Though mixologists make it look acrobatic, infusing your own spirits can be a remarkably easy at-home activity. All a good gin infusion needs is a smidge of creativity, a large decanter, and a little patience.
The gents at one of our favorite Delhi haunts, Perch, taught us how.
The components are fairly simple — a bottle of alcohol and a handful of something else. Gin can be infused with lavender, or dark berries, but the quiet, skilled bartender at Perch chose raw turmeric. An unusual pick, given its strong natural flavour, but order a Yellow Courage off their cocktail menu, and and you’ll understand why.
They used a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin and a rapid infuser, but when you’re doing it at home, more basic tools (and liquors) will do. Take a bottle of gin and a 20g root of raw turmeric – wear gloves before approaching the turmeric (those stains are stronger than you expect) – and chop into rough slices. Put the gin in a jug or decanter and put the turmeric in, cover, and leave for two or three hours. When using milder aromatics, you’ll likely need to leave these in overnight, but don’t be tempted to leave your turmeric in too long, your infusion will likely become too strong.
Strain out the root once done, and serve your turmeric-infused gin with a citrus base. Fresh orange juice is wonderful, and lime juice is the simplest.
