Experts share dos and don'ts to follow while trying your hand at gin infusions

Straight up as a classic GampT or in a complex cocktail mdash gin is clearly having its moment in India The countryrsquos gin market valued at 9147 million in 2020 is projected to hit 15982 million by 2030 revealed a report by Allied Market Research Holed up during the pandemic and without access to barstyle cocktails discerning tipplers took to infusing gin at home aided by a host of new desi gins on the horizon and DIY infusion kits available for delivery More than two years on the appetite for gin infusion is growingSeasonal berries lend a lovely tinge to the spiritFlavour forwardAnjali Batra cofounder Food Talk India and one of the forces behind the Gin Explorers Club which curates fun infusion kits notes ldquoThe easy nature of infusing gin using simple things you have in your fridge or pantry is whatrsquos made it such a big trendrdquo The process is a hit with mixologists too who infuse gins to whip up cocktails Infused gin enables experimentation and creativity points out Vishal Tawde bar supervisor at SAZ American Brasserie BKCBlack tea and cardamom infused gin Camparisweet vermouthBut what is gin infusion The process involves taking any classic gin and infusing it with flavours by letting the ingredients sit in the bottle explains Batra ldquoInfusions can be fast and slow depending on the intensity of the flavours you are looking for and the kind of ingredients yoursquore using Spices infuse faster and fruits and other ingredients take a little longer In principle infusion is adding flavour to a classic juniper ginrdquo she elaboratesLook into your pantryWhat can you infuse gin with Just about anything in your kitchen Tawde points to some ingredients mdash herbs fruits flowers roots teas or leaves Batra loves to play with a mix of fruits and spices while embarking on slow infusion ldquoVanilla pods are brilliant citrus fruits like candied oranges work great mosambi too Berries are great for infusion and give them a stunning colourrdquo she claims Both experts prefer different kinds of teas for quick infusions Drop a tea bag into a glass of gin for 10 seconds and sip away ldquoI like using different kinds of tea such as chamomile Earl Grey or butterfly blue pea tea mdash which lends a beautiful presentation to your drink and also changes colour when it interacts with an acidic liquidrdquo Tawde tells usSpices are great for infusionA classic London dry gin is the best option for infusions suggests Batra Craft or flavoured gins already have a strong flavour personality so using them can leave you with a khichdi of flavours she cautions Tawde reminds us that gin infusions should be cold infusions mdash directly add the infusion ingredient into the spirit for a certain period of time ranging from 30 seconds to two hours to 24 hours depending on the intensity you seek ldquoFor infusing gin with fruits we use a technique called sous vide We pour the gin in an airsealed bag with the chopped up fruits and give it a hot water bath It works well with berriesrdquo Tawde sharesTaste testThe mixologist advises us to look out for the botanicals mentioned on the label of the gin one is using It helps select the ingredients that will complement the botanicals ldquoFor instance Greater Than has dehydrated orange in it as one of its botanicals so you can use any citrus fruit to infuse the gin It will enhance the flavourrdquo he illustrates Itrsquos important to keep an eye on how long yoursquore infusing the gin The proof is in the pudding as always ldquoTaste and check whether itrsquos getting overinfused especially when yoursquore using teas and herbsrdquo he addsVishal Tawde and Anjali BatraKits to DIY forgtgt GECrsquos infusion kits offer a fun combination of flavoursLog on to ginexplorersclub on Instagramgtgt From florified indigo to laidback scarlet Otane provides different mixes apart from an infusion bottle strainer tasting card coaster cloth bag recipes and moreLog on to otaneingtgt This kit comes with a video workshopLog on to bookaworkshopin