When you're sipping on a perfectly balanced gin co*cktail, it's not hard to imagine how the spirit started as a medicinal tonic, touted by alchemists as "the water of life." The bold, piney taste of juniper berries— complemented by fresh citrus, soft florals, and spicy botanicals — hint at gin's healing and health-giving properties, of which it has many, even today. Given its many different tasting notes, gin provides an excellent base for co*cktails, and deciphering which flavors pair best with it is an exciting exercise in finding common ground.
Plenty of fruit flavors work with gin — citrus, of course, brings out the acidic undertones while blackberries round out the sweetness of licorice and anise— but few combinations are better matched than gin and elderberries. When the fragrant, white elder flowers transition into deep purple elderberries at the end of summer, a little bit of their flowery sweetness is lost and is replaced with earthy undertones and a distinct tartness.
Because elderberries are still flower-forward, they play nicely with gin's notes of rose and lavender, bringing those sweet, floral flavors to the foreground. The berries' sourness, however, restores balance by bringing out gin's citrus notes while the berries' wild quality works well with the taste of juniper. Pairing elderberry with gin is also a nod to gin's long history of healing, as elderberry has powerful immune-boosting propertiesand is commonly used in traditional medicine.
Infusing gin with elderberry is a simple (if somewhat lengthy) process, at least if you plan to use fresh berries. Because they're not commonly sold in grocery stores, collecting fresh elderberries for an infusion may require some foraging. (When foraging, always be sure to identify the plant with 100% certainty, and follow ethical foraging practices by only taking up to⅒ of a single patch's production.) Picked straight from the vine, elderberries can be bitter, and the fruit — as well as the stems, leaves, and roots — contains chemical compounds that can cause digestive upset when consumed in large quantities, per the National Library of Medicine. For these reasons, remove the berries from their stalks before infusing.
The elderberries can then be placed in an airtight jar, covered with gin, and left in a cool place for up to a month before they're strained. During that time, the alcohol will extract the berries' flavor, as well as some of their rich color and medicinal properties. Alternatively, dried elderberries, which can be found at your local apothecary, can be used in place of fresh berries for a much faster infusion. Because the dried berries are devoid of water, the potent flavor can be extracted in a matter of daysrather than weeks. The elderberry-infused gin can be used in a tasty, fruit-forward Bees Knees or boost the floral flavor in a Ramos Gin Fizz.
Adding Elderberry To Gin co*cktails
Since elderberry is somewhat bitter and mildly toxic in its raw form, muddling fresh elderberry into your co*cktail isn't the best way to get more of that elderberry flavor into your gin. If you aren't ready to commit to infusing your whole bottle of gin with elderberry just yet, you might consider whipping up an elderberry syrup that can be added to your gin co*cktails instead.
The Cyanogenic glycosides contained in elderberries, which have the potential to cause digestive upset in some people, can be nearly eliminated when heated, the National Library of Medicine reports. As such, simmering the elderberries in a syrupwith equal parts water and sugar both sweetens the berries and makes them safer to consume. While the cooked berries can be strained from the syrup for a smoother final product that works well in a French 75 or a Hugo Spritz, the berries can also be left in for a more rustic syrup that can be used in, for example, a gin and elderberry bramble.
We love to mix it up with berries like strawberries, raspberries or blackberries; other citrus fruit like grapefruit, lime and blood orange; and even more unusual fruits that you might not think to add to a G&T, like grapes, pear, fig and apricot - there are no wrong answers!
We love to mix it up with berries like strawberries, raspberries or blackberries; other citrus fruit like grapefruit, lime and blood orange; and even more unusual fruits that you might not think to add to a G&T, like grapes, pear, fig and apricot - there are no wrong answers!
Good gin garnishes shouldn't have much more than three ingredients. Use up your old citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits) by slicing and storing them in your freezer. Do the same with some berries (blackberries, strawberries and raspberries are your friends) and you will never need ice cubes again.
But a good gin will have a beautiful balance of flavors. Juniper berries are the backbone of gin. Juniper should be the dominant flavor and it gives the drink its fresh, piney character, as well as some of its dryness. Most gins are also flavored by three other ingredients: coriander seeds, a root, and citrus peel.
The main flavouring in all gins, juniper is a member of the cypress family and the berries used in gin production usually comes from Italy, Serbia, Macedonia and India. The best juniper berries are generally considered to be from mountain slopes in Tuscany and Macedonia.
Gin is a beloved drink among many, and its unique flavour comes from juniper berries. Juniper berries are an essential part of London dry gins and other gin types, adding a distinctive taste and aroma to the spirit.
Gin goes fantastically well with citrus (as we know from the classic garnishes of lime or lemon). Bitter lemon is a popular alternative among those who don't particularly enjoy the taste of tonic, and it's handy to have in the cupboard as it goes well with most gins, particularly, of course, the citrus-led ones.
Pour a little into your glass, just take a tiny amount and let a little run over your tongue, then breathe gently. You'll sense the different botanicals clearly. The sides of your tongue have particular taste buds, so it helps if you let the gin coat your whole tongue. You'll get more out of the tasting!
You can't go wrong with a juniper-forward London dry gin, which works with nearly any juice you can source, from lemon and lime to orange and grapefruit. Softer gins can work great, too, but depending on their botanical makeup, they may pair better with sweeter OJ or more sour grapefruit.
Citrus peels complement the other botanicals, adding a zesty complexity - whether lemon, lime, grapefruit, pomelo, bergamot, sweet orange or bitter orange. Cinnamon, cassia bark and liquorice root are all sweeter botanicals which balance out more bitter, floral or earthy botanicals.
You can use one of these as a garnish to enhance the flavour. While a slice of lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit can overwhelm the gin, the peel can add just enough citrus to make a key difference. Having said that, if you love your citrus, don't let us tell you not to add a slice!
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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