Gin is made from a grain alcohol or a neutral alcohol such as vodka, a taste is added with botanicals. Flowers, seeds, roots, spices, herbs all kinds of seasonings can be added. If the gin is made with grain alcohol it is called "London dry" and if there is 'distilled' on the bottle it is made with a neutral alcohol, often vodka. Actually, gin is vodka with a taste.
The classic 'Gin Tonic' is made with a Tonic, originally this was a somewhat bitter drink but nowadays there are many types of Tonics. Unfortunately, there is often a lot of sugar in it. It is much more fun to make your own Gin Tonic with mineral water and give it your own taste with flowers, spices or fresh fruit.
Each gin tastes like juniper, a bit of a sweet taste with a hint of pine needles and lemon. The difference in all Gin types is in the taste that has been added. If you make your own Gin cocktail you can also use a 100o proof Vodka, then you have taste completely in hand. Actually you make a Vodka cocktail, or is it called Gin cocktail .... :-).
You can go in multiple directions with these recipes, you can make a Gin Tonic or make a Vodka cocktail. Of course, all these recipes can also be used very well for an alcohol-free cocktail and you can add some honey or sugar to taste.
Rose Gin cocktail
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- 45 ml Gin or Vodka
- 135 ml (chilled) mineral water
- 3 hibuscus leaves from the Gin Tonic package
- 100 ml watermelon juice
- 1 piece of watermelon for the garnish
- Ice cubes
Add the hibiscus leaves to the gin, it takes a few hours to release the color well so do this well in advance. Strain the leaves out of the Gin and add the melon juice. Divide over two glasses and fill with mineral water and ice. Garnish with a piece of watermelon. If necessary, replace the Gin with Vodka.
Spicy Gin cocktail
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- 45 ml Gin
- 135 ml (chilled) mineral water Rosemary
- from the Gin Tonic package
- Two red peppers cut
- lengthwise Ice cubes
Add the rosemary leaf to the Gin and let it infuse for an hour or so. Strain the leaves out of the Gin. Divide all the ingredients over two glasses and use the red pepper as a stirring stick. If necessary, replace the Gin with Vodka.
Seabreeze Gin cocktail
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- 45 ml Gin
- 135 ml Mineral water
- sea salt on a saucer
- 1 lemon squeezed
- Ice cubes
Moisten the top edge of two glasses and dip them in the sea salt. Then pour the Gin, lemon juice and some mineral water into the glass. Serve with a slice of lemon.
Cucumber, Lime and Rosemary Gin cocktail.
- 45 ml Gin
- 100 ml mineral water
- Half cucumber cut lengthwise into long strips, cut out the seeds and turn into juice in the blender or with a hand blender.
- Rosemary The juice of lime
- Two lime slices
- Ice cubes
- Strain the leaves out of the Gin. Divide the Gin, cucumber water and the juice of the lime over two glasses. Add a slice of lime and fill the glass with mineral water and ice. If necessary, replace the Gin with Vodka.
Orange lavender Gin cocktail
- 45 ml Gin
- 100 ml mineral water
- The juice of 1 orange
- 1/2 teaspoon lavender from the Gin Tonic Package
- 1/2 slice orange by the glass for garnish
Add the lavender to the Gin and let it infuse for several hours. Strain the lavender leaf from the Gin and divide it over two glasses. Add the orange juice and fill with mineral water and ice. Serve with half a slice of orange. If necessary, replace the Gin with Vodka.
The history and more Gin cocktail recipes can be found here.