Harvester Bar Bible - Update 04/2023

What is Gin?

All gins must include juniper as an ingredient but all other ‘botanicals’ (flavouring ingredients) vary by gin. Each producer of gin will have their only closely guarded recipe of juniper and botanicals that give different their gin its own unique flavour and quality

How is it made? Several different techniques for the production of gin have evolved since its early origins, this evolution being reflective of ongoing modernization in distillation and flavouring techniques. The most commonly used production method for gin (London gin) is to distil botanicals, such as juniper, coriander etc with neutral grain alcohol. The distillation process varies between producers but in most cases the spirit is diluted by adding pure water to reach the required strength of about 45% ABV. This is pumped into a still normally made of copper and the flavouring ingredients are added to it and it is then left to steep. The still is heated to remove the essential oils from the botanicals which give the flavouring to the spirit. This process is repeated through the still until the required ABV (over 90%) is reached. The gin is then brought to the required EU legal minimum alcohol level - at least 37.5% ABV to meet European regulations by the addition of pure demineralised water. It is now ready for bottling as it does not require any period of maturation. Distilled gin is made in a similar way to London gin. Production differs from the traditional method, in that, it is permitted to add further flavourings, both natural and artificial.

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