It can be made of anything ... but there's more to this answer. Ingredients: 2 oz. Gin is made from neutral grain, fruit or molasses spirit (vodka-like) using juniper berries as the dominant flavour, with herbs & spices called botanicals to add fragrance. In more basic terms, vodka is water mixed with ethanol until it reaches a proof of 80, and no less. Gin is England’s national spirit and there are few things more English than … lime juice; 6 oz. Although one of the oldest  methods to produce “distilled Gin” it is still devised by distillers today as it’s known to lock in the flavours of the botanicals in the best way possible. This is the process of mixing a neutral base spirit with botanicals and allowing their infusion without heating (re-distillation). The most important difference between gin and vodka is ingredients: vodka is made from distilled potatoes, rye or wheat. Well, Belvedere Vodka crunched the numbers and found there were 9.6 quadrillion potential ways to make a martini, give or take. vodka. There are various botanicals that can be used (some use haggis too), but the most commonly known ones are: So there are a few different processes in distilling Gin, which give you three types: Compound Gin, Pot Distilled Gin and Column Distilled Gin. Gin is never just gin. Popular brands include Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, and Aviation. So let’s start with the two biggest and most argued points then: shaken vs. stirred, and gin vs. vodka. It tastes bitter. Popular cocktails with gin include the Negroni, the classic Martini (which was originally always made with gin), and the Gin and Tonic. Both gin and vodka make good foundations for making cocktails. Fill it up so it’s over the element then wait a little more so there is a little bit of depth above the element. It then became an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Milk whey can even be used for the mash, like the English brand Black Cow does. As stated above, gin is known for its juniper berries. However, the gnarly, coniferous juniper tree is not the base of gin. The spirit isn’t supposed to take on much of the flavor of its alcohol source, unlike the way gin gets flavor from juniper berries or tequila does from blue agave. What are botanicals you may ask? Here is a primer outlining the differences and similarities between vodka and gin. The quicker evaporation process allows this method to produce a larger amount of Gin, better suited for bigger distiller brands. The resulting vapour is then collected and condensed back to liquid form of about 60% ABV. The botanicals are infused into the raw spirit to release their flavours. If you ever wondered what gin is made from, it usually starts as an unmalted cereal-based ethanol extracted via distillation similar to Russian vodka. Grain- and potato-based vodkas tend to have a more neutral profile than fruit- and sugar-based vodkas and are the traditional way to produce the spirit. Vodka is the chief ingredient of the alcoholic drinks in U.S. while it is a straight drink in other places. What separates gin from vodka is the inclusion of juniper and other botanicals in the distillation. ... vodka … now pour in your spirit and the tails (the end part of a run) from any previous runs of gin or vodka, don’t use the tails from anything else as it could taint the flavour. This water in the vodka is slightly flavored or as in the most cases, is not flavored at all. Reyka vodka; 0.5 oz. Vodka is defined by what it’s not. Fittingly, the word “vodka” comes from the Russian word for water, “voda.” Vodka isn’t the only clear spirit, of course. Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries (Juniperus communis).. The United Kingdom embraced gin full-heartedly (a little too full-heartedly) and it became known as “mother’s ruin” because of how much gin each person in the country was consuming. Many people consider gin as vodka but gin is not vodka. The Story of Taylor California Cellars, Coca-Cola’s Forgotten Foray Into the Wine Industry, 10 Things You Should Know About Cointreau, The Differences Between Vodka and Gin, Explained | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/articles/differences-gin-vs-vodka/, wbs_cat Spirit, wbs_type Gin, wbs_type Vodka, wbs_brand Absolut Vodka, wbs_brand Aviation, wbs_brand Bombay Sapphire, wbs_brand Grey Goose, wbs_brand Skyy, wbs_brand Smirnoff, wbs_brand Svedka, wbs_brand Tanqueray, explainer, gin, Spirits, vodka, How to Celebrate the Holidays in Style With Mionetto Prosecco | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/articles/how-to-celebrate-the-holidays-in-style-with-mionetto-prosecco/, wbs_cat Wine, wbs_type Prosecco, wbs_brand Mionetto, holidays, Infographics, prosecco, wine pairing. Holland made gin first. As the vodka is forming the base of your gin, it should be of a quality that you'd be willing to drink by itself. It’s designed to be flavorless (well, other than flavored vodka), clear, and in all ways indistinct. This process also results in a higher alcohol content of the liquid, amounting up to 95% ABV. Read more specific legislation in your state or territory and to view our Liquor Licence numbers.New South Wales:Liquor Act 2007 - It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to, or to obtain alcohol on behalf of, a person under the age of 18 years.ACT: Under the Liquor Act 2010. Dan Murphy's supports the Responsible Service of Alcohol. There’s London Dry, which is devoid of all sweetness; Plymouth Gin, which must be made in Plymouth, England; Old Tom gin, which is a little sweeter; Navy Strength, which is 57 percent alcohol by volume or higher; and American or West Coast gin, which is usually more herbal. However, there are almost as many different ways of including these botanicals as there are different … Gin has a long history in both Holland and England, however today is produced around the world, including Australia. Juniper. Gin, on the other hand, is made by distilling malt or grain and infusing it with juniper berries and other botanicals. Learn everything you need to know about how gin is made now! While gin can contain other natural ingredients, such as wheat and rye, juniper must be the plant predominately used. However from a legal, cultural, and culinary standpoint, if you flavour that vodka with juniper berries, you then get an entire different alcohol category called gin. Even so, the great debate over whether they should be made with gin or vodka rages on. I presume that’s why you have probably seen Strawberry Vodka, Cherry Vodka, Lemon Vodka, but … It’s easy to think of gin as essentially a flavored vodka, but several intricacies distinguish the two. Distilled: Juniper berries and other aromatics are added to a fermented mash and distilled all together. There are also cachaça, rum, soju, and others. Yeast eats sugars or starches and spits out alcohol and carbon dioxide. "When you soak the golden raisins in the juniper berry gin, the gin extracts many of the compounds in the raisins, making them more readily absorbed when you consume the raisins," Kilham added. Smirnoff and Absolut are by far the best-selling Vodkas, but many bars feature a slew of other new entries in the market. Gin is usually made from a base of grain, such as wheat or barley, which is first fermented and then distilled.. Juniper berries and other herbs, plants and spices - known as aromatics, or botanicals - are added to the fermented grain mixture along with water until the alcohol level and balance of flavours meets the required (or desired) levels.. Gin is all about botanicals, and flavors added. If it’s a vodka and orange soda, it’ll taste primarily like orange soda. Have whatever you want but to many of us a martini needs to be made with gin, that’s the original and classic 37 views View 2 Upvoters Most obviously, one is associated with pine and herbal flavors, while the other is often positioned as an odorless, tasteless entity. this is the point where I … Then, water is added to bring the spirit down to 40 percent alcohol by volume, and in the case of gin, it is mixed with juniper and other herbs and spices. Although vodka can be used as an ingredient to prepare gin, it’s not the main constituent that defines this spirit. Yet the two are frequent substitutes for each other in cocktails such as the Martini or Vodka/Gin and Tonic. Vodka is commonly made from wheat, rye, barley, corn, or potatoes. The Difference between Vodka and Gin. Making gin is a really fun activity to do with some friends, and it also allows you to get as creative as you like with the ingredients. Feel free to show off to your friends while acquiring the title of “gin connoisseur”. What became known as vodka dates back to the Middle Ages while gin is a somewhat more recent invention, and “by many, gin is understood as the original flavored vodka… While vodka is made from by distillation of potatoes, rye or wheat, gin is made with the help of distillation of malt or grain and then mixed with the flavor of juniper berries. The vodka is the starting point. Sugar and molasses can also be used alone or added to other ingredients. Well, we can say that gin is flavored vodka for instance. If it’s a vodka cranberry, it tastes a lot like cranberry. Sort of ... Vodka should be made of potatoes. How to make gin Easy compound gin recipe. Gin’s dirty secret is that it’s essentially the original flavored vodka. The name is actually to do with how it is made. It started with the Seacliff Vodka. We’ve opened up our cellar of individually distilled botanicals for you to create your own completely unique spirit. They are various roots, seeds, spices, herbs and fruits that a gin distiller will use in following their own precise recipe and combine with their base spirit to create their unique brand of Gin. Seriously. Ever wondered how the spirit now adored by the masses is made? Not Martha takes another stab at making homemade, "bathtub" gin (see previous). Make sure you don't spill any out the side; otherwise, the balance of flavor you picked out may be thrown off. The main constituent of Vodka is water and ethanol while the central part of Gin is Juniper berries. What Is Gin Made Of? Gin, on the other hand, is a spirit that is 40 percent ABV or higher, with its main characteristic flavor derived from juniper berries. It is one of the broadest categories of spirits, all of various origins, styles, and flavour profiles, that revolve around juniper as a common ingredient. I’ve answered this before in other questions here on Quora. Vodka is a neutral spirit made from fermentable ingredients such as grain or fruit that’s distilled or treated to make a spirit without character, aroma, taste or color. Redistilled: A neutral base spirit is redistilled with juniper berries and other aromatics. There are three primary ways to make the stuff: pot distilling, column distilling and the compound method. Then introduced two gins called Daalgaal and Boobialla made exclusively from the native Australian juniper. Vodka cocktails most commonly take on the characteristics and flavors of whatever else is mixed in the drink. Starting with vodka. If you look at it technically gin is simply flavoured vodka, that doesn’t change. “The technical name for this is compound gin but it’s also sometimes called ‘bathtub gin’, in reference to the vessel in which batches were illegally made during American Prohibition in the 1920s. whisky. Conclusion. 4. The U.S. government defines gin as a liquid “produced by distillation or mixing of spirits with juniper berries and other aromatics or extracts.”, Juniper, gin’s defining characteristic, tastes primarily like pine, but is also herbaceous and floral. If you ever wondered what gin is made from, it usually starts as an unmalted cereal-based ethanol extracted via distillation similar to Russian vodka.However, it will go through another distillation process in order to attain its distinctive flavour. So what does this gin brewing kit actually come with? How to Make Gin. (Russians clock in at a whopping 17.28 vodka shots per month.). In the U.S., gin — or something resembling gin — was popular during the 1910s and Prohibition. Other possibilities include carrots, beets, and even milk. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in Southern France, Flanders and the Netherlands, to provide aqua vita from distillates of grapes and grains. What separates gin from vodka is the inclusion of juniper and other botanicals in the distillation. Compounded: Made by mixing a neutral base spirit with juniper berries and other aromatics. Gin is made from the same base ingredient as vodka: neutral spirit. Our gin distilling guide breaks down the way that gin is made and what it's made from. There are three primary ways to make the stuff: pot distilling, column distilling and the compound method. Put the botanical blend in the jar. Other possibilities include carrots, beets, and … You can make your own gin at home, using vodka as a base and a few other ingredients. How Is Gin Made? The Gin Kin promotes responsible drinking, led to increase in its consumption and diversity in production, Here's How Make Your Own Winter Gin From 'Christmas Trees', “Bath Tub” Gin, taken its name from an era when gin was made in bathtubs. Its recent popularity has led to increase in its consumption and diversity in production too. Most cocktails including Screwdriver, Sex on the Beach, Black Russian all use vodka as the core ingredient. Gin is made by distilling a neutral grain alcohol with juniper berries and other botanicals to make the fragrant spirit we all know and love. While vodka is made from by distillation of potatoes, rye, or wheat, gin is made with the help of distillation of malt or grain and then mixed with the flavor of juniper berries. © 2014 - 2020 VinePair Inc. — Made In NYC, Next Round Live: What's Happening in the Drinks Industry Now, Everyone Who Loves Negronis Needs These Glasses, An Illustrated Guide to Grenache from France, 12 Things You Should Know About Dom Pérignon. Going further afield you get Ophier, a gin made with Indian spices such as cumin. One distiller even makes an innovative vodka from Pinot Noir red wine. There are actually two possible ways that gin can be produced. Gin is any neutral base spirit (ie Vodka), that then has a number of “botanicals” added one of those must be, which one? What sets vodka apart is that it can be made anywhere, and from many things. Vodka is a mixture of the normal, ‘unpretentious’ alcohol and water. Gin can be broken down into five basic styles. Gin and vodka are two very distinct spirits. This usually occurs multiple times in order to remove as much flavor as possible. Vodka can also be made from fruit, like grapes, and sugar cane. Gin is made by infusing a base neutral spirit with various botanicals, of which one of them must be juniper berries. Yet, people with celiac disease can react poorly from consuming it. Add your botanicals – 40g juniper berries, 10g coriander seeds, 1/2 cinnamon stick , 1/2 liquorice root, 2 cardamom pods. We all love it and we all worship it by consuming it, but what is it that goes into making it? You can also vary the recipe by adding different spices, fruits and floral elements. The base alcohol is now ready to receive the botanical blend you previously decided upon. 3. While there is what is called a vodka martini a real martini contains gin, dry vermouth, and an olive and may be shaken, stirred, or frozen. The main constituent of Vodka is water and ethanol while the central part of Gin is Juniper berries. There are some iconic vodka cocktails, however, including the Bloody Mary, White Russian, Moscow Mule, and the Vesper Martini popularized by James Bond. Whether you’re a lover of a good ol’ London Dry or you like to spice things up with a flavoured Pink or Blood Orange gin, the ample variety of this tipple is endless. Clean, dry and simple, yet an elegent and respected classic. Gin can be produced through distillation or mixing of high-quality spirits. Vodka is a neutral spirit so, yes, you could make gin from vodka. The base spirit and the chosen botanicals are combined in a large copper pot and heated from the bottom of the pot. HowTo: Turn Vodka into Gin By Robin Mansur; 7/4/10 12:30 PM; WonderHowTo. Nevertheless, vodka produced from other bases such as potatoes are completely gluten free and safe to drink. 9. Flavour can vary depending on its distillation process and combination of botanicals. All the way from Munich, Germany, comes The Duke Munich Dry Gin. Take Tanqueray for example, this uber classic London dry gin is only made with 4 botanicals. While gin is technically the main spirit in a martini, many people enjoy their martinis with vodka instead. The average American drinks the equivalent of more than 3.5 shots of vodka per month. And yet, in much of the public space, the perceived difference between gin and vodka is as wide as the gulf between a lion and a common housecat. The formula was made in collaboration with Tom Nichol, one of the foremost Master Gin Distillers in the world who worked at Tanqueray for 40 years. However, there are almost as many different ways of including these botanicals as there are different gins throughout the … All gin is actually re-distilled and it may even undergo this process twice or three times on some occasions. Which in fact means it is very possible to make your own gin at home, using vodka. 3. Gin production dates back to the Dutch genever, a wine-based medicinal spirit. This is also known as “Bath Tub” Gin, taken its name from an era when gin was made in bathtubs due to a ban of alcohol. Gin is nothing but flavored vodka, usually added with spice and herbal extracts. The drinks can be distilled from both potatoes and grains with the latter preferred more. However, gin tastes great whether it’s served chilled or at room temperature. Both spirits are distilled liquors made from various grains and vegetables such as potatoes.. Vodka is primarily made from either rye, wheat or potato starch that has been fermented.Water is then added to the alcohol, producing a clear, tasteless drink Gin is distilled from any kind of grain mash, usually dependent on the dominant crop of the region in which it is being made. In Russia and Eastern Europe, however, where the spirit originated, people consume more than three times that amount. So we can say that gin makes incomplete vodka. gin vodka whisky. Ingredients: 700ml bottle good quality vodka (we used a rye vodka) 2 tbsp juniper berries; 6 cardamom pods; pinch dried rose petals; 1 tsp coriander seeds; strip of lemon peel; Method: Open the bottle of vodka and add the rest of the ingredients. But, over the years, people have experimented and put their own unique twist on it. Vodka originated in Russia and the tradition of vodka has spread throughout Eastern Europe London dry gin – this doesn’t necessarily mean the gin was made in London! 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