Make Your Own Booze With the HomeMade Gin Kit

By Ann Binlot April 20, 2013

The HomeMade Gin Kit — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Back in the 1920s, people had to revert to bathtub gin — the result of the practice of distilling gin at home — to get a drink. Prohibition may have ended back in 1933, but the interest in homemade spirits still lives on. The HomeMade Gin Kit makes it possible for you to make your own gin without any complicated distilling equipment. All you need for a few bottles of gin that you can say you made all on your own is the kit, which can be purchased at homemadegin.com, and a 750 ml bottle of affordable vodka anywhere in the $10 to $20 range. We picked Smirnoff.

Next, we opened up the kit. In it was two empty bottles, a tin filled with juniper berries — the main ingredient that gives vodka its flavor — a tin that contained aromatics, a double mesh fine strainer and a funnel. Then, we took out the directions. First, we opened up the bottle of vodka then put the funnel on top. After, we opened up the tin of juniper berries, and poured them in the vodka through the funnel. We shook up the bottle really well, and hid it in a dark, cool place — under the sink.

Twenty-four hours later we took out the juniper berry-infused vodka, opened up the bottle, and poured the blend of aromatics into the bottle through the funnel. Again, we put the cap on the bottle, and then we shook it like it was a Shake Weight and put it back in the dark, cool place. We waited for 12 hours, shook it up really well again, and took a whiff of that fresh homemade gin.

We immediately got the funnel and strainer out and popped open the empty bottles that came with the kit, put the funnel on top of one of them, and poured the mixture through the strainer. We grabbed the second bottle, which we plan to give to our dad on Father’s Day, and did the same thing. There you have it — homemade gin in 36 hours. Your friends and family will be impressed. Trust us.

Who’s coming over for gin and tonics tonight?

The HomeMade Gin Kit, $39.95 at homemadegin.com.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Food & Drink

Copperworks releases 3 new whiskeys, and they’re outstanding

The Seattle-based distillery is release three whiskeys

Two whiskey glasses

If you’ve never heard of Copperworks Distilling Company, now is the time to get on the proverbial bandwagon. Opened in 2013, this distillery is located in downtown Seattle. But, even with a tasting room and gift shop, it’s more than just a tourist destination. This award-winning outfit is well-known for its series of gins, vodka, and its small batch American single malt whiskey.

Its prowess in crafting American single malt whiskey is what we find most exciting. That’s why we were very interested to hear that the distillery was releasing not one, not two, but three new single malt whiskeys. They are Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Single Cask No. 22-2 as well as Release 049 and Release 050.
The whiskeys

Food & Drink

Midleton releases its oldest whiskey to date — here’s how much it costs

This whiskey was distilled when Nixon was the President

Midleton Whiskey

If you’re not an avid Irish whiskey drinker, you might not know about the whiskey prowess of The Midleton Distillery. Located in County Cork, Ireland, this Pernod Ricard-owned distillery has been crafting award-winning whiskeys since it was opened back in 1975. While the brand is known for myriad, limited-release, exceptional whiskeys, there are few more well-known than Midleton Very Rare.

Recently, the distillery announced the fifth chapter in its Silent Distillery Collection. Referred to as Chapter Five, this single-pot still whiskey isn’t the type of expression you’ll grab at your local liquor store. That’s because it’s Midleton’s oldest whiskey to date at 49 years old.
The whiskey

Food & Drink

Yes, you can live on a vineyard — check out these dream homes for sale

What's a cool 10 million, anyway?

Vineyard

When fantasizing about one's dream house, common players may include a sleek and modern cliff house by the sea or a tropical Hawaiian paradise complete with thatched roof and lazy, sun-bleached hammock. Perhaps a snowy mountain retreat comes to mind, fully stocked with all of the snowboarding gear one could hope for. Some may dream of making their home on an enormous yacht, having the ability to travel the world at a moment's notice. We'd also wager that high on that list for many of us would be a gorgeously romantic vineyard home nestled between the grapevines. While for many of us, these idyllic homes are but fantasies or ambitious goals, it's always fun to dip a toe into that fantasy world every now and then. Perusing real estate sites like Redfin and Zillow, clicking through photos of the homes we so crave, imagining how we'd fill the rooms and what our lives would look like in them is indeed a fun way to pass the time.

So if you, like us, share the fantasy of living on a vineyard, horseback riding through dusty rows of delicious grapes, plucking them from the vine and imagining what their wine will taste like, you may want to check out these listings. These vineyard homes are all currently on the market, just waiting for someone's fantasy to become a reality.
College Station, Texas
Price: $1,250,000