Homemade Strawberry Gin

Homemade Strawberry Gin Tonica is my attempt to bottle the best drink I had in Madrid and bring it home. Gin infused with fresh ripe strawberries and lemon peel for three to seven days until the gin turns the most beautiful deep pink, strained, poured over ice in a gin goblet, and topped with tonic. So refreshing!

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Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Gin

Prep Time: 5

Infusing time: 3

Total Time: 3 5

Servings: shots

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Lola Jay

Equipment

1 Mason Jar

Ingredients

Strawberry gin infusion

20 oz Bombay Sapphire gin
3 cups fresh ripe strawberries washed, hulled, and halved
2 to 3 thin strips of lemon peel pith removed
1 32 oz mason jar sanitized

To serve per drink

1.5 oz homemade strawberry gin
Fever Tree tonic to top
Ice
Fresh strawberry for garnish
Haribo gummies

Instructions

Sanitize the jar

Place the 32 ounce mason jar and its lid in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Remove carefully with tongs and let cool completely on a clean kitchen towel before using. This step ensures nothing interferes with the infusion and the gin stays fresh throughout the full infusion period.
1 32 oz mason jar

Prep the fruit

Wash the strawberries thoroughly under cold running water. Hull them and cut each one in half so the cut surface is exposed to the gin. Using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, cut 2 to 3 thin strips of lemon peel away from the lemon keeping the strips as free of the white pith as possible. The pith is bitter and you want the fragrant yellow zest only.
3 cups fresh ripe strawberries

Fill and seal

Add the halved strawberries and lemon peel strips to the cooled, sanitized mason jar. Pour Bombay Sapphire gin over the fruit. The gin should cover everything completely. Seal the jar tightly with the lid.
20 oz Bombay Sapphire gin, 2 to 3 thin strips of lemon peel

Infuse

Place the sealed jar in a dark cabinet or pantry at room temperature. Leave to infuse for 3 to 7 days. Swirl the jar gently once a day to keep the strawberries moving and ensure even infusion. Start tasting from day 3. At day 3 the gin will be light pink and delicately strawberry forward with the Bombay botanicals still very present. At day 7 the gin will be a deep vibrant pink and intensely strawberry forward. Pull it when it tastes right to you.

Strain

When the gin has reached your desired flavor, set a fine mesh sieve over a clean bowl or pitcher. Pour the infused gin through the sieve slowly. Press the spent strawberries very gently with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible without forcing the pulp through. For a fully clear gin, strain a second time through a coffee filter or a layer of cheesecloth placed inside the sieve. This second strain takes a while, so be patient and do not squeeze or press hard, or the gin will turn cloudy. Discard the spent fruit and lemon peel once fully drained.

Adjust

Taste the strained gin. If it tastes too strong or too alcoholic, add still water a little at a time, up to about 100 milliliters, to bring the ABV down closer to a commercial strawberry gin, which sits around 37.5 percent versus the 40 percent of your base Bombay. If you want it slightly sweeter, add a small drizzle of simple syrup and stir gently. Taste as you go until it is exactly where you want it. Transfer the finished gin to a clean sealed bottle, and it is ready to serve or store.

Serve

Fill a large gin goblet generously with ice. Pour 1.5 oz of the homemade strawberry gin over the ice. Top slowly with Fever Tree tonic. Garnish with a fresh strawberry on the rim. Drop a few Haribo gummies directly into the glass and enjoy!
1.5 oz homemade strawberry gin, Fever Tree tonic to top, Ice, Fresh strawberry for garnish, Haribo gummies

Video

Notes

Nutrition facts are only estimates.

Storage

Store the strained strawberry gin in a sealed, clean bottle or jar for up to 3 months. A dark cabinet at room temperature works well. The refrigerator also works and will slow any further flavor development. Do not store with the spent strawberries still in the jar as they will continue to break down and eventually make the gin taste fermented rather than fresh. Always strain before storing.

Nutrition

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