Like sloe gin, these are liqueurs; like sloe gin, they’re straightforward to make, the main ingredients being gin, sugar, a few simple botanicals, and patience. The turnaround time for these is rather quicker than with sloes, though!

While each is delicious on its own, they also make stellar cocktail ingredients. Try adding any one of them to prosecco for a raffish twist on a Kir Royale; the raspberry pineapple gin would make a fine addition to a French Martini; the greengage vanilla a cracking alternate-universe Gimlet; and the lemon, cardamom and rose would add a wildly aromatic Middle Eastern twist to just about anything.

And while you can easily use something cheap and cheerful to make them, it’s well worth using a good quality gin; we’ve tried to match the liquid to the aromatics here, one of the keys to a good liqueur being balance. All of the recipes can be scaled down if you don’t want to sacrifice a full bottle.

It’s hard to give precise measurements for sugar, as much will depend on the ripeness of the fruit you’re using. We’ve been fairly conservative, as this is easier to adjust for than over-sweetening – see the recipes below for guidance.

Raspberry and Pineapple

A magical combination of heady sweetness and tart acidity immortalised by Barratt’s Fruit Salad sweets.

Pineapple infuses quickly into a gin, needing only a few days to make its presence felt; raspberries take a little longer but you can speed up the process by macerating them with sugar overnight prior to their addition.

Edinburgh producer Lind & Lime’s signature notes of lime and spicy, fruity pink peppercorns bring a much-needed fresh edge here, preventing the sweetness from becoming cloying.

Ingredients

700ml Lind & Lime gin

150g fresh raspberries

225g fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks

175g caster sugar

Method

  • Mix the raspberries with half the sugar and leave to macerate overnight in the fridge.
  • Add all of the fruit, with the sugar, to a large, clean, tight-lidded jar and pour over the gin.
  • Seal the jar and leave it somewhere cool to infuse, carefully shaking once a day. Taste after a week; if it’s not quite ready, allow to infuse for longer, tasting daily until it’s to your liking.
  • Strain through a fine sieve, then through muslin or a coffee filter, and sample; add a simple syrup made from one part sugar and one part water to taste if you’d like it sweeter, or lemon juice if you’d like it sharper.
  • Pour into a clean (preferably sterilised) bottle and store in a cool place; it can be enjoyed straight away, but further maturation will only improve it!

Greengage and Vanilla

Greengages are a small species of plum with a gentle yellow-green shade and a honeyed, somewhat floral sweetness. They have a short season, running from mid-August to early September in the UK; just the sort of elusive flavour that infused gins excel in capturing. And once they’ve done their duty, you can easily turn the booze-soaked fruit into a jam. Isle of Barra Gin, made by a tiny distillery in the Outer Hebrides, has a complex, slightly savoury coastal character that marries nicely with the greengages’ sweeter tones. The addition of vanilla lends a fragrant depth to the combination.

Ingredients

700ml Isle of Barra Gin

300g greengages

175g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

Method

  • Cut the greengages in half and remove the pits before adding to a large, clean, tight-lidded jar.
  • Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds, adding both seeds and pod to the jar with the greengages.
  • Cover with the sugar, pour over the gin, and give a good stir before sealing the jar.
  • Store the gin somewhere cool to infuse, carefully shaking once a day. This one takes a little longer to infuse than the raspberry and pineapple gin – you can leave it anywhere from four to eight weeks, but start tasting from week four.
  • When ready, strain, then taste, again adding simple syrup for more sweetness or lemon juice for acidity.  
  • Decant into a clean, preferably sterilised, bottle and store in a cool place; it can be enjoyed straight away but will continue to mellow and develop if left.

Cardamom, Lemon and Rose

This one’s inspired by Persian Love Cake, an intoxicatingly fragranced confection meant to capture hearts. Those with a sweet tooth are especially vulnerable! Where some combinations thrive on contrast, the three star ingredients here work in close harmony, each somehow egging the others on to build layers of heady aroma.

Loch Fyne Gin’s bright, citrus-driven character makes it a great base for more flamboyant ingredients. If you have pesticide-free rose petals, use them – they make a great visual addition as well as adding flavour. Otherwise, add good quality rosewater to taste.

Ingredients

500ml Loch Fyne Gin

6-8 cardamom pods, lightly cracked

zest of 1 large lemon

1-2 tbsp fresh rose petals, or 1-2 tsp dried, if using

rosewater, to taste

200ml granulated sugar

200ml water

a squeeze of lemon juice

Method

  • Start by making a syrup. Add the sugar and water to a saucepan with a squeeze of lemon juice and heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring very occasionally with the end of a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool and store until needed.
  • Add the cardamom pods, lemon zest and rose petals (if using) to a large, clean jar with the gin, stir and seal.
  • Leave to infuse for three days to a week, tasting and carefully shaking daily.
  • Once you’re happy with the flavour, strain then add the syrup gradually, tasting with each addition until it’s to your liking. If you’re using rosewater rather than infusing with rose petals, now is the time to add it – cautiously! It can be overpowering in the wrong hands…
  • Pour into a clean, preferably sterilised, bottle and leave for up to two weeks before drinking.
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