Create your own Gin with Inspirited

When it comes to a drink with friends in a bar or even at home, you’ll often find me with a Gin & Tonic or something Gin based if I’m drinking alcohol. I’ve been through the Vodka years and we don’t really mix well, but Gin is the one drink I do really enjoy and in recent years, the selection has increased exponentially. When Inspirited, a craft gin distillery based in Strathaven, just outside of Glasgow got in contact to see if I wanted to make my own Gin, there was only one answer - Yes!

Inspirited, as I have mentioned is a craft Gin distillery and as well as having the opportunity to purchase one of their creations, as a customer, there is the most amazing gin tool that gives you the visitor a chance to create your own bespoke gin and there is so many combinations it is so much fun - and yes I did of course created the Beautyqueenuk Limited Edition Gin!

Through our gin tool visitors to our site can create their own fully bespoke gin, distilled with their botanicals of choice – we distil each gin individually – we don’t just add botanicals to a base spirit like other offerings might! – and finish it off complete with personalised label and gift box.

Now obviously I am no expert on making Gin, this is the first time and opportunity I have had to do so. There is a really handy step-by-step guide which takes you through the different stages of your gin making journey. It is definitely worth taking the time to read it before you begin the process, though at any time you can just start over. I also spent some time looking through the Tasty Tips page which is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to pairing ingredients and botanical's for your drink. There is a total of 35 botanicals to choose from and you are free to choose as many as you think you need, but the advice is to choose between 6 and 10, but not more than 12 otherwise it could dilute the taste of your product.

Juniper is pre-selected for you because without it, well it wouldn't be gin and the same with Coriander (no not the leaf the seeds) which helps to tone down the punch that Juniper packs. As you look through each ingredient and botanical, there is a handy little information button which gives you the low down on each one, so whether you want something fruity, floral, citrus, nutty or even exotic, there is a guide as to what it smells and tastes like, for example:

Strawberry - Somewhere between sweet and sour this household favourite has rose to gain fame as a mild, sweet and quite delicious flavour
Cucumber - The widely grown cucumber plant has origins from ancient India. The plants fruit is a popular accompaniment to gin, and has a very distinct slightly bitter but refreshing taste.
Marigold Flower - Sometimes referred to as poor man's saffron, marigold has a complex flavour that can be described as earthy and spicy with a hint of green apple and orange.
Angelica - Slightly bitter and slightly herbal this earthy root works much like Orris root in that it is a fantastic fixative.
Grains of paradise - also known as alligator pepper, have a complex flavour with distinct similarities to black pepper with additional citrus notes.

So as you can see, just because something sounds like you would like it, you might not quite like it in a creation of gin! Now I am sure you are all dying to know what is in my Gin, so here we go:

Juniper,
Orris Root,
Coriander,
Rhubarb,
Seville Orange,
Kaffir Lime,
Grapefruit Peel,
Hibiscus,
Lemongrass,
Baobab

All of the flavours that I like in Gin or other products I choose to purchase and now all together in one bottle. The whole process was so easy to follow, I think I learnt something about the art of making and creating gin and having had a play around with ingredients and botanicals to see what grabbed my attention.

If you are looking for a unique gift for someone this Christmas, then you could create a Gin for someone and send it to them with that personalised label, you can add whatever you like to the label, so it is a nice way of sending a congratulations or thank you message, or you could buy someone a gift card and let them loose on creating their own gin if you think that is something they would enjoy.