Berry + Almond Infused Gin

Each November we keep a sacred weekend free to head up to Anglesey the knock-out beautiful Welsh island where John was brought up to pick as many sloes as we can get our hands on. We trawl the hedgerows and bracken lined beaches and fill our bags with kilos of them. Usually we split into pairs and make it a competition (I have a serious competitive streak), to see who’s bags will be the heaviest. There is usually an unofficial weigh in at the car by John’s Dad. We then head home to bottle up the gin for Christmas (look out for the recipe in a few months time)

raspberry_gin_2

Sloe gin is always on rotation in our house and I love it but I’ve since discovered that is really easy to infuse gin, vodka or whisky with a load of different berries and fruits, which is good as the last jar of sloe gin usually makes it way out of the cupboard right around raspberry season. I take a jar of this with me to when I go for dinner with friends and it makes my beloved Gin and Tonic something that changes with the seasons.

This is the base of my late summer G&T, when the raspberry bushes are groaning, I head to the pick your own farm I visited as a kid and fill a couple of baskets to make this. The almonds take it to a new level and give it a buttery backnote, think amaretto or frangleico.

Any berries work here, blackberries, tayberries, elderberries or even soft fruits like damsons and peaches. Though the nuts don’t all work as well, I’d stick to untoasted unsalted almonds or hazelnuts. If you like you could use unrefined sugar in place if the agave.

This recipe is pretty freestyle so you can sweeten more or less according to how sweet your tooth is.

BERRY + ALMOND INFUSED GIN

TO MAKE 4 x 300ml jars

1litre of gin
400g of raspberries (frozen are fine)
200g of raw unpeeled almonds
4 tablespoons of agave syrup

Sterilise x 4 jars or a big 1.5 litre bottle, I do this by running then through the dishwasher on a hot cycle or placing the clean jars on a baking tray and into a 100 ̊C oven for about 20 minutes.

Next divide the raspberries and almonds between the jars and pour a tablespoon of agave into each jar. Top up with the gin and put the tops on.

Leave to steep and infuse in a cool place for a least a couple of weeks but ideally about a month then strain and pour the barely pink gin into little jars or bottles for G&T or presents.

raspberry_gin_3

Image: John Dale

Posted: 07.11.14 7 Comments

Comments

Posted by michaele at 12:52 on the 02.01.17

I made bramble gin this Autumn which was gorgeous. I had to. I had originally made rhubarb and orange but sadly drank it all in the lead up to Christmas.

Posted by Ulrike Walker at 8:58 on the 04.02.18

Gonna try making this but will use cherries, hoping to get the bakewell flavour. Got a lime and chilli one on the go at the moment.

Posted by Luke at 6:17 on the 13.05.18

Looking forward to this one Anna, just prepped it up and slung it all in a jar! Gonna give it a month to mash! Si thee

Posted by Elaine at 6:20 on the 20.08.18

Have made lots of flavours, but my favourite is strawberry.

Posted by Colz at 6:12 on the 02.09.19

Having success with plum gin, I now feel more confident to try homemade cherry bakewell gin but need it to taste like the real dessert. The shop bottles are sour. Does anyone have any tips?

Posted by Shan at 4:21 on the 19.11.21

I can’t wait to make this. I have made several flavoured gins to give as presents – raspberry, plum, strawberry but the most popular were rhubarb and another of lemon, ginger and bay. I think I might keep the raspberry and almond for myself!

Posted by Lisa at 2:12 on the 17.11.23

This looks fabulous! One summer, I took every fruit in season and bottle it with vodka. My faves are raspberry, apricot and cherry. I’ve not added nuts, though, so I’m looking forward to trying this! Thank you!!

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