11 infused gins to make throughout the year

There’s certainly no shortage of flavoured gins in the supermarkets these days – everything from violets and geraniums to blood oranges and grapefruits make their way into the staunchly British spirit. But while these are at best overly sweet and at worst full of artificial flavourings, it’s far tastier and cheaper to make your own. And best of all – all it requires is a bit of sugar, some gin, your chosen fruit and time for everything to infuse together.

Almost any ingredient will leech flavour into gin if given long enough – but some fruits work better than others. The recipes below are our favourites, but do try experimenting at home; a vanilla pod, spices such as cinnamon or star anise and fresh herbs can add complexity to the final flavour that’s above and beyond anything you can buy. Beginning with forced rhubarb at the start of the year, working through the berries of summer and then finishing with wintery sloes, you can make incredible seasonal gins every month. Read on to see how easy it is and tap or click on the images to get taken to the full recipe for each.

From late January right through to June, proud stalks of British rhubarb can be found in shops and vegetable plots. And while it’s great in crumbles, fools and cooked down into sauces for fish and game, one of the best things you can do with rhubarb is chop up a few stalks and throw them into some gin. If you’re using the bright pink forced variety found early on in the year it won’t just add flavour to the spirit; it’ll turn it a beautiful bright pink too.

The beginning of June sees elderflowers appear all over the UK. One of the easiest ingredients to forage – it’s abundant and easily recognisable (just give it a smell if you’re not sure!) – it sadly disappears after just a few weeks, making way for elderberries which crop up towards the end of summer. Preserve their flavour by picking a few sprigs and shake them up with some gin; the resulting flavour is fantastically floral.

English berry season begins with strawberries, which start appearing in June and last right through the summer. When you’re buying some to simply snack on or to make into a dessert, grab an extra punnet and use them to flavour gin, which will turn a beautiful red colour and makes a fantastic ingredient in everything from a G&T to a negroni.

Gooseberries start appearing from late June, and while these hairy little things might be too sharp to eat raw they’re fantastic when cooked with a bit of sugar. The same can be said for gin – the spirit will take on the sweeter, fruitier flavours of the berry, while the mouth-puckering sourness is quelled by a little sugar.