Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

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Badfellow
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Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by Badfellow »

The cucumbers are rapidly coming to fruition as I sit and ponder the possibilities. To pickle or not to pickle? Oh, it's obviously going to happen. But the real question is in the method of pickling, and not in some damnably cliche salt and vinegar brine! We're Drunkards and capable of better! When I look at the garden, I see all the vegetables and berries waving hello and saying "we want to be infused in booze!" Who am I to deny them an invitation to the party?

A base infusion of cucumber into the neutral grain spirit vodka makes an interesting additive to cocktails, or stands as a fine drink on its own properly chilled and poured as a shot on a sultry midsummer night. However, you can take it several steps further. Plop in some freshly picked juniper berries and you can steer the vessel toward the latitudes of a gin. A bit of rose petal, coriander and rosemary can be found growing freely throughout much of the world's gardens, and will contribute appreciable depth without rendering the infusion a muddled and overly complicated mess. Also, if you're a freak like me, you might grow some angelica and take time to patiently harvest and wash the roots which can then be bruised before throwing them into the mix. Dandelion root can likewise be harvested, cleaned and lightly roasted in an oven. Added in small amounts, it will build a bitters component into the madness. Again, use sparingly.

Let the liquor do the work. Taste it often. When it's ready, you shall know. By the power of a stainless steel screen or mesh strainer, get thee all that organic shit out of your booze and store it properly in a glass bottle or jar until the appointed time of imbibing. Oak aging is all the shit these days too with small batch gin. If you have a barrel or toasted chips, you might try a light aging up to 6 months or so. But again, taste often. You'll know when it's ready. In the mean time, you'd better have plenty else to drink.
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Re: Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by Palinka (RIP) »

And l us not forget "Sloe Gin" (unless you are really blacked out, of course).

Here are three recipies to try out:

1) Jamie "Mockney Geezer" Oliver"s version.

2) The standard Wikipedia entry and recipe

3) The BBC Online Sloe Gin recipe (compete with a YouTube: how to...

4) Grovel, bribe, offer up your first-born for sacrifice, sneak and crawl to GinSoakedGirl (who makes some ofnthe best Sloe Gin that I have ever had).

If you need some inspiration, try this...

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Patchez
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Re: Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by Patchez »

Horseradish Voddie for the Bloody Marys!
Now you're ready for some anti-dry-otics!-BeerMakesMeSmarter

If worms had daggers, birds wouldn't fuck with them-Todd Snider

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Re: Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by Patchez »

and if you do that, you still owe me a sample.
Now you're ready for some anti-dry-otics!-BeerMakesMeSmarter

If worms had daggers, birds wouldn't fuck with them-Todd Snider

Blackout and be extraordinary-Absinthe of Malice

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Re: Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by Mr. Viking »

Strictly speaking a "compound gin" ie the flavouring is added after distillation. Often though of as the poor cousin of "dry gin" or "London Dry gin", which are steeped and then distilled again.

I see no reason why this should be the case, given how people know more about their drinks now. I usually add bitters to my gin (pink gin) before mixing it, never been brave enough to steep things in it. As Palinka said, sloe gin is a traditional drink in the UK and it's delicious. Tastes like really good jam. Any tart fruit like tayberries, loganberries, raspberries or blackberries will do as a replacement, don't know if you get sloes in the US

Don't forget that, the same as with pickling, water will be sucked out of the fruit or veg that you add, so it will water down the spirit, even if it is strained, so you might want to start out with over proof vodka then water it down to taste after the infusion

Just remembered I tried making blackberry liqueur one year, but added too many berries, it wasn't alcoholic enough, started to ferment, then exploded in my mum's kitchen. Made nice jam though
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Re: Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by Badfellow »

Patchez wrote:and if you do that, you still owe me a sample.
Rest assured, fellow Booze Explorer, I have not forgotten. Your patience shall be well rewarded. I need to get that rolling your way before the holidays.
Mr. Viking wrote: Don't forget that, the same as with pickling, water will be sucked out of the fruit or veg that you add, so it will water down the spirit, even if it is strained, so you might want to start out with over proof vodka then water it down to taste after the infusion
You bring up a good point. 100 proof vodka would make a suitable base infusion liquor, or perhaps one could enrich the mixture with some sort of super-proof, neutral spirit such as Everclear or white dog to give the finish a little more shine.

Sloe gin is a fantastic treat if you can get a good one homemade. Unfortunately, almost all of what you'd run into commercially here in the US is cheap, syrupy and redolent with artificial flavorings. Cranberry and juniper is another excellent, albeit unlikely pairing.
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Re: Considerations of a Rustic Garden Gin

Post by oettinger »

Badfellow wrote:Unfortunately, almost all of what you'd run into commercially here in the US is cheap, syrupy and redolent with artificial flavorings.
Are you telling me that I just bought 3 gallons of the wrong base?
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