Home-made gin

Name: Home-made gin
Total time: 2 d 10 min
Yield: 0.5 litre
Ingredients: 500 ml neutral vodka; 2 tablespoons dried juniper berries, lightly crushed; 1 strip of lemon peel without pith; 4 coriander seeds and 1 cardamom pod, crushed

Updated on 9 October 2026

Makes: 0.5 litre
Time: 10 min + 2 days steeping
From: Common juniper

Ingredients

500 ml neutral vodka
2 tablespoons dried juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 strip of lemon peel without pith
4 coriander seeds and 1 cardamom pod, crushed

Method

Put the juniper berries in a clean bottle or jar and pour the vodka over them.
Leave to steep for 24 hours at room temperature.
Add the lemon peel, coriander and cardamom and steep for another 12 to 24 hours. Taste: steeping too long makes it bitter.
Strain through a coffee filter and pour into a clean bottle.

Storing: Keeps indefinitely. Its pale yellow colour is normal.