Be Ginspired

Making your own bespoke gin can be fun and satisfying if you have the right botanicals. Herbie's Spices Ginspiration Spice Kit, combined with vodka of your choosing, is a great way to commence your gin journey.

Juniper Berries are the most important botanical ingredient in gin. The other botanicals add nuances of taste and fragrance, however to be called gin, you must use juniper, coriander seed and orris root. Gin derives its unique flavour from juniper berries, is named from an adaptation of the Dutch word for juniper, jenever.

The Ginspiration Spice Kit contains: juniper berries, coriander seeds, rose petals, orange peel, orris root powder, grains of paradise, cubeb pepper, lavender, fennel, allspice and cinnamon. All you need to do is infuse the spices in vodka for up to 3 days.

Juniper berries perform a unique role by contributing as much to the character of food through their “freshening” ability, as they do by way of their specific pine-like taste profile.

Juniper trees are native to the Mediterranean, Arctic Norway, Russia, the northwest Himalayas and North America. Juniper has been regarded as a valuable item for medicinal purposes since the birth of Christ and has been considered throughout the ages as a magical plant. Juniper berries were sometimes used as a substitute for pepper, and they have been roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

Juniper berries take two to three years to mature. Initially hard and pale green, they ripen to blue-black, become fleshy and contain three sticky, hard brown seeds. When dried, the berries remain soft, but if broken open, one will find the pith surrounding the seeds is quite friable. The aroma of juniper is immediately reminiscent of English dry gin, with a woody, piney, resinous smell that is somewhat flowery and contains notes of turpentine.

The Ginspiration Kit makes approximately four bottles and will keep when stored in the same way as any gin or vodka, and your creation can be used as a base for popular gin or vodka cocktails. It's the perfect gift for the person who has everything.

So this festive season, why not consider brewing your own gin, to give as gifts or just to keep and enjoy!

Available from Herbie's Spices.

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