Let’s make Christmas Gin!
Whilst Christmas may be a western holiday, there is a joy to coming together. Much like Chinese New Year, there is the importance of spending time with family and friends, sharing good food & drink. In the spirit of the season, we thought we’d show you how to make your very own Christmas Gin.
To make Christmas Gin, perhaps we should look at why spices such as Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg & ginger have all become synonymous with Christmas in the west.
Head to the bottom of this article for the Christmas Gin recipe, with a cocktail recipe to match. But read on for how spices became an integral part of the festive season.
Spices started to become popular in England and the western world in medieval times when soldiers and traders brought them back from far-flung corners of the globe. Their rarity made spices a prized commodity, reserved mostly for the rich and royalty. Since Christmas was a time of great feasts, many spices became synonymous with this time of year, with traditional dishes given an exotic overhaul with the introduction of some amazingly flavoursome spices.
Nutmeg is a quintessential ingredient in any number of holiday favourites. From a pumpkin spiced latte to mulled wine or the Christmas Gin you’re about to make. But did you know that in 1677, the Dutch traded Manhattan (yes, that Manhattan, in NYC) to the British for their claim on just one of the Banda Islands, a barely one-square-mile speck of land. They did so because these 11 obscure islands on the south-eastern edge of modern Indonesia were, until several centuries ago, ostensibly the world’s sole source of nutmeg, which was then one of the most valuable commodities in Western Europe, largely thanks to its purported power to cure anything from gas to the bubonic plague. Today we just enjoy the flavour.
So here we are. The history may be tumultuous, but we’re excited to taste these flavours in your Christmas gin.
Not only is this recipe simple to make, but also gives you an opportunity to experiment with creating your favourite style. The key is always to utilise high quality ingredients.
One bottle of Lawrenny Van Diemen’s Gin
Zest of one orange
200g white sugar
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 centimetre square of fresh ginger (skin on)
1 nutmeg (cracked)
Add all your ingredients to a clean, dry jar or bottle. Seal tightly, give the contents a little shake and leave in a cool, dark place to infuse for a week or two.
Every few day shake the jar to help the infusion. You can try the contents at any point to see when you think it’s ready - the longer you leave it, the deeper the flavour and golden colour will be.
Once ready (to YOUR taste), strain your gin liqueur into a clean bottle. The gin liqueur should be kept at room temperature or the fridge, out of direct heat and sunlight. It will easily last for six months, so you can make it now and give it as a gift at Christmas without worrying about it going off.
How should I drink it you ask?
It will of course be delicious on the rocks, or mixed with tonic or soda.
If you’re looking for something a little fancier, why now try this cocktail?
50ml Lawrenny Christmas Gin
10ml Frangelico
10ml sugar syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Rosemary Sprig, to garnish
Stir all the ingredients together with ice until very cold, then strain into a chilled martini or coupe cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary (or a twist of orange peel) and serve immediately!
Lawrenny Van Diemen’s Gin
is available from our Store below!
CHEERS!
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