Opihr Gin Spices of the Orient - 70 cl

Product Information

You can also experiment with the fruits that you’d like to include - we’ve kept it fairly simple below, with just the addition of bright and citrusy orange zest, but popping some clementines, sloes or even plums into the mixture while it’s steeping would result in a wonderfully deep, flavoured result. Hapusa Gin, 43% ABV – This vibrant Indian gin is made using spices such as cardamom, coriander seeds, ginger and turmeric. Local mango helps to balance these spices. Credit: Hapusa Gin Leave the liquid to sit for a couple of days and then filter out any remaining sediment – and put it through a water filter jug if you want to make it even clearer.* Poetic License is a small-batch distillery in the North East of England, and just so happens to be behind some of the most exciting spirits on the market right now.

The artisans at Poetic License ended up making a whole selection of delicious gins and liqueurs, crafted with Mark’s bold ethos in mind. Cassia bark is similar to cinnamon and this often leads to confusion between the two botanicals in both taste and texture. Cassia bark adds a sweet flavour with an extra peppery punch.Bake them into a dessert: You can use the gin-soaked plums as an ingredient in a baked dessert, such as a plum clafoutis or a plum upside-down cake. A key variation in Spiced Gin is in the spices in them, with every distillery having their own combination and recipe. If you're looking for a warming winter spiced gin, recipes including cloves, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon will be right up your street (and be sure to read our Christmas Gin Guide for some festive options too). For flavour profiles inspired by Asian gastronomy, look for gins featuring start anise, Kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, cassia bark and cardamom. Gins prominently featuring ginger, peppercorns or chilli may give you a spicier and more fiery flavour profile, while gins focused on cinnamon, cassia bark and cardamom will fit the bill nicely if you're looking for something with softer, aromatic spice. Hayman’s Spiced Sloe Gin, 26.4% ABV – Hayman’s upgraded their sloe gin by adding some seasonal spices to it. Overall Darnley’s Spiced Gin, 42.7% ABV – This is an earthy and spiced gin. The botanicals include cloves, grains of paradise, cinnamon, ginger, cassia and nutmeg. Use them as a topping: You can chop the gin-soaked plums and use them as a topping for desserts such as ice cream, cheesecake, or pound cake.

Most gin brands recommend garnishing their spiced gin with a juicy slice of orange. However, I find that if the flavour profile is sweeter, the orange can be a bit much. In which case I prefer a slice of pink grapefruit to freshen it up. Mandarin and blood orange are also flavours often paired with spiced gin.

Distiller Notes

Alex smiles: “Mark was so excited that he went and bought a 500-litre still and named her Gracie. He gave her a home behind the bar at Roker Hotel, where you can still find her today.” Pink Pepper Gin, 44% ABV – The key botanical here is obviously the pink peppercorn, but they also use cardamom, honey and vanilla. It also matters how you serve the gin. On its own, the flavour profile may not work for you, but once mixed with the right tonic and garnish, the notes are better balanced. Play around with different fruit and see what works for the gin in question and matches your palate. Taste the gin again and if you’re happy, filter out all the botanicals using a sieve. If there’s still some sediment left, use some muslin or a coffee filter to strain again.

Spiced gins are warm, spicy, nutty and sometimes a bit earthy. Distilleries not only use the traditional spices found along the Maritime Silk Road, but also many more ‘modern’ botanicals. Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin, 43.8% ABV – A gin designed with Negroni in mind. Made using Tasmanian pepperberry leaf, cinnamon, grains of paradise, blood orange and ginger. You can also add more or less sugar based on how sweet and syrupy you want your gin liqueur to come out - the more sugar you add, the more treacly your liqueur will become (all the better for drinking neat or over ice!).

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The joy of this simple recipe is that it’s not only easy to make at home, but it’s totally flexible; the number of spices we’ve suggested in our easy recipe below are merely our own preference, so feel free to experiment with the flavours you like; so if you are not so keen on cloves, for instance, just leave them out! Ludlow Spiced Gin, 42% ABV – The spice list includes ginger, nutmeg, caraway, cubeb, grains of paradise, liquorice and cassia. Almond and elderberries help to balance the spices. Spiced gins lend themselves to Negroni and you see it recommended by pretty much most brands. Martinez works with many gins, as the vermouth can handle stronger spices. Even better if you can find an oak-aged spiced gin! Another classic is a Dry Martini, but I wouldn’t necessarily enjoy this with gins that have an extra peppery finish or strong cardamom notes. Portobello Road Gin, 42% ABV – This one is more classic London Dry-style gin, but includes botanicals such as coriander, orris root, liquorice root, cassia bark and nutmeg.