5 Most Popular Gin Botanicals

5 Most Popular Gin Botanicals

Gin is a liquor that is renowned for and characterized by its botanicals. Gin distillers are allowed to choose their ingredients at will, but it must contain some juniper in order to be considered gin, which is where the flavour of pine comes from. Craft gin is among the market’s most varied alcoholic beverages because of this flexibility. Distillers set themselves apart by using different proportions of one or more botanicals as well as by including plants and flowers that are native to the area around the gin distillery. However, as can be seen below, there are a few plants that almost all the best gin manufacturers use and have for many years.

Juniper

Craft gin would not be gin at all without juniper, just as hops are to ales. Whether it is the Dutch ‘jenever’ or the French ‘genièvre’, juniper is the source of the term gin and the reason for the world’s best gin. Juniper is cultivated all over the globe and comes in a large number of types. Juniper was used as flavouring and for therapeutic reasons in the past. It has a primary pine taste and is the source of the Christmas tree flavours that are most frequently linked with gin.

Coriander

The dried seed of the cilantro plant, or coriander, is native to southwest Asia, North Africa, and southern Europe. When crushed, it has a flavour that is nuanced, slightly peppery, citrusy, and nutty. It is an effortless addition to juniper’s tastes. Coriander is commonly present in many a gin distillery around the globe.

Lemon

In the cooking world, lemon is used to add brightness to both cuisine and beverages. Gin drinks frequently include a lemon touch to bring out the citrus flavours. Lemon flavours in gin are mainly represented by zesty and sweet lemon peel, but they can also be a botanical used in the distillation process.

Cardamom

Other than the fact that it smells and tastes like cardamom, cardamom is a challenging spice to explain. It is similar to ginger and is frequently found in southern Indian cuisine. Bright green, somewhat numbing, and medicinal, cardamom pods are used to flavour food and gin. They are also very fragrant and have a rich taste.

Liquorice

Originating in southern Europe and India, liquorice root is a sugary sweet herb that tastes a lot like anise. Gin can have a more viscous texture thanks to the flavour of liquorice used by gin makers, which is very different from the taste of liquorice candy.

Getting Into Gin? What’s Next?

Consider visiting a craft gin making class near you. Discover the secrets behind crafting the best gin and create your own signature spirit in your home gin distillery.