When the hard weather hits there’s nothing like a cocktail to warm us. And while you may think that your garden is empty of nature’s treats in winter – take a moment and think again! The fabulous Spruce tree (often used as a Christmas Tree) stands strong and green even through our darkest months, so why not take a few sprigs to make something extra special this weekend?
Spruce, pine, and conifer needles have a beautifully fragrant, woody flavour, an aroma which isn’t a thousand miles away from the distinctive taste of juniper berries, which we all know and love from our (occasional) G&Ts.
All you need to infuse your own delicious Spruce-y Gin is a handful of fresh sprigs from the garden, then sit back, relax and enjoy!
First, what you’ll need is a container to infuse your gin. It can be anything, just make sure that it’s clean and has a good, firm seal on the lid. We’d suggest some kind of jar rather than a bottle as this makes taking your Spruce sprigs out of the container so much easier!
Go out to your garden and snip off some Spruce sprigs and place them in your empty jar. You want to add enough springs so that they fill your jar (lightly filled, not packed).
Once filled, return to your kitchen and thoroughly wash your sprigs and container with water to make sure you are not accidentally pickling any snoozing bugs! Once washed, re-fill your container with sprigs and then top up with good quality gin.
Leave your sprigs to steep in a cool, dark place for between seven days to two months, depending on the strength of flavour you prefer…and then strain and serve!
'SPRUCED UP' G&T COCKTAIL
- 2 measures of Spruce-infused gin
- Tonic Water (chilled)
- Pink peppercorns
- 2 fresh sprigs of Spruce
- Ice
Fill your cocktail shaker with your ice, gin, 1 sprig of Spruce and a few pink peppercorns. Muddle together and strain into a tall glass. Top up with tonic and serve with your remaining Spruce sprig!
TPT Top Tip: You can use most types of conifer needles in this recipe – but steer well clear of those belonging to the toxic yew tree!
