Now we LOVE making handmade Christmas gifts! And we are embarking on a number of different versions thereof this year! In our view nothing is quite as good as receiving a gift that has been given someone’s love and attention in its creation, and of course, it is usually a very cost effective way of addressing your gifting needs. In our case, we also try to use up things that might otherwise get wasted along the way..and things often involve gin!
First off the blocks this year, with production starting way back in September with a leftover pomegranate and an abundant herb patch, our take on the current ‘gin thing’. And we are jumping on the all gleaming and glittery bandwagon with our very own Sparkle Gin!
Now this is the most simple and effective gift and you could put any flavoursome spin you want on it! We decided to glitz up our homemade infusions using herbs from the garden, making Rosemary and Pomegranate, and Sage and Lemon gin infusions. Here is how you do it!
Ingredients:
Rosemary and Pomegranate Infused Sparkle Gin
- 70cl gin
- 2 x pomegranates
- 4 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 tbsp honey (or 4 tbsp of sugar)
- silver edible glitter for sparkle!
Sage and Lemon Infused Sparkle Gin
- 70cl gin
- 1 jar of preserved lemons
- small handful of chopped sage
- 4 tbsp sugar
- a few black peppercorns
- gold edible glitter for sparkle of course!
Equipment needed:
- Sterilised jar for the infusion process
- Funnel
- Muslin cloth
- Large jug
- Small sterilised bottles for decanting into
Method:
Lemon and Sage
Very simply, add the ingredients (except the glitter!!!!) to the gin, the easiest way to do this is in a large (1 litre) sterilised kilner type jar. Once the ingredients are in give it a good stir. The infusion will need to be stored in a cool dark room, and tipped every few days for two weeks. After the two weeks are up, simply pass through a muslin cloth and into a jug. You may want to pass through a second muslin/coffee filter to get rid of as much sediment as possible.
Now the really fun part, the addition of sparkle! For each jug of gin you will only need a tiny amount of edible glitter, half a tea spoon should be plenty. Tip it in and give it a good stir. Once you have done this start decanting into bottles. After each bottle I would give the jug a quick stir to mobilise the glitter again and get a fairly even distribution of sparkle.
Once you are done, label the bottle, decorate, wrap it in tinsel, what ever you want to present your handmade gift. Alternatively, pour yourself a shot, throw in some top notch tonic, watch your glittery infusion do a little dance and enjoy!
Next off the blocks, Christmas Kraut and Marmalade & Bay Gin, because we love everything to do with Paddington! :0)
