Apply and bramble gin

We all love gin, right? So let’s add something new to our gin cupboards for the autumn: apple and bramble gin.

Autumn though is always great for getting back in the kitchen. Use the long evenings or a rainy Sunday afternoon to cook up a storm, bake or make boozy treats. And as flavours like apple and bramble come into season, you can add in a little sugar, spice and all things nice (i.e. gin) and create a treat that you can happily sip as the days get shorter and the leaves fall.

apple and bramble gin

Think you’ve seen gin around these parts before? Well, that’s because you most certainly have. It’s been a little while since I made a gin, but I’ve been messing about with gin since before this blog started and have learnt a thing or two along the way. It was Lime and Chilli Gin that first graced this little corner of the internet, and since then there’s been Mulled Gin, Seville Orange, and Raspberry Gin (coincidentally, the last of these is TUS’ most popular post), but having an incredibly busy summer stalled boozy creations, and what spare time there was mainly centred on sport, comedy and spending some valuable time in the pub.

This year there was a steady supply of both apples and brambles in my life, so this was really a no-brainer to try. They are a brilliant pairing and something that most of us shouldn’t have any difficulty in getting. Cinnamon is the perfect spice for this pairing too, so it’s definitely one of the ingredients to put in.

Reasons to love apple and bramble gin:

It’s a good way of using seasonal fruit.
It’s got cinnamon in it, and cinnamon makes everything better.
The brambles (/blackberries) give it a most incredible colour.
It’s great served as a short or a long drink.

You can make it at any time of year, of course, using frozen berries, but if you are doing so remember to thaw them first.

It went down a storm. Possibly dangerously drinkable (you have been warned), it’s not a bottle that’s going to be around long. In theory, it’ll keep for up to 3 months if it’s sealed and out of sunlight, but it’s going to be a challenge to make that happen.

Apple and Bramble Gin

Author: Craig
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 weeks
Cook Time: none
Total Time: 24 minute
Yield: 750 ml 1x

Print Recipe

Description

This recipe is based on my Lime and Chilli Gin, but substituting the fruits; it also uses a little less sugar as the fruits are sweeter. It makes approximately 750ml of gin, and you can always use the fruits again afterwards to make a deliciously boozy cake or crumble. I use a large mason jar with a clip lid and rubber seal to make mine..

Scale

Ingredients

700 ml gin
1 large bramley apple
200g (1 punnet) of brambles/blackberries
75g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

Take a large mason jar (approx 1 litre) and into it pour the sugar and about 100 ml of the gin. Seal the jar and swirl it around to disolve as much of the sugar as possible. Pour the brambles in, then use the back of a large metal spoon to mash the fruit a little. Peel the apple and then cut into small chunks – no larger than 5cm² (the smaller they are the more surface area there will be to let the flavours impart into the gin), add the chunks into the jar along with the cinnamon.

Pour the rest of the gin in and use the large metal tablespoon to stir everything together, ensuring that all of the sugar is dissolved. Chop sticks also work very well for this!

Seal the jar and store it in a cool, dry place that is out of direct sunlight. It will take about two weeks for the flavours to become just right (it will colour early because the brambles, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s done), you should stir, shake or swirl every couple of days.

After the fortnight, sterilise the bottle(s) it will be going into. Using a coffee filter, piece of muslin or (my preferred option) a sieve lined with kitchen roll to filter out the fruit and the cinnamon. I tend to do this into a just so it is easier to pour into the bottles. Decant the filtered gin into your bottles and seal, serve with tonic over ice.