What is Gin? by Gins online

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CONDITIONS THAT GIN MUST MEET

European law, just like with amaretto or champagne, specifies the requirements for gin to be considered gin. Within the EU, gin must have an alcohol content of at least 37.5%. In the United States, the alcohol content is legally set at 40%. A second requirement is that juniper berries must be prominently present, namely 51% at the production sites.

DISTILLING GIN: THE METHODS

Pot-Stilled Gin

Of the methods used, the pot still is the most traditional distillation technique. This technique is also called batch distillation. Neutral grain alcohol, at a temperature of at least 96°C, is placed in the pot still and diluted with water before the botanicals are added . Depending on the individual recipe, the alcohol is preheated and left to steep for hours or even days. At the appropriate point, distillation is initiated by applying heat, in the case of gin, through a steam jacket at the base of the pot still. The distiller then adds steam to boil the alcohol, and once it reaches the top of the pot still, the pressure is reduced. The vapors then pass through a swan neck to a water-cooled condenser. The first portion of the distillate, also called heads , is often impure and is discharged into other casks. The pure gin follows in various stages until a final strength of 80% is achieved. When this drops to 60%, the impurities reappear, and this last portion, also called tails , is also diverted to other vats. The steam pressure is then increased again so that only water and residual botanicals remain in the pot still. The heads and tails are then redistilled in another long-neck still with plates that remove the impurities. This way, these residues can also be used to make gin. The final distillate is mixed with 90% alcohol and then distilled to the desired ABV.

COLUMN DISTILLED GIN

Column distilled gin is a term related to the invention of the Coffey still and is also called "continuous distillation." Neutral grain alcohol (usually wheat-based) is distilled to 96% ABV. This distillate is then diluted with water to the ideal alcohol content of 60%, to which herbs and spices are added. It is then distilled again, releasing the essential oils of the botanicals.

Note:

For both pot-stilled and column-distilled gin, the master distiller can use two methods to blend the alcohol with the other ingredients or botanicals. Racking means the botanicals are positioned in a copper basket – the gin basket – at the top of the still, allowing the hot alcohol vapors to extract the aromatic components of the botanicals. Steeping involves placing the botanicals in the spirit at the bottom of the still to allow them to steep.

VACUUM DISTILLED GIN

Vacuum distilled gin is produced differently than previous methods. Instead of using heat to distill the botanicals, cold distillation is used. In this method, the pressure above the solution to be distilled is reduced to approximately -5°C. At this freezing temperature, the spirit becomes vapor. A probe at -100°C is then inserted into the still, and the vapor liquefies again. The flavors of the botanicals are now perfectly embedded in the spirit. The entire process takes about five to six hours. The major advantage of this cold distillation is that there are no heads or tails, and absolutely nothing is wasted. But the breakthrough, of course, lies in the gin's flavor. The theory is that cold distillation preserves the molecular structure of the botanicals and preserves their original flavor. Examples of gins developed this way include Sacred Gin and Oxley Gin .