Mary O London Dry Gin Botanical Mix
This 11 botanical mix comes from our popular Distillers Kit: Mary O | London Dry Gin
But it can be used to as a base mix for your own flavour of gin. Other Botanicals that you could use to complement these can be found here: Botanicals
Mary O | Botanical Mix includes:
Botanical |
Quantity |
Character |
| Juniper Berries | 80 g |
The Piney Backbone |
| Coriander Seed | 40 g |
Citrus Lift & Spicy Bridge |
| Licorice Root organic | 8 g |
"Slick" Mouthfeel & Sweetness |
| Angelica Root | 8 g |
Fixative |
| Orris Root | 5 g |
Fixative |
| Lemon Peel | 7 g |
Citrus Zest |
| Bitter Orange Peel | 7 g |
Citrus Zest |
| Cinnamon Quills | 3 g |
Spice |
| Black Pepper | 5 g |
Spice |
| Ginger Kibbled | 3 g |
Spice |
| Cardamom Green Pod | 4 g |
Spice |
|
TOTAL |
170g |
|
Method 1: Direct Maceration
- Prep Botanicals: Gently crush the juniper berries, coriander seeds, and cardamom pods using a mortar and pestle to release their aromatic oils.
-
Macerate: Soak the Mary O Botanical Mix in neutral spirit at
50% ABV.
- Steep: Leave for 4–5 days, adjusting time based on desired flavour intensity.
- Tip: Gently shake the vessel every hour for the first day, then once or twice daily thereafter.
- Finish:
- Compound Gin: Filter out solids. Note: This results in a yellowish-brown amber spirit.
-
Distilled Clear Gin (Recommended): Strain out solids, dilute the infused spirit down to
40% ABV with RO or distilled water for safety, and redistil to yield a crystal-clear, refined gin.
Note: Extended maceration increases flavour depth, but dominant botanicals (like licorice or cinnamon) can overpower delicate citrus notes over time.
Method 2: Vapor Infusion (Botanical Basket Distillation)
-
Clean/Sanitise: Sanitize botanicals by spraying with Super Kill Sanitiser Spray or soaking briefly in high-proof spirit (50% ABV).
- Pack Basket: Gently crush juniper and cardamom, then loosely pack the botanical mix into your botanical basket, or wrap and suspend in Muslin Cloth. Do not pack tightly, as steam must flow freely.
-
Distil: Charge your still with neutral spirit diluted to safe boiler levels (40% ABV). Attach the basket above the liquid line and begin the spirit run.
- Collect: Take your cuts discarding your foreshot. Blend your head, heart, and tail monitoring the evolving flavour profile to your desired outcome.
Alternative (Maceration in Boiler): Botanicals can be added directly into the boiler wash rather than a basket; however, ensure they do not rest directly on heating elements to avoid scorching and off-flavours.
Method 3: Separate Botanical Maceration & Blending (Master Distiller Method)
- Separate & Macerate: Separate the botanical groups (e.g., Juniper/Coriander, Citrus Peels, Roots, and Spices) into individual Haul | Wide Mouth | Mason Jars.
-
Steep in Spirit: Cover each group with neutral spirit at 50% ABV.
- Monitor & Filter: Steep for 4–5 days (up to several weeks for roots). Shake daily and sample regularly until each single-botanical tincture achieves its peak profile.
- Blend: Strain each tincture and carefully blend them together to craft your signature balance.
-
Final Binding Distillation (Optional): Dilute the blended mix down to 40% ABV and run it through the still once more to bind the flavor compounds and produce a clean, clear finished gin.
