spiced orange and cranberry gin

[ulster_beef1]

Hello folks,

So here in northern Ireland, the warmer winter weather is leaving and the cold winter is approaching (we don't have summer). I saw a gin company which do a spiced orange and cranberry gin. It sounds delicious.

My searches bring up rums. I'm assuming I could do a normal gin infusion with added cinnamon and orange peel but the cranberryi throwing me a bit. Dried, whole ...? I'm wondering has anyone tried this?

Thanks

[Danespirit]

I would do it like a normal gin infusion (carter head), or simply add it in the boiler. If you want a stronger orange aroma, add the juice of them too.
I use dried orange peel for my gin, made like "Odin gin" http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 14&t=48594
My gin is mainly juniper and has just a hint of orange to it.
Never tried cranberry, but should be feasible.
If you go for the orange peel, make sure you trim off all the zest or you'll get some really bitter aromas in your final product.
When I trim the peel, I use a very sharp blade to get rid of all the white stuff.
Slice it into small strips, they are a lot easier to trim.

[still_stirrin]

+1 Danespirit.

Trimming the white from the orange (better yet, tangerine) skins will leave you with a few narrow strips of the zest (outer skin) where all the flavor is. Put that into the vapor path and it will delicately add to your juniper flavors.

And remember that the juniper oils come over first in the boil, so you've got to use clean neutral as your base spirit and take a very small early heads cut.

If using dried cranberries, I'd likewise add them in the vapor path. But if using fresh berries, I'd put them into the boiler. I do wonder how the cranberries would work with the juniper, however. It seems more like a vodka flavor than a gin (juniper).
ss

[Fart Vader]

On the cinnamon, be VERY conservative.
On my last batch of Odin's I had a about a 2 inch piece kicking around and I dropped it in the mix as an experiment.
I think the batch size was around 5L.
The cinnamon was almost over-powering. Unless you really, really like the cinnamon taste. Go easy.
Personally, I won't use it again.

[still_stirrin]

On the cinnamon...(it) was almost over-powering. Unless you really, really like the cinnamon taste. Go easy.
Personally, I won't use it again.

For a gin...I agree. None needed. For a spiced vodka...OK, maybe.

But how about making an essence, like Fire Piss, and adding that "to taste" back into the vodka? It seems a better way to regulate the cinnamon oils in the spirit. Using a high proof spirit to macerate the sticks in works great. But, alas...it does give you a nice "color". So, if you're truly wanting a clear spirit, then even the maceration route is not the best. Again, I would point to the vapor path for these types of flavor additions...without color.

But...as always...YMMV.
ss