what is gin made from?
We are constantly being asked ‘what is gin actually made from’ and so we thought we would take the chance to de-mystify the fine art of gin distilling for you here.
But let us start with a really common question - Is gin really a flavoured vodka? To put it bluntly, yes! Vodka is neutral distilled alcohol and you make gin by distilling neutral alcohol with botanicals. Gin really is the ultimate flavoured vodka.
How is gin made?
Before we get all technical about 44ºN and all the different ways gin can be made, it’s worth first discussing what Gin is and what it is made from as the world of this juniper-infused spirit is incredibly diverse.
What is Gin made from?
To be called a Gin, the Spirit must have a predominant flavour of Juniper. Juniper berries are a type of aromatic “fruit” that grows along the branches of juniper trees. In 44ºN we use both Juniper Communis which is the most commonly used in gin and Juniper Oxycedrus or Cade which brings a lovely woody, pine and citrusy note to our gin.
What is a botanical?
In a nutshell a botanical is a plant and the use of botanicals is widely used in gin and not only limited to juniper. In the connect of gin you can find flowers, roots, seeds, skins and even bark such as cassia. The botanicals found in 44ºN span most spectrums and include sea plants – Samphire – as well as Bitter Orange peel, Rose Centifolia, Orris, Alexanders. You will even find a small output of flowers – honey!
What styles of Gin are there?
There is a number of different gin styles and classifications everything from a London Dry Gin (which is governed by a number of EU regulations such as only using a pure grain Spirit and natural botanicals, the flavour of which can only be introduced via re-distillation), to a sweeter Old Tom Gin to Aged gins..
The one thing that all these different styles of Gin (should) have in common is that they are all predominantly juniper flavoured.
SANTÉ!