee filter for pass two - it worked just fine.

Homemade Gin

Ingredients:

750 mL 80 proof vodka

1/4 c. juniper berries

6 cardamom pods - coarsely crushed

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 4-inch pieces of grapefruit peel (just the peel, no pith)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in an air tight glass jar.

Please don't mind the stove.  It happened to be a particularly gloomy day
and the best place for a pic was the kitchen.

Let sit for 1 week in a dark place, shaking the bottle each day.

Strain first through a mesh strainer to catch the larger pieces.  Then do a second pass through a coffee filter.

What you have left is your own personal craft gin.

Homemade vs. Tanqueray Taste Test

Based on taste and aroma, I would guess that Tanqueray is made with orange peel, while mine gets its citrus flavor from grapefruit.  The difference is subtle but still detectable.  Both have a similar spiciness in taste and aroma.  Mine has a distinct cinnamon flavor while the Tanqueray does not.  I am curious to know what difference would be made by substituting a couple of teaspoons of crushed cinnamon for the whole stick. Finally, and most importantly, mine is just as refreshing with tonic over ice!