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by Ashley Adamant12 Comments
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Blackcurrants ripen in mid-summer, during the hottest days of the year. Here I am in the kitchen whipping up a batch of blackcurrant jam on a hot July afternoon. While jam is delicious, I’m wondering if I’ve made the best choice.
A cool co*cktail to sip in the shade sounds a lot better right about now. I glance up to see a bit of gin on my shelf, and the last of the freshly harvested blackcurrants in my bowl land in a mason jar covered in gin. A quick blackcurrant gin is ready in as little as 24 hours, and it’ll still be plenty hot then too.
Blackcurrant gin is just a simple gin infusion, made the same way as homemade cassis. While cassis has warm spices and infuses for a full 6 months, blackcurrant gin is a light infusion with a hint of lemon and no other spices. There’s a good bit of sugar to counteract the astringency of the blackcurrants.
We tried to make a blackcurrant-infused gin a few years ago, but instead of leaving the currants whole, we muddled them first. Big mistake. Blackcurrants are full of pectin, and they make a very thick jam without any added pectin at all.
Muddled blackcurrants covered in gin turned into a bitter blackcurrant jello. Had we put the sugar in at the beginning, it would have been edible with a spoon. The plan was to add in a simple syrup after straining, so instead our blackcurrant gin jello was just a complete loss.
This time, no mashing at all and the sugar added in at the beginning results in a delicious blackcurrant-infused gin for summertime sipping. Though I didn’t mash them, I did shake the jar frequently and that seemed to help speed the infusion along.
Though the first glass is ready for sampling in as little as 24 hours provided you shake the jar as often as you remember, it’ll have amore intense flavor after about 2-3 weeks.
To serve, simply add a bit to a glass and top with seltzer or tonic.
Ingredients
16 oz gin
2 cups blackcurrants
2/3 cup sugar, (5oz)
1 tbsp lemon juice (or lime)
Instructions
Fill a quart mason jar about halfway with fresh blackcurrants. Do not mash the currants.
Add in roughly 5 ounces or 2/3 cup of sugar, lemon juice and gin. The jar should be just about full, but if not add enough gin to fill the jar leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Allow the currants to infuse for 2-3 weeks. Strain and enjoy!
Very easy to follow recipethank you, this is my first attempt, I’ve used frozen blackcurrants from our apple orchard that I harvested on the 1st of September. I’ll keep you updated on the taste in a couple of weeks x
Reply
Ashley Adamant
Wonderful, definitely let me know how it comes out!
Well the gin tastes amazing, just like black currant cordial, very intense black currant flavor and sweet enough for my taste, I like it with some ginger ale, (non-alcoholic) but can also drink it neat.
I left the blackcurrants in for 6 weeks in the end.
The left over alcohol infused blackcurrants are very nice sprinkled over ice cream too 🙂
Reply
Brenda Forster
Hi i made blackcurra t vodka and put 1kg of sugar in but it still tastes bitter what do i do pleaae
Reply
Ashley Adamant
That’s rough. Maybe the blackcurrants weren’t quite ripe? Did you try the blackcurrants fresh? Ours are a bit harsh fresh, but they’re palatable. Maybe you have a variety that’s just particularly tannic? If it’s bitter, more sugar likely won’t help, it’ll just be bitter sugar. I’d say try different fruit next time.
Reply
Anna Feinhaus
I have access to frozen black currents. Could they be used to make infused gin?
Reply
Admin
Yes, frozen should still work!
Reply
Lord Starscream
Frozen works a treat. Did this. Delicious!
Reply
Beth
Hello, I giving it a go, but do you store it in fridge or countertop?? For the 2 – 3 weeks. Until it’s ready.
Thanks, Beth Upstate NY
Reply
Administrator
You can just leave it on the counter to infuse.
Reply
Lynn
I have made mixed berry gin using the recipe above but have forgotten to put in the lemon/lime, will this make a lot of difference t the taste.
Carrying hints of black orchid, Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale Distilled Gin is distilled with only the finest French blackcurrants, vanilla, and the four classic London Dry botanicals - piney juniper, peppery coriander, aromatic angelica, and sweet liquorice.
Make a classic kir royale co*cktail with crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and your favourite champagne. Garnish with a blackberry to serve to guests.
Berries like strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry add a touch of sweetness and a pop of colour to gin drinks. These fruits can be muddled or pureed and added to a gin co*cktail for a fruity twist. Try a strawberry gin fizz or a raspberry gin martini.
Pour 25ml Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale over ice, add 50ml of sparkling wine, 100ml lemonade, and a handful of dark berries. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.
Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale is a sumptuous and unique distilled gin made with French blackcurrants. It has vanilla notes, elevated with a black orchid-inspired flavour and balanced with the four classic London Dry botanicals.
The taste of Blackcurrant Gin is both sweet and tart, with a subtle bitterness from the gin base. The blackcurrant flavor is prominent and lingers on the palate, leaving a deliciously fruity aftertaste.
Pour gin, sugar syrup, lime juice and green tea into a shaker and shake well. Using the fine strainer pour the co*cktail from the shaker into the glass, add a slice of lime and black currant berries and enjoy.
Snakebite is popular in Britain and had its heyday in the 1980s, when it was a popular drink among students and youth subcultures such as “Goths” and “punks.” Often a shot of blackcurrant cordial would be added, to create “snakebite and black,” “Diesel,” or “Purple Nasty.”
Inspired by Tanqueray's heritage and travels we layered sumptuous and mysterious flavours to create this delicious gin, best served with tonic or in a coupette with prosecco.
The primary three ingredients used in the majority of gins are juniper, coriander and angelica. Even though these are the most popular, there are hundreds of flowers, roots, fruits, berries and nuts that are used to create a palate for each gin that makes it distinctive.
Chili peppers and citrus, for example, may be left for just 24 hours – or even less - while spices might be kept in there for up to a week or two. Most berries need a month, while the mildest flavors, including the classic sloe gin, is at its very best after several months of steeping.
Most people get hit by this strong taste that lingers in their mouth when they drink it. Some say it is too bitter and has a weird taste, which is usually if they taste a traditional, dry gin that will have a strong juniper aroma.
Botanicals: Tanqueray's four base botanicals; juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice, together with bittersweet Seville oranges and orange blossom flavours.
Ingredients. Demineralised water, alcohol rectified from food raw material special cleaning, natural infusion of juniper berries, plant extracts of coriander, orange, tangerine, fennel, cinnamon, lemon, chamomile, nutmeg.
Gin London Dry Tanqueray is one of the best known and most appreciated labels in the world of Gin. Its dry, fresh, delicate and essential style comes from the use of only four main botanicals: juniper berries, angelica root, coriander and licorice.
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