How to make gin from alcohol at home? This drink, otherwise referred to as juniper vodka, has been known for centuries and is one of the most popular and favorite on the planet.
A bit of history
His authorship is attributed to Franciscus Silvius, a Dutch scientist of the 16th century, a professor of medicine who used this liquid as a therapeutic drug for kidney diseases. The healing composition could be freely found in pharmacies.
In the mid-17th century, the warming properties of juniper liquid were appreciated by British soldiers, and since 1689 the production of gin was put on stream in England. At first, the pirates' favorite drink (after the rum) was not of high quality and was affordable even for an ordinary commoner. The first number was gin in America, where he got at the end of the 19th century. Its quality and cost have increased significantly, and in 1920 at the legislative level the exact characteristics of the genie were designated, by which time it had already become popular. So, for its production it was allowed to use alcohol with a strength of at least 96%.
The characteristic signs of juniper vodka
A gin recipe at home is simple. With a great desire, this drink can be prepared by any person who understands what distinctive features he should possess. Strong alcoholic drink - the result of distillation of juniper berries and wheat alcohol should:
- when tasting in pure form, give a strong feeling of cold in the mouth;
- have a pronounced aroma of juniper, significantly suppressing the aroma of other ingredients: almond, orange, coriander, lemon.
English and Dutch gin: distinctive features
How to make gin from alcohol at home? The recipes are diverse and associated with 2 existing types of drink: Dutch and English, differing in the technology of preparation.
Dutch gin is made by adding aromatic ingredients to the grain wort and then distilling it with the aim of obtaining a “malt wine”. The resulting product must be diluted with water, re-add juniper, flavorings and distill repeatedly. The strength of the finished gin is usually 35 o . When aged in oak barrels, as is customary in manufacturing plants, the drink acquires a characteristic golden color.
English gin is prepared by adding aromatic alcohols and herbal additives to raw alcohol, which is subjected to secondary distillation.
Gene on homemade moonshine
The recipe for gin at home from moonshine is quite simple. To prepare it you will need:
- 2 liters of grain purified moonshine;
- 20-40 grams of juniper berries;
- 8-10 grams of coriander seeds;
- 5-6 grams of orange peel;
- 2-3 grams of lemon peel;
- 2-4 grams of cinnamon (in the ground form of the product you need to take a little less);
- 1 gram of anise, fennel, hyssop, licorice.
The recipe for gin at home from moonshine consists of several stages, the first of which is the preparation of tincture. All ingredients should be thrown in a glass container, pour alcohol and insist in a dark place for a week. Further, it is recommended to drain the liquid, filter it well and dilute with cold clean water to 30-35 about .
Then the diluted tincture should be poured into the apparatus, first setting the heating device to a small temperature (for uniform heating of spices), and then increase it to an average value. Further, it is recommended to take 15-20 ml of “heads”, and the main fraction - until the degree in the stream decreases to 70-65. It is important not to miss this point, because even because of the minimal “tails” the final product will be cloudy. The resulting alcohol should be measured at the fortress and diluted to 45-48
about . It is recommended to do this in a separate bowl, in which to pour part of the alcohol, gradually introducing water into it. The finished drink should be allowed to rest for a week. This is required to round up aromas and acquire a more pronounced and harmonious taste with such an inspiring drink as home-brewed gin. Recipes without distillation are used infrequently, since in this case the output is not gin, but juniper tincture.
Juniper tincture recipe (gin without distillation)
To prepare a specific drink you will need:
- ½ liter of vodka;
- 10 juniper berries.
Berries should be mashed with a rolling pin, put in a glass container, pour vodka and insist 2 weeks. Separately, you need to boil the syrup from 25 grams of sugar and half a glass of water (without boiling). Combine the settled contents with syrup, give “rest” for 2-3 days, after which you can enjoy the wonderful specific taste of homemade gin.
Alcohol-based gin
The gin recipe described above at home is quite popular, but lovers of a strong aromatic drink should definitely try the second recipe, for which you should take:
- juniper fruits - 25 grams;
- caraway seeds - 2 tsp;
- coriander - 3 teaspoons;
- 96-degree alcohol - 610 ml.
Cumin with coriander and juniper fruits should be infused in separate containers.
- In 330 ml of alcohol you need to add 70 ml of water, thus lowering the degree to 80. Pour juniper berries with the resulting solution.
- The remaining 280 ml of alcohol dilute 60 ml of water to 80 about . Pour cumin and coriander into the resulting liquid.
- Insist both solutions for 4-5 days, stirring regularly. Then each separately distill, pre-filtering, squeezing the remaining alcohol from the fruit and diluting 1.5 times with boiled water.
- The first 10 ml should be splashed out. Remove distillate from each infusion (260 ml each), mix and dilute to obtain 1 liter of high-quality gin with boiled water.
Homemade Gin Citrus Recipe
To make home-made gin, you will need:
- ½ liter of moonshine;
- 70 grams of juniper berries;
- zest of lime, lemon, orange.
This gin recipe at home is based on combining all the ingredients and insisting them for 2 weeks. Then the liquid must be diluted with water to 45 about the fortress, add a small amount of fructose and insist for another 7-10 days, sometimes shaking. The drink is ready.