Gin at home. Moonshine gin recipes at home. Gin at home from alcohol

There are several ways to produce gin, which we will consider incrementally: from simple to more complex.

Homemade undistilled gin

The first method does not include the process of distillation, but only infusion, in professional slang - maceration. But nevertheless, it has the right to life and is especially popular with novice moonshiners. To prepare, you will need to prepare:

  • alcohol or homemade moonshine - 500 ml;
  • juniper berries - 20-30 grams (10 pieces);
  • granulated sugar - 25 grams;
  • water - 75 ml.

The berries need to be crushed into gruel, poured with alcohol and kept in a dark place for one to two weeks. After that, add sugar syrup to the filtered infusion and leave to reach for another 3-6 days. The resulting drink is more correctly called juniper tincture. But the name does not spoil the taste.

Basic London Dry recipe

It takes distillation to get close to real gin. For the following method, it is better to use a distillation apparatus equipped with a dry steamer and the following components:

  • juniper berry - 40-50 grams;
  • fresh orange peel - 5 grams;
  • fresh lemon peel - 2 grams;
  • coriander (seeds) - 8 grams;
  • ground cinnamon - 2 grams;
  • fennel, licorice, anise, hyssop - 1 gram each.

At the first stage, the steps from the previous recipe are repeated. All "spices - joys" are mixed with each other, pushed and filled with alcohol. It is necessary to insist at least two weeks in a dark room. Then the filtered infusion is diluted with plain water up to 40°.

It's time for the race. It is necessary to distill at a low temperature, while removing the first (“heads”) and last (“tails”) grams. It is better to write off the first 15 - 25 ml of the drink on the “heads” in order to avoid the possible content of impurities. We collect the rest of the product (“body”) until the fortress drops to 60 ° - 65 °. After this edge, "tails" begin. Even a small amount of them can cause cloudiness of the drink and precipitation - opalescence.

Dilution table for 100 ml alcohol
After Ethyl alcohol content before dilution with water
95° 90° 85° 80° 75° 70° 65° 60° 55° 50°
90° 6,4
85° 13,3 6,6
80° 20,9 13,8 6,8
75° 29,5 21,8 14,5 7,2
70° 39,1 31,0 23,1 15,4 7,6
65° 50,1 41,4 33,0 24,7 16,4 8,2
60° 67,9 53,7 44,5 35,4 26,5 17,6 8,8
55° 78,0 67,8 57,9 48,1 38,3 28,6 19,0 9,5
50° 96,0 84,7 73,9 63,0 52,4 41,7 31,3 20,5 10,4
45° 117,2 105,3 93,3 81,2 69,5 57,8 46,0 34,5 22,9 11,4
40° 144,4 130,8 117,3 104,0 90,8 77,6 64,5 51,4 38,5 25,6
35° 178,7 163,3 148,0 132,9 117,8 102,8 87,9 73,1 58,3 43,6
30° 224,1 206,2 188,6 171,1 153,6 136,0 118,9 101,7 84,5 67,5
25° 278,1 266,1 245,2 224,3 203,5 182,8 162,2 141,7 121,2 100,7
20° 382,0 355,8 329,8 304,0 278,3 252,6 227,0 201,4 176,0 150,6
15° 540,0 505,3 471,0 436,9 402,8 368,8 334,9 301,1 267,3 233,6

The semi-finished product of gin, ready and separated from excess fractions, must be brought to a fortress of 45 ° - 48 °, diluted with water. It is impossible to fall below 42 °, since citrus notes will completely disappear, spruce notes will fade, and the resulting drink can be called gin with a stretch. You also need to dilute carefully so as not to get the ill-fated opalescence. There are several rules for this. It is imperative to pour alcohol into water and in no case vice versa. The required volume of water is measured immediately according to special tables. Alcohol is poured in a thin stream to stop in time. At the same time, the strength of the resulting gin is measured. It will no longer be possible to dilute the mixture with water. Now the genie should stand a little, “rest”. In a few days, the flavors will fully take shape, and the gin can be tasted.

original recipe

The following gin recipe is closest to the original, but will require more time and skills in moonshine. You will need to prepare:

  • homemade moonshine or alcohol - 600 ml;
  • juniper berry -25 grams;
  • fresh lemon peel - 5 grams;
  • coriander (seeds) - 9 grams;
  • cumin - 10 grams.

We start with insisting, but we do it in different containers. Pour pre-crushed juniper berries with one half of the prepared alcohol, and with a mixture of cumin, coriander and lemon zest with the other half. Alcohol is initially diluted to 80 °. We infuse both containers for 4-7 days, then filter and dilute again, now up to 40 °. We also carry out the distillation separately. First juniper tincture, then spicy or vice versa.

When distilling, do not forget about the division into fractions. The first 15 - 20 ml of "heads" should not be consumed. We collect approximately 250 ml of each type of distillate. The resulting parts are mixed and diluted one and a half times, but do not fall below 47 °.

Quick Recipe

There is another way to make gin, but with the help of a moonshine still without a steamer. It is much faster than the previous ones, since it does not require long infusion. This method will require a metal sieve, the diameter of which almost coincides with the size of the neck of the distillation cube and the following components:

  • homemade moonshine or alcohol - 2 liters;
  • juniper berry - 25 grams;
  • fresh orange peel - 3 grams;
  • fresh lemon peel - 3 grams;
  • dried violet root (chopped) - 3 grams;
  • angelica root - 2 grams;
  • cardamom - 1 gram (several pieces).

A sieve with herbs and spices poured into it is installed directly under the lid of the cube. Undiluted alcohol or moonshine is poured into the cube right through the sieve. First, the device starts at low temperatures, which makes it possible to better warm up the herbs. After selection of 20 - 30 ml of "heads", you can switch to medium temperatures. As in previous recipes, we stop collecting distillate when the strength drops to 65 ° - 70 °. Due to the high concentration of essential oils in the original products, this rule must be observed here. Otherwise, it will not be possible to avoid the cloudiness of the drink.

The remaining stages of production are already familiar. The finished distillate must be diluted with water to a strength of 47 ° and allowed to mature for a week.

If this recipe will be used by the owners of devices with a non-removable dryer, flavoring agents in a gauze bag can be placed directly into the dryer.

Making gin at home according to any of the recipes can be slightly improved in the Dutch manner. All gin that is made in the Netherlands must be aged in oak barrels. Nothing prevents you from repeating the same thing at home with your own hands. Oak barrels can be replaced with pre-soaked oak chips. After one to two weeks of aging, the gin will acquire a slightly golden color and new flavor notes.

Gin is an alcoholic drink that was originally made in Holland. It has a spicy aroma and characteristic taste. Of course, you can enjoy the option bought in the store, but making gin at home is interesting.

In the article:

What is gin made of

Gin is an alcohol that has a balanced harmonious dry taste and a rather pungent smell, with a strength of 37.5%. After its use, the taste of juniper remains in the mouth. The composition of the original drink includes wheat alcohol and juniper berries. There are varieties that contain ingredients such as almonds, coriander, caramel, cumin, citrus fruits, due to which a spicy tart note is achieved.

Gin, produced in Holland, is aged in oak plank barrels, due to which the liquid has a golden color. Gin made in England is transparent. And what will be the drink of your personal production?

Making gin at home

If you are interested in the question of how to cook, then it is worth exploring several ways and choosing the one that seems more accessible and easier.

The vodka method

You need to take the following ingredients:

  • fresh juniper berries - 1 kg, or dried - 0.5 kg;
  • vodka or homemade moonshine - 1 liter.

Cooking. Pour juniper berries with alcohol, let it brew for two to three months at room temperature. Then distill this tincture in a distiller, dividing the outgoing liquid into fractions.

Braga method

Required Ingredients:

  • 1 kg of juniper berries;
  • 1 liter of warm water;
  • 3-5 g dry yeast;
  • 100 g of granulated sugar.

Cooking. Berries must be mashed and pour water at room temperature. Add sugar and yeast to the mass. The fermentation of the mixture should take place for about 10 days under a water seal. Then it is necessary to carry out its distillation and be sure to separate the resulting liquid into fractions.

The spice method

Required components:

  • purified double grain moonshine - 1 l;
  • juniper - 45 g;
  • orange peel - 6 g;
  • lemon zest - 3 g;
  • coriander seeds - 10 g;
  • cinnamon powder - 2 g;
  • fennel, licorice, hyssop, anise - 1 g each.

Cooking steps:

  • It is necessary to make a tincture, for this, place all the components in a jar, pour in alcohol and leave for 7 to 10 days in a dark place at room temperature.
  • After that, strain the tincture and dilute with cool water up to 35 degrees.
  • Then pour the diluted liquid into the moonshine, set the average temperature, connect the steamer.
  • If initially good alcohol was used, then about 20 grams of pervak ​​or “head” can be taken away, when using the initial medium-quality alcohol, more must be taken.
  • The selection of the “body” should be continued until the strength of 50% is kept in the jet. It is necessary not to be late and separate the "tails", since even due to a small amount of "tails" the drink may become cloudy.
  • We dilute the resulting liquid to 47 degrees, you don’t need to make it weaker, as the gin will lose citrus notes.
  • The prepared alcoholic drink must be left for 7 days and you can try it.

And how can you make gin at home without using moonshine?

Method without the use of a distiller

Required Ingredients:

  • moonshine - 0.5 l;
  • juniper berries - 70 g;
  • lime, lemon and orange zest.

Cooking. Mix all the products, let the mixture stand for 14 days, then add water, diluting the tincture to a strength of 45 degrees. Add some fructose and let it brew for another 10 days, stirring occasionally. Strain the finished gin through a filter.

Practice shows that homemade gin is much more pleasant to drink than store bought. In addition, the quality of the drink can be guaranteed, since all the ingredients from which it is made are known.

How to make gin at home

On the basis of moonshine at home, you can make quite a lot of different noble drinks. One of them is gin, an alcohol with a juniper flavor. In this article, we will analyze the most popular and simple moonshine gin recipes.

The easiest recipe

To make gin, you need to take moonshine made from grain mash. As a rule, wheat moonshine is used, but there are options with the use of other grain drinks. In this recipe, alcohol is needed from wheat raw materials.

For one liter of moonshine, you need to take one kilogram of fresh juniper berries or a pound of dried ones. Alcohol must be poured into a container for infusion and add berries to it. Put a tightly closed container in a dark room at room temperature for about three months.

Filter the resulting tincture through several layers of gauze and let stand for a couple of days. The drink is best consumed chilled.

Gin from mash

You can make a strong alcoholic drink with a juniper taste not by insisting, but by distilling juniper berry mash.

It will take a liter of water per kilogram of berries, one hundred grams of sugar and five grams of dry yeast. Berries can be crushed until a homogeneous slurry is obtained, or whole ones can be used.

Juniper fruits need to be poured with water, add granulated sugar and stir until it dissolves. Then add diluted yeast. Close the container with a water seal and remove for ten days. After maturation of the mash, overtake with a distiller.

The drink is obtained with a pronounced juniper flavor and aroma. However, you should not drink it like ordinary vodka. Such a homemade gin is more suitable as a medicinal and prophylactic agent. If you insist a little on lemon peels and honey, you get an excellent drink to strengthen immunity and treat colds.

Classic gin recipe

The traditional moonshine gin recipe is labor intensive and has a large number of ingredients. Moonshine needs a high degree of purification - double or triple distillation. Rectified alcohol will also work. The fortress of raw materials must be at least 95 degrees.

To make gin, you will need ingredients in the following ratio: for ten liters of high-grade alcohol, take the same amount of distilled water and about half a kilo of juniper berries. It is also necessary to prepare spices and spices: seventy grams of coriander, ten grams of cinnamon, licorice, hyssop, fennel and anise, fifty grams of lemon zest.

All of the listed components must be placed in a container for infusion and poured with water and alcohol. Close the lid tightly and put in a dark place for a week and a half. The container must be shaken every day. After this period, the tincture must be filtered through gauze and add another ten liters of clean water.

Now the prepared tincture needs to be distilled through a distiller. Distillation should be carried out with cutting off the "heads" and "tails". When a liquid with a strength of less than forty degrees flows from the refrigerator, the distillation must be stopped.

The resulting distillate will have a strength of about 70-80 degrees. It must be diluted with water to 40-45 five and removed in a dark place for seven to ten days. During this period, the aroma and taste are stabilized and the drink will acquire its final organoleptic qualities. Best served chilled.

Gin from mash with spices

This recipe involves making a noble drink directly from grain mash. Herbs, spices and juniper berries are added at the stage of laying the mash in the grain wort. Juniper fruits can be crushed so that they let the juice out better.
The rest of the recipe is no different from making grain moonshine. After the mash has matured, it must be distilled using a moonshine still. The finished product will have a taste of juniper and spices.

Recipe with aromatization during distillation

This method of making gin is also known as Plymouth gin. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the drink does not insist on juniper and spices, but is flavored during the distillation process. In the classic version, berries and herbs need to be hung under the lid of the distillation tank. Alcohol vapors during evaporation are saturated with their aromas. However, almost no modern moonshine is equipped with such a function, but almost every distiller has a steamer. In a collapsible steamer, you need to put all the ingredients before distilling the grain mash. The result is an excellent drink with great taste, which is in no way inferior to real gin. By the way, it is thanks to this that the flavoring steamer got its second name - the gin basket.

The listed recipes are just a small part of all the existing methods for making gin. This drink has existed for more than three hundred years and a great variety of recipes have been created during this time. In the preparation of gin, you can experiment from the heart and add new ingredients, each spice will change the notes of the taste of the drink. In addition, finished alcohol can be improved by infusing oak chips - this drink will be similar to Dutch golden gin. In general, each distiller can try to create his own gin recipes, the main thing is to adhere to the existing technology in the main details.

There are quite a few recipes for making moonshine gin on the Internet, which even I could not really understand. We decided to simplify the task of moonshiners as much as possible and make simple and clear recipe, understandable even for beginners. You will need to prepare all the ingredients in advance, and we will describe the entire manufacturing process in the form of step-by-step instructions.

The history of gin begins in Holland and the 17th century, but it is English gin that is currently quoted. The minimum strength of the drink is 37.5 degrees, and the best brands try to make it even higher - 42, 45 and 50 degrees. The basis of the taste is juniper, but in addition to it, there are from 7 to 20 other ingredients in the composition.

Juniper fruits can be bought even in a pharmacy (100 rubles).

  1. Grain moonshine with a strength of 50% - 1 liter.
  2. Juniper - 20 grams.
  3. Fresh orange peel - 3-4 grams (without white shell).
  4. Coriander - 4-5 grams.
  5. Fresh lemon peel - 2 grams.
  6. Ground cinnamon - 1 gram.
  7. Fennel - 1 gram.
  8. Anise - 1 gram.
  9. Hyssop - 1 gram.

The basis of the taste is juniper and citrus. It is they who will need to be added, but everything else is not so critical.

To complete the taste, it is better, of course, to use all the ingredients, but some fennel or hyssop may not be found in small provincial cities.

A step by step recipe for making moonshine gin

So, how do we make a good gin out of moonshine and a dozen different herbs? We will use technology True Gin, which involves the preparation of tincture and its further distillation into gin. We perform the following steps step by step:

For the lazy, you can buy a ready-made set of “gin” herbs in specialized stores. The drink is of very dubious quality. It is better to lay this mixture in a dry steamer.

  1. We prepare grain moonshine with a strength of 50%. The recipe calls for a litre, but you can use about one-third of your still.
  2. We are preparing the tincture. We take a glass container, pour all our ingredients into it and fill it with moonshine. We insist about 10 days in a dark room at room temperature.
  3. We filter the finished tincture through gauze, dilute with clean water to a strength of about 25% and send it to the distillation cube.
  4. We carry out the race. Heads should be selected about 15 grams per liter of moonshine, but tails from gin should be completely excluded. It is necessary to stop distillation at the moment when the fortress in the stream drops to 50 degrees. can be collected in another container and used for further distillations.
  5. The finished drink should be diluted to a strength of 45 degrees. You can’t go below 42, as the bouquet of flavors will disappear, and there’s no special meaning above, since the distillate turns out to be quite saturated anyway.
  6. The finished drink must be kept for 3-5 days in a dark place in order to stabilize and fully reveal the taste.

This method is considered universal, since it does not require a serious moonshine still and additional steamers. You just need to make a normal tincture, dilute it well and overtake it.

The taste will clearly express the taste of juniper, there will be notes of citrus and there will be coriander, cinnamon and everything else in the background.

As a visual aid, we recommend that you watch the video from Alkofan1984. The author uses some other herbs in the recipe, but in general the approach is identical to the one we offer. If the whole technology is more understandable to you in the video format, then be sure to check it out.

Popular mistakes moonshiners make when making gin

In general, the whole technology is very simple and understandable, but some problems may still arise, which we immediately want to talk about. Forewarned is forearmed.

The store even sells special kits for making homemade gin. Ideal as a gift for a moonshiner (about 2000 rubles).

  • Opalescence (cloudiness). For many, gin becomes cloudy after distillation. Due to the fact that you spared the tails during the distillation. As soon as the fortress drops below 50%, the process must be stopped, since it is precisely because of the subsequent drops that the drink will acquire an unpleasant cloudy appearance.
  • The distillation cube burns. Insufficient filtration of the infusion can lead to the fact that some of the herbs get inside and, with strong heat, they will begin to burn. It is better to take two more layers of gauze than to cough from the unpleasant taste of distillate.
  • The taste turned out to be some kind of “pine”, “like Christmas trees”. And here is a double-edged sword. The taste of gin is a priori considered very specific, which is why it is often used in cocktails, and not drunk in its pure form. Therefore, this drink is not suitable for everyone, and if you are going to make it at home, you should at least roughly represent the end result.

The Bombay Sapphire Gin Experience: I was once asked by a good friend, a cadet from a military school, to buy him a couple of bottles of Bombay Sapphire gin. They monitored the Internet there with the guys and decided to drink this particular thing for the New Year.

In general, I didn’t like these “Christmas trees” right away, I didn’t understand their taste. But for many, the drink “went in” and in the future they periodically bought it.

Therefore, even a purchased gin can be liked by someone, but not by someone. But there is nothing to say about home distillate. Here really, how lucky.

In its simplest form, gin is juniper flavored spirit. But, of course, the matter was not limited to juniper berries. As well as the methods of production of this drink. In this article, we'll talk about making gin at home, from the choice of numerous herbal ingredients (in the circle of distillers, the pleasant term "botany" is used to refer to such ingredients) to the various methods for flavoring the alcohol base with them.

Not sure if you can master the preparation of real gin or have not yet acquired moonshine equipment? Try making a so-called compound gin without distillation. Among our sets of herbs and spices for tinctures, you will find a ready-made mixture for making such a drink - you will like the result.

The choice of ingredients and their proportions for homemade gin

The exact amount of botanical components in commercial gins, as well as their name, is kept in the strictest confidence. However, we, moonshiners-enthusiasts, know quite a lot about this drink. So, according to the law, any gin must contain juniper as part of the botany. A typical blend of berries, spices, roots and herbs for gin contains about 90% juniper berries and coriander seeds - another essential component that contributes significantly to the recognizable taste of any gin. But the variety of the drink is formed due to the remaining 10% (in modern gins this figure has increased markedly), which form more than 120 other parts of various plants.

And it's good to have role models. For us, this is a well-known composition of 10 different not only in style, but also in the country of origin of gins:

  1. Tiger Gin
  2. Gordon's Distilled London Dry Gin
  3. Beefeater London Distilled Dry Gin
  4. Plymouth Gin
  5. Bombay Distilled London Dry Gin
  6. Bombay Sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin
  7. Mercury Gin
  8. Juniper Green London Dry Gin
  9. Van Gogh Gin (Holland)
  10. Citadelle Gin (France)

Botany

Manufacturers

Juniper

Coriander

Angelica

Cassia

Cinnamon

Licorice

bitter almond

Meleget pepper

cubeb pepper

Bitter orange peel

Sweet orange peel

lemon zest

Ginger

orris root

Cardamom

Nutmeg

Savory

violet root

Caraway

Anise

fennel seeds

To prevent misunderstandings and unpleasant incidents, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the botanical names of all ingredients:

  • juniper - juníperus communis;
  • coriander - coriandrum sativum;
  • angelica - archangelica officinalis;
  • cassia - cinnamonum cassia;
  • cinnamon - cinnamonum zeylanicum;
  • licorice - glycyrriza glabra;
  • bitter almonds - prunus dulcis, amara;
  • Meleget pepper - afromumum melegueta;
  • cubeb pepper - piper cubeb;
  • bitter orange - citrus aurantium;
  • sweet orange - citrus sinensis;
  • lemon - citrus lemon;
  • ginger - zinziber officinalis;
  • violet root - iris florentina;
  • cardamom - elletaria cardamomum;
  • nutmeg - myristica fragrans;
  • garden savory - satureja hortensis;
  • calamus ordinary - acorus calamus;
  • chamomile flowers - matricaria chamomilla;
  • violet root - viola odorata;
  • cumin - cuminum cyminum;
  • anise - pimpinella anisum;
  • fennel - foeniculum vulgare.

You can also try other ingredients popular for gin: coffee beans, pomegranate peel, cloves, vanilla, saffron, rosemary, lavender, galangal, hyssop, rose petals and many, many others.

Note! For the preparation of drinks, you can only use the cones of the common juniper (Juniperus communis). Of the approximately 40 species of juniper, the cones of some are very poisonous (for example, the Cossack juniper common in the CIS), while others are very bitter and are not suitable for consumption. Common juniper berries have a deep black-blue color with a whitish coating, three seeds inside and exude a pleasant juniper smell, without sharp turpentine shades.

Not all gin botanicals are easy to find in the CIS, but in our catalog you will find several rare ingredients, including common juniper suitable for gin, that will help you get a truly unique drink. For the rest, rely on your instincts and do not hesitate to use your imagination. We will define a vector.

A typical weight of herbal ingredients for gin is about 20-35 g/l. For the first experiments, we recommend using juniper as a key ingredient in the botanical mixture. Then, if you take juniper berries as "x", the proportions for the average gin will be very simple:

  • x = juniper;
  • x / 2 = coriander;
  • x/10 = angelica root, cassia, cinnamon, licorice, bitter almonds, Meleget pepper, cubeb pepper;
  • x / 100 = bitter and sweet orange peel, lemon peel, ginger, orris root, cardamom, nutmeg, savory, calamus, chamomile, fennel, anise, cumin, violet root.

If you, for example, decide to use 20 g/l of juniper, then: X=20g, x/2=10g, x/10=2g, x/100 = 0.2 g (200 mg). Just right?

Typically, a quality, fine, well-balanced gin contains between 6 and 10 botanicals. However, there are instances in which herbal ingredients number in the tens.

Some modern gins, notably the so-called New Western gins, are moving away from the dominant juniper towards other vegetation, emphasizing fruit and floral motifs. They are more suitable for making classic cocktails and drinking in their pure form. To make such a gin, use equal amounts of juniper and coriander for "x" (i.e. x = 20 g / l, where equally juniper berries and coriander seeds).

Techniques for making homemade gin

We have decided on the ingredients and proportions, now it's time to tell you how to flavor alcohol with the chosen botany. And this can be done in several ways, which will be discussed below. But first you need to get the right equipment. To make gin you will need:

  • jewelry scales for accurate weighing of botany
  • set of alcohol meters ASP-3 .40, 40..70, 70..100
  • measuring cylinder for hydrometer
  • gin basket for Primothy gin

For making gin, any moonshine still with the “pot still” mode (distillation cube condenser) is suitable. Fortifying modules, such as a reflux condenser or on-load tap in the beer column, will strip off the taste of the distillate, but the drink will ultimately be softer and cleaner, which is typical of a London Dry gin. Rely on your personal preferences here. But in developing the technology and adjusting the weight of the ingredients, a glass distiller is indispensable - it allows you to work with small volumes of the drink and, without the risk of burning, distill alcohols with any amount of botany (in a water bath).

Method number 1. Distilling Alcohol with Botany (Basic Gin)

The proportions are indicated for 10 liters of neutral grain alcohol with a strength of 40-50%, which is considered the best basis for gin (you can also use grape or any other fruit brandy, as well as sugar moonshine, as free as possible from third-party impurities). We recommend that you first try it on small batches, for example, on 1 liter, for which a glass distiller is ideal.

For a basic gin you will need:

  • from 200 to 250 g of juniper berries;
  • 100 g coriander seeds;
  • 20 g each to choose from: angelica root, cassia / cinnamon, licorice, Meleget pepper, cubeb pepper, bitter almonds;
  • 2 g each to choose from: orange and lemon zest, chopped ginger root, orris root, cardamom, nutmeg, etc.

Place all ingredients in a distillation cube, pour alcohol or vodka diluted to 40-50% and slowly distill. During the distillation process, it is recommended to select approximately 1% of the "heads" (focus on organoleptics), and finish the distillation when the strength in the stream drops to 50%. It is important to cut off the “tails” in time, as too much essential oils and other botanical components that remain in the cube lead to cloudiness of the distillate. Now the gin needs to be diluted to a drinking strength (not less than 42%, preferably 45-48%), let it rest for 2-3 weeks and you can start tasting.

Method number 2. Pre-maceration

For a better extraction of the flavoring components of botany, it can be pre-infused (soaked, macerated) in alcohol for 5-7 days, and then distilled. Juniper is recommended to insist separately from the rest of the ingredients. The technology is pretty simple. Alcohol must be divided into two equal parts: put the juniper in one, and the rest of the botany in the other. Maceration should take place in a dark, cool place for 5 to 10 days. Then drain the alcohol, without filtration, into the still, add water to reduce the alcohol concentration to 30-35%, and slowly distill with careful crushing, as described in the previous method.

Method number 3. Gin Basket Distillation (Plymouth Gin)

The main key to such a gin is the gin basket, a module that is installed between the still and the column/cooler of the moonshine still. During distillation, alcohol vapors pass through all the components of the botanical mixture placed in such a basket, and all flavoring components are extracted from it in a sufficiently large volume. A sieve is often used as a gin basket, which is hung under the neck of the alembic. Traditionally, Plymouth gin has more citrus zest, black cardamom, and root ingredients such as angelica root and the obligatory violet root (not to be confused with violet root).

  • 20-25 g of juniper berries;
  • 10 g coriander seeds;
  • 3-5 g of lemon and orange zest;
  • 2-3 g of angelica root and orris root;
  • 1-2 g black cardamom.

Due to the abundance of essential oils that alcohol vapors extract from the botany in the gin basket, such a gin must be distilled very carefully, otherwise it begins to become cloudy when diluted. After collecting 1% of the head fraction, it is recommended to finish collecting the drinking fraction when the alcohol strength in the stream drops to at least 70-65%. For the same reason, we do not recommend diluting the drink below 45% - with a given strength, the risk of opalescence is minimal. Homemade Plymouth gin needs to rest for 2-3 weeks before tasting.

Method number 4. Botany Congestion (Dutch Jenever)

Genever is the archetype of gin, characterized by a powerful grain distillate profile (almost whiskey), with subtle hints of juniper and other botanicals. To make something similar, juniper berries are added directly to a mixture of barley, rye, wheat and corn at the mash stage. Domestic moonshiners have tested and approved the following technology: in the process of mashing the grain mixture (with a predominance of barley), add juniper berries, 50 g per 4 kg of grain, to the mash, after which a double distillation, traditional for grain moonshine, is carried out. Then the juniper-flavored distillate obtained must be infused for a week with other botany along with juniper (x = 15 g, coriander and fennel = x, the rest of the botany to taste according to the recommendations above) and re-distilled using the technology of the 1st gin preparation method.

Method number 5-6 ... Blending, combination

A more exotic and meticulous way of making gin is to macerate each individual botanical component, then distill each macerate and blend (mix) the resulting distillates to taste. This method requires impeccable taste, acquired skills in tasting and remarkable aging. You can also combine methods No. 1-5 - there are no strict rules, because now you yourself are a technologist, a head of a distillery, a critic, and an end consumer. Enjoy the process!

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