How is Gin Made? A Brief Guide of How to Make Gin
By Andrew Tardif
There’s something mysterious about a clear liquor with luscious and pronounced flavors. How can something so serene and simple taste so profound? At Chemist we are drawn into the mystery since we confront it everyday.
Tinkering in our lab with gin has taught us a lot, from the inception of the Chemist American Gin made by Debbie and Danielle Donaldson and James Donaldson, to the creation of spirits like our Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur and Herbal Revenge, the gin making process has remained the foundation of our work.
So, how is gin made to be that juniper based spirit the world loves? A lot of it comes down to great ingredients and a perfected process, not to mention the passion that those of us at Chemist Spirits share for our gins and other spirits.
So what is gin made from and how is gin made? Let’s take a look.
What is Gin Made From?
Gin is made from three main ingredients, the neutral spirit; the botanicals, most notably juniper berries; and water. Since the ingredients are minimal, their quality and the balance between them is crucial in creating gin. The intricacies of how gin is made depend on the varying ingredients used and the distillation process.
The Neutral Spirit
First, in order to make gin you need a neutral spirit to serve as your base. For gin, this spirit is typically grain based, but technically it can be made with any neutral spirit. Genever, gin’s predecessor, was made with malted grain before it was then flavored with juniper berries.
The base will provide for the base flavor and mouthfeel. There is a reason something like a Vodka made from potatoes has a different mouthfeel than a Vodka made from grain. And then there are variations between the grains themselves.
At Chemist, we begin our gin-making process with smooth and creamy distilled wheat, which we also produce as our Chemist Vodka. It makes for a smoother finish and works well with our method of vapor infusion (more on that later).
These neutral spirits are of an extremely high ABV to start (higher than 90%), while the ABV of the final spirit will be between 40%-60%.
The Botanicals
Gin has typically been made with the same type of botanicals for centuries, but with the advent of American/Contemporary Gins, the range of botanicals, spices, herbs, etc. has expanded.
The main botanical that is necessary for a gin to be labeled as such is juniper berries. This lends to gin’s dry, pine flavor, but is also a necessary ingredient and flavor for it to legally be called gin. Gin is made from not only juniper berries, but also commonly includes orris root, angelica root, coriander, cardamom, and citrus peels.
The balance of these botanicals is what sets apart the different types of gins. A London Dry Gin is typically going to use a higher ratio of juniper berries to achieve the dryness it’s known for. Plymouth Gin will increase the amount of citrus and roots to achieve the earthy quality.
Old Tom Gin will have the addition of sugar to sweeten the final product. Meanwhile our American Gin balances the flavor of juniper with that of rose, citrus, and the introduction of our own local botanicals from the Western North Carolina mountains.
Water
An overlooked ingredient in the making of gin, and all other spirits, water can serve as nearly half the volume of the gin since the end of the distillation process results in a liquor that has a high proof and must be diluted. This means the quality of the water matters.
How Is Gin Made? - The Distillation Process
The distillation process is where the fermented substance (neutral spirit) is heated and cooled in stills to extract the ethanol. For gin, this is generally when the botanicals are introduced either via direct contact with the spirit or infusion. Before distillation, water is added to dilute the spirit.
Steeping
The botanicals can be steeped in two ways. One is to simply let it macerate or steep in the neutral spirit for a period of time and then to distill it (commonly referred to as “Steep and Boil”). The other option is to just heat the liquid immediately after the botanicals have been added.
Vapor Infusion
During vapor infusion the botanicals never make contact with the neutral spirit and are instead held in a basket in the Lyne Arm. When the spirit is heated and the alcohol turns to vapor, it is then sent into the Lyne Arm and through the basket of botanicals.
This vapor then extracts the oils and aromas in the botanicals. At Chemist, we use vapor infusion for our gins, using our Portuguese Copper Pot Stills. This method of extracting flavor is what gives gins like our Navy-Strength Gin its bright yet smooth flavors.
Compounding
As opposed to the first two forms of flavor extractions, compounding is typically done after the distillation process. This is either by adding ingredients to the distilled spirit to allow it to steep and extract the flavors or through the addition of essences. This method was typical in the “bathtub gin” of the prohibition era.
The Types of Stills
The vessel in which the neutral spirit is heated for the distillation process is the still. The two main types of stills that you will find in gin making are copper pot stills and column stills, although these can also be combined to make a hybrid still.
Pot Stills
Pot stills have been in use for centuries and were adopted by monks who had a knack for distilling. This still is simple: The spirit or mash is placed in a still the shape of a pot where it is heated. The alcohol turns to vapor and travels up to the Still Head where an exit pipe is located.
This exit pipe is called the Lyne Arm, and it travels to the Condenser, a cylindrical copper structure that is pumped with cold water. This causes the vapor to condense back to liquid which then drips down and out a pipe in the form of the finished spirit and nonpotable spirit, which are kept separate.
We use these types of stills for our distilling process with the addition of a botanical basket in the Lyne Arm.
Column Stills
A slightly more complicated still, the column still typically includes two tall copper columns that allow for continuous distillation.This means the mash or the neutral spirit can continually be pumped in resulting in a constant flow of spirit whereas a pot still requires cleaning and a new neutral spirit after each distillation.
The column still is heated at the bottom and is divided into different sections by trays that make sure there is consistent condensation as the vapor rises up the column.
Hybrid Stills
A hybrid still combines both of these ideas but allows the distiller some versatility, opening the door for distillers to produce a wide array of spirits including whiskey, gin, rum and vodka. While the flexibility is tempting, nothing beats the flavor of a classic pot still for a single malt whiskey.
Other Stills
Those are the typical stills used in gin making but there are some other stills that are rare and intriguing. The Bennett Still is common with Hendrick’s Gin which uses the still for a “steep and boil” method.
The Carterhead Still is a rare still that uses vapor infusion. Instead of having the botanical basket located in the Lyne Arm, the Carterhead Still has a basket for botanicals placed at the top of the column still.
Why Copper?
Copper is the common choice for still material because of how it conducts heat and purifies the spirit. Its antimicrobial qualities as well as its ability to strip the liquid of sulphuric compounds make it a prime choice for making gin.
Taking the Heads and Tails
In the beginning of the distillation process, the run off will include some dangerous compounds like methanol called the “heads” or “foreshots”, which are not safe to drink but can be reused in future batches for redistillation. Keeping this in the finished product is not only dangerous but also unpleasant.
The ‘heart’ of the gin comes after the heads and is what ends up being used in the final product. This is where the cleanest and highest quality contents are. At the end of the distillation are the “tails" which have less alcohol - since by now what is vaporizing is the water that is still left in the still. Although not as dangerous as the heads, the tails have unpleasant compounds that make it unpalatable, so they are typically tossed or redistilled.
Diluting and Bottling the Gin
After the gin has been distilled, the resulting product is going to have a high ABV and therefore must be diluted. This is where at Chemist we use clean and crisp filtered Appalachian Mountain water to proof our spirits down. We find that this adds to the crisp and clean flavor of our Chemist American Gin and our other gins.
Dilution also helps the distiller bring it to a desired proof. For instance, we bring our Navy-Strength Gin down to a high proof of 114, or 57% ABV, maintaining a strong gin profile while being drinkable.
Once diluted, the gin is ready to be bottled. But the process doesn’t end with bottling, since while in the bottle the gin has the opportunity to mellow and blend over time.
Barrel Resting Gin - An Optional Step
How is gin made to be a smoother and richer liquor? This is where the optional step of barrel resting comes in. After dilution, a gin can be put in a barrel to rest or finish. This imparts deeper flavors while mellowing out the intensity of the botanicals.
We make our Chemist Barrel-Rested Gin by aging our American Gin in oak barrels for 6 to 8 months. It creates a notable difference, adding hints of vanilla and caramel, and making it smooth for a Gimlet cocktail that is complex yet refreshing.
Conclusion
The gin making process can be boiled down to a few steps, but these steps have their own intricacies and variables that alter the flavor, texture, and finish of the gin. This leads to a wide array of flavors that we at Chemist love to play with.
If you want to see how we make gin at Chemist Spirits, come down to Asheville, North Carolina and take a tour of our distillery. Stop by our cocktail lounge next door, Antidote, to sample our spirits in classic elixirs and modern remedies. Or taste the results of our process from the comfort of your own home with a bottle of one of our gins.
