RECIPE: Rec: Compound Gin with Roses and Cucumbers

RECIPE:
R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
I tried an experiement to recreate my favorite gin that's made with roses and cucumber added with the other normal gin botanicals. I learned that gin is basically a flavored vodka with a big tea bag of the botanicals. Then it is redistlled to clarify it. So, while the compound gin I made was a golden yellow color, it was absolutely amazing and tasted very similar to the expensive brand I was trying to recreate.

So here's the method if you want to try at home:

1.75 l bottle of the cheapest vodka you can find

Run it through a brita filter and place in a large glass jar.

Botanicals for steeping:

Ø Juniper berries--1/4 cup

Ø Lime peel--strips of zest from 1 lime

Ø Lemon peel--strips of zest from 1/2 lemon

Ø Orange peel--strips of zest from 1 blood orange

Ø Anise--1 tsp seeds

Ø Star Anise--2 whole

Ø Coriander seed--1 tablespoon

Ø Cassia bark--1 4-inch stick

Ø White pepper--5 whole peppercorns

Ø Rose--2 tsp. rose water

Ø Lavender--1 tbls. seeds

Ø Lime flowers--10 whole flowers, or use a drop of orange flower water as a sub.

Ø Kafir Lime--1 leaf (optional)

Ø Cucumber--peel of 1 small unwaxed cucumber.

Ø Rosemary--1 2-inch sprig

Add the botanicals to the vodka. Let steep for 2-3 days. Strain and optionally filter to make clear (paper coffee filter). Use as you would gin in martini, with tonic, etc. I had a cocktail party Friday night to serve the experiment. Everyone absolutely loved my compound gin with roses and cucumbers.

 
Okay. A bunch of questions...

Did you omit anything?

Lavender seeds...as in a pack from a seed store? My lavender is just sitting out there right now. I don't think I'd recognize a seed on it.

Did you use rosewater? I know I can't find the flowers unless I go to a nursery and nick them and I wouldn't want to.

What is the gin that you like so much? Is it Plymouth?

How did you drink this concoction?

And finally, thank you for posting this.

 
answers to questions

>>>Did you omit anything?
No, that is my recipe that I put together from my research. If I had had angelica and orris root on hand I would have also included those as well as possibly some licorice root, still undecided about that one though.


>>>Lavender seeds...as in a pack from a seed store? My lavender is just sitting out there right now. I don't think I'd recognize a seed on it.
I used the dried seed pods from the lavender flowers in my garden. I cut them off in the summer to use in my soap. You can probably buy them in some sort of natural food store theat specializes in tisanes and the like, as well as culinary rose buds.

>>Did you use rosewater? I know I can't find the flowers unless I go to a nursery and nick them and I wouldn't want to.
Yes, I didn't have any culinary rose buds on hand except in a tin of tea, so I used rose water.

>>What is the gin that you like so much? Is it Plymouth?
Hendricks. I love that stuff but it's so expensive, I thought I would try recreating it. I think this recipe comes very close.

>How did you drink this concoction?
Martinis with Noilly Prat dry vermouth.


>And finally, thank you for posting this.
You're welcome. Let me know what your results are if you try it. I realize I have some odd items in there, but I am odd as well and they were on hand in my kitchen. LOL

 
Now I found some food-quality lavender flowers. Do you mean that the seeds are inside the tiny

flowers, or could I just use the flowers whole? I haven't bought them yet and could not find any seeds.

Also, I have cassia buds (that I bought before I got sick at Christmas, to make your pfefferneuse). May I trust that the seeds would work as well as the bark or is there a little different flavour to the bark?

It may be worth a try anyway.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top