Mountain Rose Herbs Blog

Make Your Own Gin with Dried Herbs + Elderflower Gin Cocktail Recipe

Written by Heidi | March 27, 2024

We live in a time when being a foodie is a celebration. As the more middle-class cousins to gourmets and gastronomes, we foodies have the same discriminating palates and passion for flavor, experimentation, and a mix of food cultures to help us build our skills and develop our cooking hobbies. Were also very good at cooking on a budget. In the world of mixologists—a particular breed of foodie—making gin is the perfect representation of this. Its crazy-easy, doesnt take long, and you end up with excellent alcohol without breaking the bank.

Quick spirit-making lesson: Grain neutral spirit (GNS) is a high-proof alcohol distilled from cereal grains, vegetables, etc. GNS is often the base for making other spirits, so the quality of those initial grains and vegetables matters. Also, for people who have celiac disease or other conditions impacted by gluten, the source of the neutral spirit is key information. The point is when you choose the neutral grain spirit (usually vodka) for making homemade gin, think about the people you want to share it with, know their health issues, and pay attention to what you are purchasing. 

Vodka (usually the base of homemade gin recipes) is GNS that has been re-distilled and diluted to make it safe, smooth, and an ideal base for adding flavors. You dont have to get a top-shelf bottle, but you should spend the money to get something you like. 

Regarding which herbs to include in your gin, the flavorings in gin can be so subtle they are hard to identify, and many gin producers do not list ingredients on their labels. One of our favorite gins has 17 herbs! If you have a favorite store-bought gin, you can usually do an internet search to figure out the primary herbal flavors so you can add them to your homemade gin. Juniper berries are a must, but you can make juniper a primary forward-facing flavor or cut them back so theyre just a whisper in a more complex blend.

Some Herbs We Love in Gin

DIY Gin Recipe with Aromatic Herbs

This recipe makes a highly flavored, aromatic gin. If you dont want so much herbal flavor, use half straight vodka and half homemade gin in your cocktails. Consider this recipe as a starting point; adjust flavors to create a gin you love. Just remember that it doesn’t take much of an herb or spice to impact the overall flavor. Finally, if you’ve never made gin, quarter this recipe and experiment before committing to a full bottle. Take good notes so you can dial in the flavors to your liking.

Makes 1 liter.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Add all herbs and spices to a neutral spirit like vodka in a sterile bottle or jar. If you are using a new, unopened bottle, you can add herbs directly to the spirit in the bottle. If you pour vodka into a different vessel, the new container must be clean and have an airtight cap.
  2. Twist on the cap and shake to combine. Set aside in a dark place for 24 hours to infuse.
  3. Pour a bit of infusion into a glass and taste. This is your opportunity to adjust flavors. Add a small amount of herbs or spices to adjust. (If you like the flavor now, feel free to strain out herbs and spices.)
  4. Cap the bottle again, shake it, and put back in dark place for another 12-24 hours.
  5. Strain through 2 layers of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter. Make sure to remove all bits of herbs and spices.

Pro Tip: Lightly crush juniper berries, coriander seeds, hawthorn berries, and peppercorns before adding to vodka. Although not necessary, this will help extract more flavor.

Easy Elderflower Gin Cocktail

This is a perfect summer cocktail that is simple to make. Note that a “shot” is 1 1/2 liquid oz.

Makes one 8 oz. cocktail.

Ingredients

  • Ice
  • 1-2 shots organic gin
  • 1 shot elderflower cordial (also called liqueur)—St. Germain is classic, but making elderflower cordial is easy and inexpensive!
  • Fresh lime or lemon
  • Cold organic plain or flavored tonic water
  • Optional for garnish: thin strips of cucumber, quartered fresh citrus, small lemon balm leaves, or bruised fresh mint

Directions

  1. Add a good amount of ice into an 8 oz. glass of choice. 
  2. Measure gin and elderflower cordial and pour over ice.
  3. Cut the lime or lemon into quarters. Squeeze one-quarter over ice. If you love citrus, squeeze a second quarter over ice.
  4. Top with cold tonic water of choice. Stir.
  5. Optional: Stir 1-2 thin slices of cucumber, lemon balm, or mint leaves into the cocktail and garnish the glass rim with a quarter of lime or lemon.

 

Want to Make Another Cocktail with Homemade Gin?

Try Our Herbal Gin Fizz Recipe!

 

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