All you need to know

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All gin starts its life as a clear distilled spirit into which botanicals are infused with the dominant flavour being juniper. We suggest you use ordinary vodka which works really well and is readily available in all supermarkets.

Your kits enable you to infuse the botanicals supplied into vodka to create a compound gin. A compound gin, unlike the majority of commercially available gin, is not then distilled to refine its clarity. The method in your kits makes it possible to recreate and, more excitingly, manipulate the flavours of gin. You will understand more about the flavours different botanicals impart and create your own blend in under 24 hours. Perfect for a DIY G&T!

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The overriding flavour that unites all gins is the taste of juniper. Botanicals are the flavouring ingredients used in combination to complement the primary juniper flavour and to give gin its distinctive herbal taste. The exact mix of botanicals varies from gin to gin with each producer closely guarding their own recipe. 

Typically a good gin will contain between six to ten botanicals. Gins can be herbal with bolder flavours, floral with more delicate notes, or spicy with a peppery kick. We have included at two tried and tested blends within the kits that produce excellent results.

All of our kits are suitable for vegetarians, vegans and are kosher acceptable. Whilst procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of the fourteen identified allergens being present, we cannot guarantee the ingredients are totally free of traces.

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We have produced thousands of these kits over the years and if the instructions are followed it is virtually fool proof. It is almost like magic the way a simple bottle of cheap vodka is transformed into a smooth glass of gin with the aid of botanicals!

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Add the contents of one sachet of the pre-mixed botanicals supplied in the kit into a bottle. Do not crush the contents as this will make your gin cloudy.

Pour in all of the vodka to fill a bottle to the base of the neck.

Infuse for 20 hours, then have a taste. If it needs longer then leave the botanicals in for a further four hours but no more than 24 hours from beginning to end. When you are happy with the flavour it is important to stop the process and remove the botanicals by filtering or straining through a sieve.

Decant your gin into a bottle and add the label with your name.

Sprinkle one of the gin toppers lightly into your glass of G&T to further enhance the flavour and aroma of your gin.

When tasting we find it best to mix up a small amount with a neutral tonic to get sense of the range of flavours. By all means taste it neat but it will be harder to recognise the subtleties of the botanicals over the alcohol. As gin takes its flavour from the botanicals, it also takes some of the colour. It is normal for your gin to turn a golden yellow.

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The Artisan

• The Artisan house blend
• The Artisan spice blend
• Test tube of pink pepper
• Sachet of star anise
• Sachet of hibiscus
• 70cl glass bottle and
• stopper*
• Bottle label
• Filter papers
• Tag**
• Sieve*
• Funnel*
• Pipettes
  

Instructions
Just add your own 70cl bottle of supermarket brand vodka (we normally go to either Aldi or Lidl).

Not included in the Letterbox Edition ** Only included in the Letterbox Edition

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You get out what you put in; if you start with a really strongly flavoured bottle of vodka, all the botanicals in the world are not going to help it.

We normally use a standard supermarket own brand vodka. It is relatively cheap and very neutral in flavour.

After a couple of weeks the gin tends to mellow, so don’t despair if it is a bit punchy at first. A word of warning, please remove the botanicals after infusing to stop the process otherwise it will go very bitter!

Serve with a neutral tonic so you can taste the gin.  We normally use a Schweppes light tonic.

Whisky has been distilled in Scotland for hundreds of years. There is some evidence to show that the art of distilling could have been brought to the country by Christian missionary monks. When King James IV was in Inverness during 1506 he was given aquavite. ‘For they wanted not wine but aquavite.’ This aquavite was no doubt locally distilled whisky. Another historian suggested that aquavite occasionally formed part of the rent paid for Highland farms.

However, the earliest references to ‘uiskie’ occurs in the funeral account of a Highland laird about 1618.

The process you are about to undertake is known as ‘in bottle ageing’.  This is a cost effective way of maturing a simple bottle of whisky by infusing it with barrel chips and other botanicals.  The whisky quickly colours and takes on the flavour of the wood chips. If the instructions are followed it is virtually fool proof.

Before you start soak the wood chips you are intending to use for your first bottle in boiled water for 15 minutes. Pat dry and add to the bottle provided. Now add the vanilla and sachet of dried orange to the bottle. 

Fill the bottle up with supermarket own brand whisky and allow to infuse for a least 14 days. Use the pipettes provided to taste your whisky after that time to ensure it is to your liking. You can leave it to infuse longer to develop the flavour but it will not further alter the colour.  When you are happy with the result filter out the ingredients and enjoy. Don’t forget to add the label with your name to the finished bottle.

• Sachet of heavy oak chips
• Sachet of medium oak chips
• Test tube of vanilla 
• Two sachets of dried orange
• 70cl glass bottle and stopper
• Bottle label
• Sieve
• Funnel
• Filter papers
• Pipettes

Instructions

Just add your own 70cl bottle of supermarket brand whisky (we normally go to either Aldi or Lidl).

Don’t buy an expensive bottle of whisky as you will be ageing your bog standard bottle for the fraction of the price.

Whisky is always better drunk neat with a splash of cold water as this seems to release the  flavour even further.

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Known as prunus spinosa, blackthorns or sloes, these berries are small, purple and resemble plums. They have a bitter astringent taste straight from the bush but, when added to gin, have magical plummy sweetness. Sloe gin isn’t a uniquely British tradition with the French making Epine and the Spanish whipping up batches of Pacharan.

Tradition has it that you rush out to your nearest sloe bush at first frost to harvest these purple gems. We know that this isn’t always possible. Sloe bushes are not ten a penny in cities and the window for ripe sloes is relatively small. And, you might feel the need for a tot of sloe gin at anytime of year, so we have come up with a recipe for sloe gin that works all year round.

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We have produced thousands of these kits over the years and if the instructions are followed it is virtually fool proof. Our recipe transforms dried sloes, in a matter of weeks not months, into a rich warming gin drink that is perfect drunk on its own or mixed with fizz.

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Take half of the sloes and rinse carefully. You need to rinse them two or three times. Next, put them into a lidded jug or large jar and cover with water. Gently shake the sloes to help them clean.  The water will turn slightly murky. Change the water and repeat twice until the water is clean after shaking. Try not to break up the sloes as this will make your gin cloudy.

Place the washed sloes in the bottle provided and add three tablespoons of sugar and cover them with water. Leave overnight as this step rehydrates the sloes and readies them for the alcohol. Drain out the sugar water using a sieve then add 150 grams of sugar to the bottle and fill the bottle with your gin. We normally use the cheapest supermarket gin we can find. Leave the bottle in a dark place to infuse for two weeks, turning the bottle to move the sloes around every other day. Normally when making sloe gin you need to leave it for up to a year to mature but we have found that using this method the sloe flavour can develop within a matter of weeks. We have included pipettes to allow you taste your gin as it develops.

When infused to your taste, strain the gin through a sieve to remove the sloes into a separate vessel. Then, filter the gin back into the bottle using the funnel and filter papers to ensure the gin is as clear as possible. Stick on the label with your name and leave to mature for as long as you like.

As the gin takes on the flavour of the sloes it also takes on their colour and will turn a beautiful ruby red colour.

If your sloe gin is too sweet add more gin and it’s too alcoholic add more sugar.

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The Hedgerow

• 70cl glass bottle and stopper
• Label
• Dehydrated sloes
• Pipettes
• Funnel
• Filter papers
• Four varieties of botanicals 
  

Instructions
Just add your own 70cl bottle of supermarket brand gin (we normally go to either Aldi or Lidl) and some sugar.

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We have included four botanicals in the kit to allow you, if you’d like, to add one of these to your sloe gin. We suggest you add these to the gin once the sloes have been removed.

Cloves | Traditionally found in sloe gin

Cassia bark | An alternative to cinnamon with a similar taste but stronger

Star anise | Gives a lovely warm aniseed flavour but use sparingly

Allspice | Usually found in gin and adds a warm spiced flavour

The botanicals do impart a lot of flavour so don’t be tempted to overload and only leave them in the gin for a couple of weeks. Our advice is to keep tasting until you are happy with the flavour.

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The washing process does make a difference, so don’t skimp on this stage and just sling the sloes straight into your bottle.

Also, don’t take a short cut on the overnight rehydration process.Sloe gin is best sipped on its own by an open fire. Having said that a drop added to Prosecco or Champagne makes a very acceptable cocktail.

You don’t have to stick to gin. Try sloe brandy or sloe whisky.

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When you have drained the sloes from your gin don’t discard them but reuse these gorgeous berries that have been soaked in alcohol and sugar in an average bottle of red wine. After three months drain them out and you will have a very palatable fortified wine. It’s not quite port but a very good substitute. Waste not, want not!

While the name vodka is a diminutive of voda (“water”), the origins of  the liquor are a matter of debate. Vodka is made by distilling ingredients such as potatoes, rice or wheat. Some claim that it originated as early as the 8th or 9th century in Poland. Regardless of when or where it originated, a liquor called vodka was present in the Balkan States and Poland during the 14th century. The beverage was popular there until soon after 1945 when consumption began to increase rapidly in the United States after troops fighting in Europe returned home.

We have produced thousands of these kits over the years and if the instructions are followed it is virtually fool proof. It is almost like magic the way a simple bottle of cheap vodka is enhanced with the aid of botanicals!

Carefully wash the berries under cold water to remove any natural debris.  Pat dry and place the fruit in a jug with 90gms of sugar. Now add 70cl of vodka and cover the jug with clingfilm or a lid.

Leave in a dark place for at least two weeks, turning every other day to move the berries and sugar around. Using this method the blackcurrant flavour quickly develops. We have included pipettes to let you taste your vodka as it matures. When infused and the flavour is to your liking, filter the now blackcurrant vodka back into a bottle through the papers provided and enjoy. Don’t forget to add the label with your name to the finished bottle.

If your vodka is too sweet, add more vodka, and if it is too alcoholic add more sugar.

Add both pods of vanilla to a bottle of vodka and leave to infuse for a maximum of 96 hours (four days).  Use the pipettes provided to taste your vodka daily and when it suits your taste, remove the vanilla and filter it through the papers provided. Enjoy!

For additional flavour you could try decanting some of the finished vanilla vodka and adding the lemon and bay provided.  Let this infuse for no longer than 24 hours.  The infusion will be enhanced if you place the bottle in your fridge during this second stage infusion. Don’t forget to add the label with your name to the finished bottle.

• Dehydrated blackcurrants
• Test tube of vanilla
• Sachets of bay leaves and dried lemon
• 70cl glass bottle and stopper*
• Bottle label
• Filter papers
• Sieve*
• Funnel*
• Tag** 
• Pipettes

Instructions

Just add your own 70cl bottle of supermarket brand vodka (we normally go to either Aldi or Lidl) and some sugar.

Not included in the Letterbox Edition ** Only included in the Letterbox Edition

Blackcurrant vodka is best sipped on its own or with tonic.  Having said that, adding it to Prosecco or Champagne makes a delicious cocktail.

Your vanilla vodka in true Polish style is best drunk neat, If you do need to add tonic we would recommend a very neutral flavoured tonic so you can still taste the vanilla.

Use these gorgeous berries that have been soaked in alcohol and sugar over ice cream or in chocolate. Very decadent! 

Rum was invented, or was commonly known as to be produced in the seventeenth century, though there are historical references to a ‘wine sugar’ which we can reasonably suspect is rum, dating as far the thirteen hundreds. Spiced rum, however, is relatively new dating from just 1980.

It doesn’t take much to understand why spiced rum is popular. The addition of flavours which can be recognised and enjoyed by anyone is always welcome. Common spices used to make spiced rum include: cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, citrus fruit, nutmeg and ginger.

If there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that you should enjoy your rum whichever way you see fit; over ice, with a mixer or otherwise.

We have developed a really easy way of spicing a simple cane rum.  However, unlike other kits on the market our kit contains a vanilla pod which is the key ingredient when spicing rum. The process takes just 48 hours to transform cane rum into a real taste of the Caribbean. Over the years we have produced thousands of these kits and have always had a great reviews from people who enjoy their rum.

Empty one sachet of the pre-mixed blend supplied into a bottle or jug. Do not crush the botanicals as this will make your rum cloudy.  Add the vanilla pod to either blend and the cacao nibs if you are making the Calypso Gold blend.

Pour in all of the unspiced rum into a jug or fill a bottle to the base of the neck. Infuse for 48 hours, then have a taste using the pipette supplied.  If it needs longer then leave the botanicals in for a further six hours. When you are happy with the flavour it is important to stop the process and remove the botanicals by filtering or straining through a sieve. Do not discard the vanilla pod as you can use this again for your second bottle. Dry and store it in the test tube provided.

Decant your rum into a bottle. Finally, stick on the label with your name and enjoy.

To create an even smoother flavour try adding 30gms of light muscovado sugar, allow to dissolve and enjoy a wonderful caramel twist to your spiced rum.

• 70cl glass bottle and stopper*
• Bottle label
• Calypso Gold blend
• Caribbean Punch blend
• Pipettes
• Funnel*
• Sieve*
• Tag**
• Filter papers
• Test tube of vanilla
• Sachet of cacao nibs
• Sachet of dried orange slices

Instructions

Just add your own 70cl bottle of supermarket brand unspiced rum including white rum (we normally go to either Aldi or Lidl).

Not included in the Letterbox Edition ** Only included in the Letterbox Edition

Reuse the vanilla pod as it will easily make two batches. Don’t discard it after the first bottle. Dry the pod after use and store it in the test tube provided.

You get what you put in, so don’t start with an already spiced rum as it is unlikely you will alter the flavour. We normally use a standard supermarket unspiced rum including white rum.

There are numerous ways to serve rum. Try it with tonic or our favourite is lime or a slice of orange.

A real taste of the Caribbean.