How To Make Homemade Red Gooseberry And Mint Gin

It's not often you see recipes involving red gooseberries, but this red gooseberry and mint gin is heaven sent. Red gooseberries are ever so slightly sweeter than their green counterparts so need less sugar to reduce their tang. If you don't have red gooseberries feel free to use green, but up the sugar volume by 100g to compensate.

Some of the infusions I make tend to suit a particular season. This red gooseberry and mint gin is made for summer, just like my Sunshine Vodka. The gooseberries give it a lovely fruity flavour while the hint of mint in the background is fabulously refreshing, especially with a splash of fizzy tonic. And just look at that colour!

Ingredients:

1 Litre gin (supermarket own brand will do)

450g red gooseberries

350g granulated sugar

6 - 8 mint leaves (depending on size), rinsed

Equipment:

Large jar/flask with a tight fitting lid

Long-handled spoon for stirring

Jelly kit for straining (or a plastic sieve lined with a muslin cloth)

Funnel

Clip top bottle or similar for storing once done

How To Make It:

1. Drop the gooseberries into the jar and give them a bash with the long handled spoon to release some of the juices. Add the sugar and carefully pour in the gin. Add the mint leaves and give the mixture a good stir, then seal and place in a cool, dark place to infuse.

2. After 4 weeks, do a taste check. If it tastes sugary, then leave it to infuse for a further fortnight before testing again. The aim is to be able to taste the flavours of the fruit with as much sweetness as suits your palate, but if it tastes like you've dipped your tongue in the sugar bowl, it's not ready. 

I don't like too much out and out sweetness, but feel free to add more sugar to increase the sweetness if you prefer. This won't ruin the drink, but you will have to tolerate the additional infusing time.

3. Once you're happy with the taste, strain through either a jelly-straining kit (if you have one) or a plastic sieve lined with a muslin, into a large bowl. You may wish to repeat this process to improve the clarity of the liqueur, but remember not to push the liquid through the muslin as this will make the drink cloudy.

4. Bottle and keep in a cool place away from direct sunlight as you would other spirits. Serve over ice with a splosh of tonic and enjoy!