Floral Botanicals

edited November 2020 in General

Does anyone have recommendations for floral botanical ratios in production of Gin?

If for point of discussion you consider the ratio of floral botanical in relation to Juniper, where would you pitch it?

Here I am specifically referring to:

  • Hibiscus
  • Lavender
  • Rose petals

Comments

  • edited November 2020

    We use elderflower at 1:100 -ish.

    It's subtle, but if you know the flavor and aroma of elderflower, you can pick it up immediately.

    Having played with lavender a bit, I would imagine it would be prominent at 1:100.

    Not sure on the other two. Rose petals are pretty meaty when fresh, probably need greater weight to compensate for the water.

  • @richard. I concurr with @grim. I did a floral gin with both Lavender and Rose petals and the ratio was 1:100 for each. The lavender was fresh and I just pulled the buds and added to the mix. THe rose petals I bought dried the first time I chucked them in and put them on the top of the botanical basket. The problem with that is that they formed a soggy matt on top. The second run on the floral gin I tore up the rose petals and just mixed them in with the other botanicals for a better flavor result. THe rose is very subtle so a bit more is better.

    I have used chamomille and that worked well also at about 1:100. One thing with the floral notes is the come through on the last 25% of the run. So if you cut it short your going to be cutting out some of the floral notes. The best use of Hibuscus is for coloring your gin pink. You get both flavor and pink for the ladies.

  • Thanks. I was asked to look at a recipe specifically pink gin using Hibiscus.

    Reading up on it ... it's described as quite a powerful floral. For that reason I am tempted to do a start at 1:120 for it. This will I think give subtle colouring but also potentially will not give up too much of its colouring in later months.

    Yes for floral aspects coming over in the late part of the run, so will be going into tails giving a possible 2.5 dimensional gin.

  • @richard. The first time I tried to make pink gin in a 1l batch I put in about 6 petals. In about 2 hours it was a really nice pink, in six hours it was deep purple. When I tasted it the hibiscus was really strong. Then I did another 1 litre test and just put in two petals of hibiscus and in 12 hours it was a very nice soft pink and the hibiscus was a very very soft note. So with Hibuscus less is more. As opposed to whiskey where more is good.

  • edited November 2020

    @DonMateo thanks, that's sort of what I imagined. So you only macerated the hibuscus in the finished gin as opposed to distilling it.

    When you made a Pink Gin, did you include coriander in your distilled recipe. The one that I am looking at, the customer has in the past not included Coriander. To me this is a bit strange as Coriander is # 2 in the selection of botanicals.

  • @richard. I included coriander in the recipe. I mascerated the hibiscus in the final gin then filtered it out. I know one of the local gin distilleries and thats how they make their pink gin.

  • if you use lavender sparingly it acts like MSG in food in that it enhances the other botanicals.

    Use caution with hibiscus fo pink gin. It's great to start, but if you leave if for a length of time it degrades to a murky brown.

    Theres's a company here just outside Sydney who has isolated the colouring in the hibiscus and it's shelf stable. I've seen 2YO stock that was still vibrant pink.

  • I suspect that I know the answer ...... Yes I know / understand that you infuse hibiscus post distillation for the colour. But with respect to flavour is, there any sense in adding hibiscus in the gin basket ??

  • edited February 2022

    @crozdog said: if you use lavender sparingly it acts like MSG in food in that it enhances the other botanicals.

    Ooo that's a fun tip

  • Does anyone have recommendations about one store where I can buy Floral Botanicals and other materials to make gin? our company is located in Venezuela, and here is not to easy get this kind of material. Please if someone can give me the information I will appreciate it.

  • San Fran Herb Company will ship internationally I believe.

  • Perfect, thanks

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