Gin – what it is and a brief history
Gin is a high-proof spirit flavoured with juniper berries and a blend of herbs and spices. Its origins date back to the 17th century—its “inventor” is often cited as the Dutch physician Franciscus Sylvius, who created medicinal juniper distillates. The drink gained huge popularity in England in the 18th century (the famous Gin Craze), becoming one of the most popular spirits. The name gin derives from the French word genièvre and the Dutch jenever, both meaning juniper. Today, gin is a beloved base for many cocktails, known for its dominant juniper aroma and a wealth of botanical accents.

Gin – the easiest spirit to make at home
In home distilling circles, gin is considered the easiest spirit to make. Why? Above all, homemade gin doesn’t require a complex fermentation of specific raw materials or long barrel ageing. Its base is a neutral alcohol—this can be rectified spirit diluted with water to about 40–50%, vodka, or your own neutral distillate from a sugar wash or a grain mash. The process of making gin at home comes down to imparting the right aroma to that clean alcohol using herbs and spices. Because we start with neutral spirit, many challenges disappear: no need to ferment fruit or grains, and a re-distillation with botanicals is fairly quick and yields a drink ready to enjoy almost immediately. Making gin at home is therefore ideal for beginners—highly satisfying, with a lower risk of failure than more complex spirits like whisky or brandy.

Equipment for homemade gin
You can use practically any type of still to make gin at home. The simplest option is a classic pot-still—a straightforward still that’s ideal for producing spirits while retaining aromatic character. If you want cleaner distillate and fewer losses (better separation of foreshots and tails), a plate column with copper plates or even a reflux column is an excellent choice. Columns equipped with plates or packing let you achieve high-proof, neutral alcohol in one run with minimal impurities—which boosts efficiency and makes the subsequent gin aromatisation smoother.

Regardless of the setup, it’s worth choosing equipment made of copper. Copper stills have long been valued in gin production—copper conducts heat very well and, crucially, removes undesirable sulphur compounds from alcohol vapours, resulting in a cleaner, tastier distillate. Many traditional gins (London Dry, Plymouth) are produced in copper alembics, which translates into high quality.

If you already own a reflux column for neutral spirit, there’s nothing stopping you from adapting it for gin. To do that, use a dedicated aromatising attachment (a gin basket) installed between the boiler and the condenser. It lets alcohol vapours pass through a bed of botanicals, which then release their aromas into the distillate. This add-on greatly simplifies the process, especially when you don’t want to throw botanicals directly into the boiler. We offer accessories matched to different devices—for example, an aromatiser for our pot-stills (54 mm diameter), a version for larger 76 mm columns, and a model dedicated to plate columns Aromatyzator. With these, owners of virtually any reflux column can easily produce excellent gin at home.

Homemade gin recipe – ingredients and botanicals
Once you have your base alcohol and equipment, it’s time to choose the botanicals. The fundamental, absolutely essential ingredient is juniper—it defines gin and gives its characteristic forest-like aroma. By law, gin must have a dominant juniper flavour, so don’t skimp on the berries in your recipe. Alongside juniper, classic gins typically include a range of other botanicals. Common herbs and spices for gin include:

Coriander seeds – adding citrusy, peppery notes.
Dried citrus peels – most often lemon and orange; they bring fresh, fruity aroma (dry the peels first to reduce bitterness).
Angelica root – adds depth and a lightly herbal, earthy tone; helps bind the bouquet.
Orris (iris) root – often used powdered to stabilise aroma and add subtle floral notes.
Liquorice root – in small amounts, lends gentle sweetness and a faint anise nuance, rounding the palate.
Cardamom – a few lightly crushed pods provide a spicy, slightly camphoraceous lift.
Cinnamon – a touch of cassia bark contributes warm, spicy accents.
Pepper – e.g., black pepper or cubeb, for subtle heat on the finish.
Clove, anise, ginger – optional, in small amounts to taste; use sparingly so bold spices don’t dominate the gin.


There are countless gin formulas and every producer or home distiller has their own ratios. Exact quantities are provided in the User Manual supplied with our Aromatisers. The ingredients above form the backbone of many classic gins—by experimenting with their levels and adding other herbs, you can create a unique aromatic profile.

For the curious: different well-known brands use distinct botanical compositions. Below is a table with example ingredients characteristic of several popular gins:

 

 

 

Maceration or vapour infusion – two ways to make gin
There are two main ways to imbue neutral alcohol with juniper and spice aromas and thus make gin at home. Both lead to a similar end result, though they differ in process and the character of the final spirit. You can also combine them creatively for optimal effect.

Maceration and distillation of the macerate: The simplest, traditional method is to macerate—that is, soak the botanicals in alcohol—and then re-distil the resulting charge. Juniper and spices are covered with base spirit and left for a time to release their essential oils. Then the whole is distilled with your setup. You can do this two ways: either distil with the botanicals present in the boiler, or— to avoid any risk of scorching—filter the alcohol beforehand to remove solids and charge the boiler with a clear, aromatic spirit.

During distillation of the macerate, you’ll obtain a high-proof spirit saturated with botanical aromas. Discard the first millilitres (the foreshots)—even if the base spirit was clean, some very volatile fractions (e.g., from citrus) are best separated for higher quality. Collect the main run until the aroma clearly weakens; it’s better to stop before heavy, bitter notes (tails) appear. The maceration method yields an intense, rich flavour profile.


Vapour infusion (basket method): In this approach, botanicals are not mixed into the boiler; instead they’re placed in a dedicated basket mounted in the vapour path. Bring the neutral in the boiler to a boil (often with added water if it’s strong), and the rising ethanol vapours pass through a basket filled with juniper and other botanicals. The hot vapour extracts the aromas and carries them to the condenser, where it condenses as gin. This method often gives a lighter, cleaner profile. Aromas are bright and fresh—useful with delicate ingredients (e.g., flowers, fresh herbs). There’s no risk of scorching because botanicals don’t contact the hot boiler base. Vapour infusion does require a proper aromatising attachment. The basket method is also used commercially (famously by Bombay Sapphire).

We strongly warn against placing botanicals inside glass sight glasses on reflux columns! What looks nice in photos is extremely dangerous—unlike dedicated baskets, sight glasses are not designed to handle swollen, saturated botanicals and can block the column, potentially leading to an explosion!

Combined method: The most inquisitive hobbyists may combine both techniques. Part of the botanicals (typically robust ones like juniper, coriander, angelica) are macerated in alcohol and distilled with the liquid, while other, more volatile or delicate ingredients (e.g., citrus peels, flowers, green herbs) are placed in the vapour basket. In this way, vapours from the macerate pass through fresh botanicals, picking up an extra layer of complexity. The result can be a gin with a remarkably rich profile—deep and full, yet bright and fresh. The combined method takes a bit more effort and practice, but it’s a rewarding playground for ambitious home distillers.


Regardless of the method, after distillation you’ll typically have a concentrated spirit of about 70–80% ABV. Dilute it with good-quality water to your target bottling strength—gin is commonly reduced to about 40–45% ABV. That range best balances intensity of aroma with drinkability. Properly run gin distillation results in minimal losses—since we started from neutral spirit, practically all of it becomes aromatic gin (only small foreshots/tails are discarded). You can expect that, for example, from 2–3 litres of charge you’ll obtain a similar volume of gin ready for dilution.

Is ageing necessary?
Classic gin does not require ageing. Unlike whisky or brandy, gin is essentially ready to drink right after distillation. Many people love that—your homemade gin can be enjoyed almost immediately, showcasing fresh juniper and citrus notes. Even so, a short rest can help: leave the diluted spirit for a few days or weeks in glass so the flavours meld. This brief “on-glass” maturation harmonises the botanicals and softens any alcoholic edge, yielding a smoother profile.

Ready-made botanical blends for gin


Sourcing a dozen different spices and nailing the ratios can be time-consuming—especially for beginners. To make making gin at home even easier, we’ve created a ready-made botanical blend for gin, so the whole process becomes simpler. Our blend contains carefully selected ingredients in well-balanced proportions. There’s no need to buy juniper, coriander or angelica separately—one pack includes everything needed for a great gin bouquet. What’s more, the recipe has been developed by experienced distillers, so you can be confident in the result.

Using a ready mix is extremely convenient: just add the contents to your base spirit and follow the included directions (macerate and/or distil) to get excellent homemade gin without tedious measuring. It’s an ideal solution for those who want to enjoy their own gin while trusting a proven formula.

 

Gin at home is one of the most rewarding projects for spirits enthusiasts. With the guidance above—and the right products—anyone can craft a unique, juniper-forward spirit. Good luck with your gin experiments—cheers!