Riegl Palate Gin

This past Christmas my dad was particularly pleased with himself (and rightfully so) when he gave me a gin making kit. It’s no secret that I am a gin fan. Anyone who has been to my house has likely seen my ever growing gin collection. The next step was surely to make my own gin.

As much as I would love to impress you all and say that I had distilled the alcohol used in this gin, I did not. In the most basic sense, gin is vodka (neutral spirit) that has been flavored with juniper berries (a requirement) and other natural botanicals to create a unique flavor. (Note that I am not suggesting that commercial gin distilleries first create vodka and then flavor it – they would start with a neutral grain-based spirit.)

Vemacity’s Ultimate Gin Making Kit came with enough botanicals for about 10 bottles of gin. I decided to share the experience with gin-loving family and friends who lived close enough for in-person delivery. I sent them each an online survey and asked them to rank their top three flavors from seven different options provided by Vemacity: Crafty Classic, Citrus Symphony, Chocolate Delight, Chocolate Jaffa, Hot Pink, Classic Pink and Throat Warmer. 

Given that I was making this gin in Pennsylvania, I opted to support a local brand of vodka. I used Stateside vodka which is distilled in Philadelphia. It has a clean finish, is gluten-free and has electrolytes to keep you hydrated. I recommend using a mid price range vodka – one that you would happily drink as a mixer but perhaps not straight up. A reminder that adding botanicals to bad vodka isn’t going to produce good gin. 

The best part is that you can produce good-quality gin in as little as four days. The first two days are spent infusing the vodka with juniper berries. Gin is not gin without juniper berries. After that you add the remaining botanicals for an additional two to four days. Then strain it into a bottle and serve. One thing to note is that this gin isn’t clear due the natural coloring of the botanicals. Clearly there’s another step that big gin producers go through to make it clear.

The first three bottles (one Crafty Classic and two Classic Pink – see ingredients listed below) I made for my family. My brother, Geoff T, has both a sophisticated palate and is direct with his feedback, so why not start with him? I brought him a bottle of Crafty Classic when we visited over the long Fourth of July weekend. Geoff’s review – he had very low expectations and I exceeded them. I’ll take that!

We discovered that supersized gin and tonics make great summer poolside drinking. Using a large plastic cup, combine an ounce or two of gin with 16 ounces or so of good quality tonic, and garnish it with a slice of lime, lemon or grapefruit. Light and refreshing and far better than a can of hard seltzer. Don’t have good quality tonic (Fever Tree, Q, Navy Hill, etc.)? Use half traditional tonic (Canada Dry, Schweppes or store brand) and half club soda or seltzer which cuts the sweetness from the tonic. The Crafty Classic was a hit – let’s just say that the bottle was empty by the end of the day (we had a few visitors).

We then brought Classic Pink to my sister’s (Sarah S) house. There we enjoyed far more civilized smaller sized gin and tonics. It received positive reviews as well. Although I love all things pink, I preferred the flavor profile of the Crafty Classic.

Ed laughed when he saw I had added ‘2023’ to my labels and said you don’t usually provide a bottling year on alcohol. I put it there in case someone found the bottle years from now in the back of their liquor cabinet, they would know how old it was (ha!). Hopefully my family and friends like their gin enough to finish it in a timely fashion.

While this year, I made different batches based on Vemacity’s botanical selections and recipes, I may just try my hand next year making my own botanical mix. Stay tuned – there just might be a 2024 bottling.

Crafty Classic – juniper berries, Essential Blend (coriander seed, allspice, orange peel, lemon peel and angelica root) plus small amounts of lemongrass, and orange and lemon peels

Classic Pink – juniper berries, Essential Blend (coriander seed, allspice, orange peel, lemon peel and angelica root) plus hibiscus and rose flowers, lemongrass, and orange and lemon peels