This article was taken from the October 2012 Issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Mothers (and fathers) seeking ruin don't have to buy gin: it's one of the easiest spirits to make. Ged Feltham, who started the Ginstitute microbrewery and distilling classes, explains how.
Assemble the equipment
You'll need a copper distilling unit, called a still.
Potstillmakers.com has a good selection; you can pick up a ten-litre tabletop still for about £300.
Distil base ingredients Re-distil some vodka, keeping the temperature at 80C. The vodka will end up at 80 per cent. Add distilled water to take it back down to about 55 per cent.
Add the botanicals "You could 'one shot' the gin -- throwing in all the ingredients," Feltham says. It's better to make a gin for each ingredient (juniper, lemon etc), then mix them after.
Start with the Juniper
Leave five juniper berries in a litre of your distilled vodka for 24 hours. Then distil again - it will come out at 85 per cent, so add distilled water again.
Add creative flavours
Feltham recommends trying coriander seed, angelica root and orris. He has made popcorn gin and is working on grass - freshly-cut grass - "not the other type."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
