Gin is becoming increasingly popular among alcohol enthusiasts, and one of the most popular ingredients used to give it its signature flavor is juniper berries. Juniper berries are a type of evergreen shrub that grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere and have a unique, piney flavour that is often described as "woodsy" or "earthy". Distillers have been using juniper berries to make gin for centuries, but with the recent craft gin boom, they are now able to experiment and create unique and nuanced gin flavours.
Let's take a closer look at the process of distilling gin and the role juniper berries play in them.
The History of Using Juniper Berries in Making Alcohol
The use of juniper berries in alcohol making has a long history, dating back to the 16th century in Europe. Juniper berries have been used to flavour gin for centuries and are considered an essential ingredient in the production of the spirit. Because of the berry's unique pine-like flavour and aroma, distillers use them to create a wide range of gin styles. The combination of juniper berries, along with other botanicals such as coriander, cardamom and citrus, create a complex and flavorful gin.
Juniper berries are harvested from the evergreen juniper tree, which is native to the UK and most of continental Europe. The berries are dried and then crushed or distilled to extract the flavour and aroma. Juniper berries are also known to have a number of medicinal properties, which has led to their widespread use in traditional medicine.
Unfortunately, juniper plants are becoming rare in England and many parts of the country. Luckily, an organisation called Plantlife UK is trying to save them. They are trying to raise awareness of the importance of protecting junipers by connecting their conservation to England's love of gin and tonic. They hope this will inspire people to help restore their natural habitat. Despite the rarity of this evergreen tree, juniper berries are imported and still used to flavour many popular branded gins and other alcohols, and their unique taste and aroma will continue to be enjoyed for many years to come.
While there are numerous ways of producing gin, most distillers use a process known as "vacuum distillation" to extract the flavour compounds from the juniper berries. Juniper berries are a key ingredient in gin that give it its distinctive flavour. Vacuum distillation uses a vacuum chamber to reduce the boiling point of the alcohol, allowing the distiller to extract the flavour compounds from the juniper berries at a lower temperature. This helps to preserve the delicate flavour of the juniper.
How Juniper Berries Affect the Taste of Gin
Gin is a beloved drink among many, and its unique flavour comes from juniper berries. Juniper berries are an essential part of London dry gins and other gin types, adding a distinctive taste and aroma to the spirit. But what exactly do these berries do to the flavour of the gin?
The presence of juniper berries in gin makes it more complex and interesting, with multiple layers of flavour. The berries also give gin its signature aroma, which is a combination of herbal, woody, and citrus notes. Another benefit of juniper berries is that they balance out the other flavours in the gin, allowing them to be more prominent. Without the juniper, these other flavours would be overpowered.
Although juniper berries are essential to gin, they don't have to be the dominant flavour. Many gin producers add additional botanicals to their gin, such as citrus, spices or herbs, to give it a unique flavour. This allows the gin to be tailored to the individual consumer's tastes while still keeping the juniper berry as the main flavouring agent.
Conclusion
So, if you're a fan of gin and want to get the most out of it, make sure to look for a gin that contains juniper berries. That way, you can enjoy the unique and complex flavour of gin and experience the effects that juniper berries have on the taste of this beloved spirit.
Are you ready to enjoy a delicious gin and tonic made with juniper berries? Jim & Tonic has you covered. We are London's sustainable urban distillery producing high-quality craft gin with a focus on sustainability. Our brand and bespoke gins are perfect for sipping neat or for creating delicious co*cktails. Order online or visit our East London distillery for a unique tasting experience.
FAQs
Juniper berries are a key ingredient in gin that give it its distinctive flavour. Vacuum distillation uses a vacuum chamber to reduce the boiling point of the alcohol, allowing the distiller to extract the flavour compounds from the juniper berries at a lower temperature.
What gives gin its unique flavor? ›
Juniper berries are the backbone of gin. Juniper should be the dominant flavor and it gives the drink its fresh, piney character, as well as some of its dryness. Most gins are also flavored by three other ingredients: coriander seeds, a root, and citrus peel.
How do distillers make gin? ›
Gin is an alcoholic beverage obtained by distillation from a base of grain (wheat or barley). In a further procedure, botanicals along with water are added until the desired flavors are met. To be called a gin, the spirit must have a predominant flavor of juniper berries.
Which spirit uses juniper berries as an essential ingredient in the distillation process? ›
Gin is made from a fermentable grain, starch, or fruit; juniper berries; and other botanicals. To be classified as gin, the spirit must contain juniper and be at least 40% alcohol by volume. Gin is different from other liquors because of the use of botanicals in the distillation process.
How to distill juniper berries? ›
Place the collect juniper in your food processor/blender (preferably one with a glass container as the the juniper is very sticky and is hard to remove from plastic). Grind to the point that all of the berries are broken open. Place the ground juniper in the EssenEx home distillation kit for 6.5 minutes on HIGH power.
How are Flavours added to gin? ›
Flavourings are typically added to gin at the end of the distilling process or to bottled gin. Water soluble flavourings are typically used for flavouring spirits such as gin.
How is gin made from juniper berries? ›
Gin is made by distilling a neutral grain alcohol with juniper berries and other botanicals to make the fragrant spirit we all know and love. The botanicals are infused into the raw spirit to release their flavours. You can also vary the recipe by adding different spices, fruits and floral elements.
How do you extract flavor from juniper berries? ›
Crush juniper berries and mix them with the alcohol in a mason jar. Store in a dark, cool place for at least 2 weeks and up to six weeks. Every couple days, stir the mixture. Check for flavor by putting a drop on your hand and rubbing your hands together and smelling.
What are the three key ingredients in gin? ›
The primary three ingredients used in the majority of gins are juniper, coriander and angelica. Even though these are the most popular, there are hundreds of flowers, roots, fruits, berries and nuts that are used to create a palate for each gin that makes it distinctive.
What juniper tree is best for gin? ›
The juniper used most widely in gin production is Juniper communis, a small tree or shrub that can live for up to two hundred years. Juniper is typically sold either whole or as crushed or cut berries. It can also be purchased as a powder (more commonly used in baking, food products etc.).
The combination of juniper berries, along with other botanicals such as coriander, cardamom and citrus, create a complex and flavorful gin.
What is the best way to use juniper berries? ›
The spicy, aromatic, dark berries of the juniper tree can be used fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings and complement pork, rabbit, venison, beef and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake.
What gin has the most juniper berries? ›
Sipsmith V.J.O.P.
V.J.O.P. is bursting with piney juniper notes. Sipsmith uses triple the amount of juniper berries in this expression as in its normal London Dry, chasing “a desire to create the ultimate gin for juniper lovers.” It's also 57.7 percent ABV, making it a solid pick for a strong Gin & Tonic.
What makes gin taste different? ›
Other botanicals are where the magic of creating a unique profile for each gin comes in. Ingredients like citrus peels, coriander, Angelica root, or cardamom are considered classic additions to gin.
What is the secret ingredient in gin? ›
The secret
Most Gins contain next to Juniper berry and citrus botanicals such as lemon and bitter orange peel, anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, liquorice root, cinnamon, cubeb, savoury, lime peel, grapefruit peel, dragon eye, saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, nutmeg and cassia bark.
What makes gin different from other spirits? ›
While gin and vodka are both crafted as neutral spirits, gin has additional ingredients—namely juniper berries—to give it its signature pine flavour. In fact, gin can only be called a gin if it has juniper in it.
What is gin primarily Flavoured with? ›
Gin is a distilled spirit that derives its characteristic flavor primarily from juniper berries and a blend of various botanicals. The base alcohol used to produce gin can be made from different sources, such as grains (like barley, corn, rye, or wheat), molasses, or even grapes.
