World Gin Day falls, this year, on Saturday the 10th June. With this being scheduled for the weekend it gives the majority of us a chance to get involved. To add an element of fun to the occasion, why not try creating your own gin? On the recommendation of Creative Cuisine by Grant, we’ve highlighted a few recipes to try in your bar, restaurant or at home. The versatility of sous vides allows for fairly unrestricted capabilities and opportunities to innovate in creative food and drink service but, right now, it’s all about gin. Let’s get going…..
Raspberry & Elderflower Gin
Ingredients:
- 175ml good quality gin.
- 200g fresh raspberries.
- 50ml elderflower cordial.
- 4 teaspoons demerara sugar.
- 1 teaspoon grenadine.
To Serve:
- Sliced cucumber.
- Sliced strawberries.
- Sliced grapes.
- Tonic water.
- Lime wedges.
- Crushed Ice.
Preparation:
- Fill your sous vide water bath with water and preheat to 60°C (140°F).
- Place the gin into a vacuum pouch together with the sugar and grenadine.
- Wash the raspberries before adding to the vacuum pouch together with the elderflower cordial.
- Seal the vacuum pouch before giving a good shake.
- Place the vacuum pouch into your sous vide water bath to cook for 2 hours, 30 minutes.
Serve:
- Once the time has elapsed, remove the vacuum pouch from the sous vide water bath and add to a large bowl of ice water to cool.
- Pass the contents of the vacuum pouch through a fine sieve into a container, squashing the raspberries with a spoon to ensure all juice is captured.
- Add a 25ml measure (or more dependent on your preference) to three, large glasses. Add ice to the glass and top with tonic water. I garnished the cocktail with fresh strawberries, cucumber and grapes, but this works with all manner of different fruits!
Orange, Lime & Rosemary Infused Gin
Ingredients:
- 350ml London Dry Gin or similar.
- 3 large oranges.
- ½ lime.
- 4 heaped tablespoons sugar.
- 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary.
To Serve:
- Tonic water.
- Lime slices.
- Fresh Rosemary.
- Orange slices.
- Crushed ice.
Preparation:
- Preheat your sous vide water bath to 58°C (137°F).
- Slice your lime and orange slices before adding to a large vacuum pouch/resealable bag along with the sugar and fresh rosemary.
- Add the Gin to the vacuum pouch/resealable bag. Keep the Gin bottle for later.
- Remove the air from the vacuum pouch/resealable bag before sealing.
- Place into the sous vide water bath to infuse for two hours.
Serve:
- Once two hours have elapsed, add the bag to a bath of ice water to cool for 1 hour or until cold.
- Strain the contents of the pouch/bag through a fine sieve, squeezing the fruit to ensure all liquid is collected in the bottle. Add the contents to the Gin bottle using a funnel.
- To serve: give the contents of the Gin bottle a good shake before adding a measure to a glass. Top up with tonic water before garnishing with lime and orange slices and crushed ice. Enjoy!
Spiced Gin with Blueberries
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle (750ml) gin.
- 3 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1/3 cup (30g) juniper berries.
- 1 ½ tablespoons (10g) fennel seeds.
- 3 cups (500g) blueberries, crushed.
- ½ cup (100g) sugar.
- 4 tablespoons (40g) pink peppercorns.
To Serve:
- Fresh mint.
- Lime wedges.
- Blueberries.
Preparation:
- Fill your sous vide water bath with water and preheat to 80°C (176°F).
- Place all ingredients into a sous pouch. Remove as much air from the pouches as possible with your hands and vacuum seal.
- Submerge the pouch completely in the water bath and cook for 2 hours.
- Remove the sous vide pouch from the water bath and chill in an ice bath for 15-30 minutes until cooled.
- Once cooled, place ingredients through a fine strainer into a glass, reserving just the gin infusion.
Serve:
- On the Rocks – Fill a lowball glass with ice and pour the gin infusion directly over the top. Top with fresh blueberries.
- Martini – Place 4 ounces (120ml) of infused gin into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Pour directly into a martini glass and garnish with fresh whole blueberries.
- Gin and Tonic – place 2 ounces (60ml) of infused gin in a highball glass or mason jar with ice and top with tonic. Garnish with a wedge of lime and fresh blueberries.
Visit Alliance Online for your Creative Cuisine by Grant Sous Vide today!
