Let’s face it, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a tipple or two! Be it a glass of fizz with your Christmas dinner, celebratory drinks with friends, a bottle of something fancy given as a gift or the cheeky brandy left out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Each of us has our favourites, personally mine change all through the year, in the summer I Love nothing more than a nice fruity, scrumpy cider, whereas at this time of year I find myself reaching more for the Bailey’s & port. However, there’s one drink that I do love all year round, gin. Not only because of it’s light & refreshing nature but because it can be so easily infused with the flavours of the seasons. For Christmas, I’ve gone gone for full on festive flavour with cranberry, orange & ample spices! As the flavours infuse, the cranberries also lend their festive red colour making for a striking Christmas gin that would make a lovely homemade gift for any gin lover.
CHRISTMAS GIN
(makes 700ml)
Ingredients:
- 700ml bottle of decent quality gin
- 50g caster sugar
- Peel of 2 medium oranges
- 30g fresh cranberries
- 10g dried cranberries
- 10g fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 whole cloves
Method:
- Begin by decanting the gin into a clean bowl or jug
- In the empty bottle, add the sugar, fruit & spices
- Pour the gin back into the bottle
- Seal the bottle & give it a little shake
- Leave the gin to infuse for at least 24 hours but preferably for at least a week, giving it a little shake every now & then to dissolve the sugar
- Once infused the gin will have turned a golden berry colour
- Strain the gin through a piece of muslin cloth & transfer to a clean, sterilised bottle
- It’s best used within a couple of months from making
