Beautifully Botanical

Artisan alcohol – vodka, rum but most often gin— is big news, and the botanicals behind the booze are vital for the industry to thrive.

You may or may not remember that about seven years ago, gin was big news – for the wrong reason. Juniper, already a declining species in Britain, was in trouble, hit hard by a fungus, but also because many of the remaining groups of juniper had become too old to be able to regenerate naturally. Thankfully, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and raise our glasses to the artisan distillers of the British Isles, who have played their part in saving one of the only three native conifer species we have.

Juniper, traditionally, is the main botanical to flavour gin, but certainly not the only one. First – a distilled history – early evidence of distillation has been found in relation to alchemists working in Alexandria in the 1^st Century, while gin's first mentions are in the Middle Ages in Northern Europe as a herbal medicine. It is widely assumed that gin came to be popular during the Restoration, when William of Orange ascended the throne, and the Dutch tipple Jenever (literally, Juniper) came with him.

It wasn't long before gin became the drink of choice, and then a craze. Hundreds of private stills were started, and, with a price cheaper than beer, gin consumption started to become a problem. By 1743, England was consuming more than two gallons per person per year. Numerous laws were passed to try to restrict the consumption of gin, but it is most likely that the rising price of grain, and therefore gin, in the 1750s that had the most affect.

The medicinal qualities of gin may have been forgotten in that haze of gin shops, but today are resurrected in not only gin, but all those amazing, small distilleries that have sprung up in the past few years. So – let's look at a handful of the most traditional botanicals used in gin.

Juniper

Juniper berries wereoriginally thought to be good for the liver and kidneys, and stomach pain when boiled with wine. The almost floral flavour has long been prized in cookery, too, as a wonderful complement to game. Interestingly, the berries are in fact tiny cones, which are so fleshy that the scales look like skin. They take at least two years to mature and are tricky to harvest as the plant will have berries at several stages of ripeness. The most prized berries are from Tuscany, Morocco and Eastern Europe. The berries are dried in a cool dark place after picking so that the oils (and thus the flavour) isn't lost.

Orris root

Found not only n gin, but in many other spirits, Orris is used not to add flavour or scent, but to fix them. Most of the orris is Iris pallida Dalmatica, grown in Italy, or Iris germanica var. Florentina or Albicans grown in Morocco, China and India. The rhizomes are dried for two or three years, then pulverized and distilled to produce 'beurre d'iris', or orris butter.

Cubeb

A climbing vine found in Indonesia, Piper cubeba produces a fruit that when dried, and looks very much like black pepper. Cubeb was, in fact, at one stage more popular than black pepper. It contains 'limonene', a flavour found in citrus and herbs, but also has a taste of cracked pepper. It was used in the Victorian era to treat asthma – in the form of cigarettes.

Grains of paradise

A member of the ginger family, the rather exciting sounding Grains of Paradise are the small black seeds of Afromomum melegueta. Spicy and peppery, there is a cardamom-like flavour to the seeds. Grains of Paradise have been used not only to flavour food, but beer, whisky and brandy, and it is still used in some beers today, as well as other liquors. It was still popular as a kitchen spice until the 18^th century and it is known to have been used by the Romans, with Pliny calling it African pepper.

Coriander

Coriander is part of the carrot family – hardly surprising when you look at its foliage. Coriandrum sativum is found in almost all gins, but also absinthe, aquavit, pastis and vermouth. The dislike or like of the fresh coriander flavour is down to a genetic difference in how people perceive flavour. The name coriander comes from the greek for bed bugs, which can't do anything to improve its reputation.

The flavour of the fruit once dried, however, is a completely different kettle of fish – its bright, citrus and floral tones are a superb and important part of gin's flavour profile. This is one of the few spices that is much better sourced from colder climates – Norway and Siberia supply the best seed – which is from Coriandrum sativum var microcarpum, a smaller variety of the plant.

Local distilleries: artisan and unique

Many gin distilleries are passionate about their local region and use local botanicals that reflect their area. So we may have coastal gins which are using coastal grown botanicals such as rock samphire to add a unique flavour to their gin. In some cases these coastal botanicals such as Spignel have been brought back from obscurity by distillers keen to add a unique regional flavour to their gin.

Botanicals such as bog myrtle which is found on moorland, adds a spicy aroma. Many small and local distilleries offer tours and tastings. This often weaves together the specific history of their distillery with the gin making process and offers a great way to spend the day for any gin lover.

Many distilleries offer a contemporary take on gin flavours, mixing botanicals to create sophisticated gins for all seasons. Using warm flavours like ginger and robust fresh botanicals like hibiscus and kaffir lime, they create complex variations in flavour and aroma for year round gin enjoyment.

Many such distilleries are small enterprises run by families or friends. Their unique selling point, aside from fantastic flavour, is in creating gin which reflects their personalities. These distillers are often found on the show circuit where they add a personal touch and huge fun and enthusiasm to their brands.