I can’t believe it is nearly 4 years since I attended my first Distillation Workshop with Jill Mulvaney at Alembics. Last month I attended another workshop, this time at her new lab facility on Waiheke Island. Entitled “Elements of Flavour”, the workshop allowed us to get hands-on experience experimenting with a full range of aromatic extracts to build flavour in both water-based and alcohol based formulations. I was pretty excited to learn more about how to use some of the extracts I had … [Read more...]
My ‘Citrus Spice’ Gin Blend
After posting my Tribute to the Queen Gin blend, I realised that I hadn't yet shared my favourite 'go-to' Citrus Spice Gin blend that is a variation on a traditional London Dry Gin blend. There are so many different variations of a London Dry Gin that my first step was to find out exactly what a London Dry Gin was. London dry gin doesn't have to come from London, it's a style rather than a place with a legal definition. It has to be made by distilling natural botanicals using neutral alcohol … [Read more...]
Gin Blending: my tribute to the Queen
On our Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day I decided to blend a gin as my tribute to the Queen. It is rumoured that the Queen's favourite gin was Gordon's London Dry Gin so I made my own variation of that in her honour: sweet English rose with a touch of warm spiciness. I have become quite a convert to distilling my own gin at home following a gin-making workshop I attended and of course getting my own still. I have made it completely from scratch but you can start with any neutral spirit such as … [Read more...]
Making Gin at home completely from scratch
I bought a beautiful handcrafted copper alembic still last year with the idea of being able to make hydrosols like rose water and lavender water and of course to be able to make my own gin. The still I bought was the smallest possible at 3 litres in size. Whilst you can distill spirits and essential oils using this still, the quantities you get (approx 300ml and 3ml respectively) mean that it is really not worth your while. It is more intended as a small batch flavouring still which is perfect … [Read more...]