What are your favourite things about winter? The comfort food? Reason to pull on your favourite chunky knit? Open fires? Christmas? All of the above?!

We also love the smells and tastes that winter brings: orange, cinnamon, allspice, fir tree, to name a few. How about you take all these winter aromas and make your own winter gin? Yes? then look no further...

Winter-infused gin

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp juniper berries
1 75cl bottle of good quality vodka
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dried orange peel
A 3 inch sprig fresh fir or 1/2 sprig dried
1 cinnamon stick
1 allspice berry
1 dried sage leaf
1/2 bay leaf

Method:

1. Sterilise a clean mason jar or glass bottle with boiling water, dry and fill with the vodka.
2. Start by soaking just the juniper berries in vodka for 12 hours (overnight is best)
3. After the 12 hours is up, add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours and give it a gentle shake - taste and leave for a little longer if necessary. Try not to leave it for too long - think of it a bit like over-brewing tea. 
5. Taste again and if happy filter out all the botanicals through a sieve. If there is still sediment, filter again, using a muslin cloth or coffee filter. 

6. Leave the liquid to sit for another couple of days and filter a third time. The liquid may be a little yellow but that is just all the beautiful botanical goodness! If you want a clear liquid try putting it through a water filter. 
7. Bottle up your winter gin and decorate it with red ribbon and holly, making a perfect ginny, homemade gift for you GFF (Gin Friend Forever)