How to make flavoured gin

How to infuse gin

1. Choose your gin: The best quality ingredients are likely to give the best results in terms of flavour, but don’t go too spend happy. Try to pick a clean-tasting, uncomplicated gin. A product with strong botanical flavours might not mix well with extra additions, whereas a classic London Dry-style gin with more neutral notes would take on flavours better.
2. Choose your flavours: Gin traditionally contains juniper, coriander and cardamom among its spices, so choose a flavour to complement the natural elements of mother’s ruin.Seasonal flavours should be your first port of call for flavour inspiration. Keep your eyes on the hedgerows for berries, elderflowers and herbs that you could use. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

   Fruit: strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries
   Vegetables: rhubarb, chilli, celery
   Herbs & plants: rosemary, thyme, lavender, mint, elderflower

   Remember, the more you use the stronger the flavour. Use around 200-400g of fruit per litre of spirit.

3. The bottling technique: Add your spirit to a Kilner jar or another sealable container. Make sure your kit is clean and sterile to avoid the spirit going bad. Then add your infusing ingredient and leave it to leach into the spirit. Here’s a rough time guide:Leave strong chilli, vanilla, cardamom or citrus for less than a day.

   Hardy spices and strong-flavoured veg will need five to seven days.

   Berries and strong fruit can take around three to four weeks to impart as much flavour as possible.

   Milder ingredients like apple or florals will take up to a month.

   When you’re happy with the flavour, sieve to remove any solids, then pass through a very fine piece of muslin or a coffee filter to get rid of any sediment.

4. How to store: If your bottles or jars are well sealed, strained correctly and kept in a cool, dark place, your spirits can keep for up to a year.

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipes why not try our other imaginative infusions?

The best flavoured gin recipes

Raspberry gin

If you’re a sucker for something sweet and fruity, try making our colourful raspberry gin. Use it to whip up a fresh pink G&T or get some inspiration from our 10 gin cocktails you can make in minutes. Skip the overly sweet supermarket versions and create your own trendy tipple.

Strawberry gin

Get a true taste of summer with our simple strawberry gin. It makes the ideal base for a fruity cocktail or a stunning G&T. Take your three ingredients, 15 minutes to prep and leave to steep for two to three weeks. Slip some pink into your drink and embrace this beautiful berry-infused drink. This is perfect if you’ve got a glut from the garden to use up.

Try more cakes, ice creams, cocktails and dreamy desserts with our ultimate strawberry collection.

Sloe gin

Our sloe gin is a classic autumnal treat with a rich, rounded flavour. Make it in advance and leave to mature for around two to three months to get the most from these fabulous fruits. It will only improve over time so consider making one this year to drink the next, or give away as a gift.

Once you’ve made your infusion try our easy sloe gin cocktail recipes.

Damson gin

Try making our damson gin for a classic autumnal tipple. Make a couple of bottles, one for gifting and one to enjoy at home. The flavour just improves with time so wait at least two months or longer for an intense fruity taste. Try our top tip of freezing the damsons, then bashing them to release the juices rather than individually pricking with a fork.

Elderflower gin

Add an elegant floral note to your classic G&T with our elderflower gin. Go all out for your next summer gathering and serve up your delicate gin made with foraged elderflower, with tonic water and plenty of ice.

Pair up your cocktail with our fabulous elderflower recipes. Bake up a cake, mix up a cordial and much more.

Rhubarb gin

Think pink and whip up a batch of our glorious rhubarb gin. Everything is better with rhubarb, including this extra-special springtime booze. It tastes just as good as it looks. Try adding a vanilla pod into the mix if you have a sweet tooth, or crystallised ginger for a classic flavour combination.

Celebrate spring with more vibrant vegetable recipes in our rhubarb collection.

Want to expand your infusing skills? Learn how to make flavoured spirits like rum and vodka with our simple guide.

Enjoyed these suggestions? Check out our other drinks recipes…

Top 5 elderflower drinks
6 mojitos you can make in minutes
5 ways with gin & tonic

What’s your favourite flavour infusion? Leave a comment below…