Lavender Gin

[Vurumai]

Looking to macerate a gin with juniper, orange and lots of lavender. I see recipes here that use little bits of lavender, like a sprig or a 1/4 teaspoon per 750mls, but I want to know what the upper limit is before it gets gross.

Here is the current plan:
Neutral spirit at 45% in 1.5l aliquots
20g Juniper berries crushed
4g coriander
a little less than 1 tangerine or orange peel
3 sprigs of lavender

Macerate for 2 weeks
Filter
Distill as a spirit run
10mls as foreshots
Dilute to 45%
Rest open and covered with a coffee a filter for 5 weeks


What yall think?

[NormandieStill]

Looking to macerate a gin with juniper, orange and lots of lavender. I see recipes here that use little bits of lavender, like a sprig or a 1/4 teaspoon per 750mls, but I want to know what the upper limit is before it gets gross.

Here is the current plan:
Neutral spirit at 45% in 1.5l aliquots
20g Juniper berries crushed
4g coriander
a little less than 1 tangerine or orange peel
3 sprigs of lavender

Macerate for 2 weeks
Filter
Distill as a spirit run
10mls as foreshots
Dilute to 45%
Rest open and covered with a coffee a filter for 5 weeks


What yall think?

I put about 8 flowers into (From memory, I'd have to go and measure it) about 250ml of neutral at 45%. Add a couple of drops of this tincture to a glass of prepared gin and the lavender comes over really nicely. I'd go easy on it.

I also wouldn't rest it open. You'll just lose some alcohol and flavour. My gins all seem to settle out nicely after a couple of weeks in a closed bottle. We tend to start drinking them after 2 weeks and they often don't make it to 5!

[Vurumai]

I put about 8 flowers into (From memory, I'd have to go and measure it) about 250ml of neutral at 45%. Add a couple of drops of this tincture to a glass of prepared gin and the lavender comes over really nicely. I'd go easy on it.

I also wouldn't rest it open. You'll just lose some alcohol and flavour. My gins all seem to settle out nicely after a couple of weeks in a closed bottle. We tend to start drinking them after 2 weeks and they often don't make it to 5!

That is really smart. I'm gonna steal both of those. Thanks!

[TwoSheds]

3 sprigs of lavender

Are you (and others) talking the sprigs of flowers? Or are people using the leaves as well? Both are quite fragrant but it seems like the flowers are the thing for essential oils and most other culinary purposes.

I'll be following along. I have a bunch of lavender plants that tend to do pretty well. Would be great to use them fresh from the garden in a gin!

[Metalking00]

I find that lavender can become very soapy if you use too much, and it seems to be easy to use too much.

When i make my gin, my recipe uses about half of 1 flower, and i think that more would be overdoing it. Then again, my goal wasnt to make something super lavendery, so....

Try it out and see what you come up with!

[Vurumai]

I find that lavender can become very soapy if you use too much, and it seems to be easy to use too much.

When i make my gin, my recipe uses about half of 1 flower, and i think that more would be overdoing it. Then again, my goal wasnt to make something super lavendery, so....

Try it out and see what you come up with!

I love lavender and have not found the upper limit for when it becomes soapy yet.

You put in one little flower? Not a sprig? In what volume?

[Metalking00]

In 2 liters of 45%. Im not a huge fan of lavender, so theres that. I find the tiny amount to be right for my tastes.

[Vurumai]

Update:

The tincture: Did 1 tablespoon in 250mls of 40% and it was OK. Not strong enough to add in small amounts to a G&T and have it impart enough lavender for me. Ended up adding 1oz to a pint to get enough. May try a higher ABV and more lavender to get something more concentrated.

Lavender Gin: Modified Odin's gin a bit. Reduced the amount of juniper from 27g to 18g in 1.5L, 4g coriander, 1 tablespoon of lavender, 6 cardamom pods, the whole peel of 1 tangerine. Macerated for a week then redistilled. Turned out great! Reducing the juniper and orange was a great idea to let the lavender shine. The addition of cardamom pods was a whim and it worked out well. May up the lavender next time by 50% but this goes in the recipe book.

[Terrenum]

Update:

The tincture: Did 1 tablespoon in 250mls of 40% and it was OK. Not strong enough to add in small amounts to a G&T and have it impart enough lavender for me. Ended up adding 1oz to a pint to get enough. May try a higher ABV and more lavender to get something more concentrated.

Lavender Gin: Modified Odin's gin a bit. Reduced the amount of juniper from 27g to 18g in 1.5L, 4g coriander, 1 tablespoon of lavender, 6 cardamom pods, the whole peel of 1 tangerine. Macerated for a week then redistilled. Turned out great! Reducing the juniper and orange was a great idea to let the lavender shine. The addition of cardamom pods was a whim and it worked out well. May up the lavender next time by 50% but this goes in the recipe book.

Have you landed on a good amount of lavender dried flowers in a recipe?