Beginner's Guide to Bathtub Gin
Welcome! This is the simple, beginner-friendly way to make homemade gin. All you need is a jar of good vodka and a handful of botanicals. You infuse them together, taste, adjust, and in about 48 hours you'll have your very own hand-crafted gin. No distillation equipment, no complicated processes — just a single jar and a bit of patience.
Shopping List
| English | עברית |
|---|---|
| Juniper | ערער |
| Coriander seeds | כוסברה |
| Cardamon pods | הל |
| All spice | פלפל אנגלי |
| Rosemary | רוזמרין |
| Persian lemon | לימון פרסי לבן |
| Cinnamon stick | מקל קינמון |
| Aniseed pod | כוכב אניס |
Basic Recipe
- •750ml good quality vodka (Smirnoff, Stoly, Absolut — no need for anything more expensive)
- •2.5 tbsp juniper berries (more if you like juniper-forward gin)
- •1 tsp coriander seeds
- •2 cardamom pods
- •4 all spice peppercorns
- •2 small twigs of dried rosemary
- •1 small Persian lemon or a piece of dried lemon peel (remove the white pith as it's very bitter)
- •1 aniseed pod
- •1/2 cinnamon stick
Method
- 1Sterilise and clean the jar with boiling water.
- 2Add your botanicals to the jar, minus any fresh peel/rosemary.
- 3Add the vodka, then leave to infuse in a cool dark place for 24 hours.
- 4Taste the infusion – it should have taken on some lovely juniper ginnyness already. Add your fresh peel, along with any extra botanicals whose flavour you want to boost.
- 5Leave for up to another 24 hours, giving the bottle a gentle shake at least once. Beware of leaving it too long and over-infusing the mixture – think of it a bit like brewing tea.
- 6Taste again and if you’re happy, then filter out all the botanicals using a sieve and decant into a clean, sterile bottle.
- 7Put some ice in a glass, pour a generous measure of gin and add fresh tonic water and you’re good to go!
- 8The gin will even improve over the next few days!
Variations & Flavour Tutorial
One of the best things about bathtub gin is how easy it is to experiment. Change or add a single ingredient and the flavour profile shifts entirely. Here are some ideas to get you started:
More Juniper
Stronger, more traditional gin flavour. Add up to 4 tbsp for a really juniper-forward gin.
Add Cardamom
Warm, aromatic, slightly sweet. Great for winter gins.
Swap Rosemary for Thyme
Earthier, more herbal. Try with lemon peel for a Mediterranean vibe.
Add Fresh Citrus Peel
Bright, zesty. Try grapefruit or orange peel (avoid white pith!).
Add Vanilla
Sweetness and depth. Split a vanilla pod lengthwise and add it.
Add Black Pepper
Spicy kick, great with tonic.
Add Lavender(לבנדר)
Floral, fragrant. Use sparingly — a little goes a long way.
Remove Anise
If you’re not a fan of the liquorice note, simply leave it out.
You can carry on this way, experimenting with new ingredients and different amounts and have a lot of fun! When you're ready to take it to the next level, try the Advanced method in the Recipe Builder.
Open Recipe Builder