The core spirit used in our gin, though high quality, lacks flavour and fragrance – it is what is known as a ‘neutral spirit’. Though some flavours can be retained through the fermentation process (as starch is turned into alcohol), many spirits, like gin, are flavoured during the distillation process using dried or fresh plants or organic material. These are what we call botanicals.
The botanicals used to flavour gin are what give it its unique identity. Our botanicals include Juniper, Angelica Root, Cardamon, Orris Root, Cubeb Peppers, Coriander, Cassia, Grains of Paradise, Star Anise, Liquorice, Almonds, Lemon, Limes, Oranges and Saffron. These botanicals – our own, unique recipe – are added in very specific quantities to the base spirit. It’s taken years of testing and refining our recipe to make it what you taste today in the Murray and Yeatman range of gins!
It’s not just the ingredients we use that make our gin special – it’s how we use the ingredients. Take the oranges, for example, in our Classic Gin; it is common to use dried orange peel in the manufacture of gin, however, we only want the flesh and the skin, no pith. To achieve this, we first remove the wax, then peel to retrieve the flesh, and then face the challenge of removing all the pith before zesting the skin. This takes time but highlights our attention to detail, and we think this is what makes our Gins unique and gives them an extra-special flavour profile.
So, there you have it – everything you need to know about botanicals in gin!