Back in the summer (the weather now makes me feel it’s decidedly autumnal) when I went on a family visit to my great uncle (details here) he told me about how he makes chilli gin for the church fair (that’s one church fair we could all enjoy!). Obviously I couldn’t not have a go myself. It’s taken a while (being out of town/family friends staying/the fact that it takes a fortnight to make/insert any excuse here) but mid August I finally got round to starting it – a fact reported on this very blog at the time in ‘And So the Adventure Begins’.
For various reasons the plan evolved slightly and the adventure turned into ‘Chilli and Lime Gin’, which has resulted in the gin coming out a slightly radioactive looking green.
The final outcome, even if I do say so myself, is rather tasty. The taste of the gin is actually almost hidden by the notes of lime and the chilli. In fact, you don’t actually initially taste the chilli, the first taste is a definite lime and it is only after that you are hit by the chilli. Despite the fairly strong taste (if you don’t like chilli, I wouldn’t try this) it is really enjoyable – I gave a taste to my mom who doesn’t particularly like gin and she immediately decided she wanted a glass – and contrary to the color its warmth will make it a great drink for those cold winter evenings.
Obviously I would suggest you use fresh chillies – not dried – as they will give you the best flavor. Also, don’t just get a rubbish gin (like a supermarket value brand), your gin will taste equally paint stripper-esque when you come to drink it. I should also point out that these photos were all taken on the one day it’s been sunny in the last 10 days.
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’…Chilli and Lime Gin
- 2 red chillies
- 1 lime (zested and quartered)
- 50g (approx) sugar
- 500ml of gin
- Get your preserving jar and add to it the lime zest, lime quarters, chillies and sugar. Pour in about a third of the gin and swirl until most of the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the rest of the gin and shake the (now sealed) jar until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Leave in a cool, dark place for at least fortnight (and up to two months) making sure you swirl/shake the jar every day or so.
- Once it is a lime green color strain it through a cheese cloth (kitchen roll in a sieve does exactly the same job) and then pour it into a bottle of your choice (the clean sort work best…).
- Serve it cold with tonic over ice