Gin Botanicals: What Makes that Unique Gin Flavor?
Spring is here and that means it’s time to start enjoying our favorite spring-time spirit: Gin. But what is it that gives gin that unique flavor? Why do we enjoy it so much? How has gin changed over the years? This week we share everything you need to know about the unique gin flavors you love.
The Gin Basics: How Do You Make Gin?
Gin is a completely neutral spirit that gets all of its taste from the flavoring of unique botanicals – herbs, berries, roots, spices, flowers, and more. The legal definition of gin is an alcoholic beverage of no less than 37.5% ABV that possesses a predominant flavor of juniper berries.
Gin must start from a base of grain, such as barley or wheat, which is then fermented. After undergoing the fermentation process, this base produces ethanol, which is strained out of the solid mixture, leaving pure, liquid alcohol.
This is where the fun begins! The purified liquid alcohol is then combined with botanicals. Juniper berries are a primary addition, but each gin distiller creates a mixture of any kind of botanicals they want. It is this unique mixture of botanicals that sets each gin apart from the other.
There are three main ways the gin can be combined with the botanical mixture:
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Steeping: Distillers will place the botanicals and liquid alcohol in a pot still and let them steep for up to 48 hours, depending on the flavor profile they want to achieve.
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Vapor Infusion: In this method, a Carter-head still is used. This type of still has a suspended basket containing the botanical mixture.The botanical basket is hung over the surface of the alcohol. When the alcohol is heated in the still the vapors rise into the basket, allowing the botanicals to release their essential oils into the vapors. When the vapor reliquifies, the spirit is carrying the botanical flavors with it.
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Vacuum Distillation: This is also known as cold distillation because it reduces the alcohols’ boiling point through the use of a low-pressure vacuum environment. Distillers who use this method claim it is better because the flavor from the botanicals is maintained without heating.
What Does Gin Taste Like?
To make a good gin, you have to know the flavors of the botanicals. A bad gin will taste like pine and nothing else. But a good gin will have a beautiful balance of flavors.
Juniper berries are the backbone of gin. Juniper should be the dominant flavor and it gives the drink its fresh, piney character, as well as some of its dryness. Most gins are also flavored by three other ingredients: coriander seeds, a root, and citrus peel. Together with the juniper’s dry pine flavor, the coriander seeds add a bright, high-toned citrus spice. The citrus peel brings a sweeter citrus lift and the root (typically angelica root) holds everything together with a gentle flavor.
Today, distilleries are experimenting beyond these basic flavor combinations for gin. Citrus is a main staple for gin – but what kind of citrus? Typically gin was made from lemon peel or orange peel, but today distillers are adding other citrus to the mixture, such as bergamot or grapefruit.
Although coriander is the most common seed used in gin, distillers are also adding new seeds like cardamom, orris, angelica – all of which add earthy, spicy, and peppery notes.
New flavors from herbs and flowers are also being added to gins today. Top of the herb list is rosemary – often seen as a garish on gin cocktails, distillers are adding rosemary directly into the botanical mixture, giving these gins a more earthy flavor.
Other herbs and spices are popular in modern-day gin including thyme, grains of paradise, caraway seeds, ginger nutmeg and more.
Finally, flowers are also becoming a prominent addition to gin botanical mixtures. Chamomile and lavender are creating delicate notes in many new gin productions.
With all of these possibilities it can be difficult to find the right balance. But a good distiller will make all of the elements work together, with certain botanicals at the forefront, some dancing on the tongue, and finally, those that linger on the palate.
Cheers!
