Did you know that tomorrow (13th June 2015) is World Gin Day? So to celebrate I’ve been sampling plenty of gin and tonics and I’ve also collated a list of 18 amazing foods to cook with gin for anyone feeling a bit more adventurous.
There are many national food days, weeks and months throughout the year and I find some more inspiring than others. For some unknown reason I’ve been really drawn to National Gin Day. It’s an unknown reason because until a couple of weeks ago I’d never tried gin. I simply decided that it’s something that I should like and wanted to try, and once I’ve got an idea in my head it’s very difficult to kick it back out again. The result is that the last couple of weeks have become a little gin obsessed in my household (the grown ups only obviously!).
It all started with my admission on Facebook that I’ve never tried a gin and tonic. I was given plenty of suggestions of which was best and the general consensus seemed to be Hendrick’s Gin and Fever Tree Tonic.
So off I went to the supermarket to stock up. I even shared a picture of my basket despite looking like a bit of a complete idiot taking it in the middle of the alcohol aisle at 9 o’clock in the morning.
So how did I like my first gin and tonic?
The back of the Hendrick’s bottle says “It’s not for everyone” and that includes me. It was nice, but not as nice as I was expecting, a touch on the bitter side. So the next day I was back in the supermarket at 9am again buying up some Bombay Sapphire (I’m a bit worried I might get a reputation!). It’s slightly sweeter than Hendrick’s so more suited to my taste (my favourite alcoholic drinks are Baileys and Tia Maria and Coke just to give you an idea of my sweet tooth), but it still wasn’t quite right. At this point I decided that the Fever Tree tonic was the problem. So off to Tesco’s again, and a complete impulse buy of Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic. I had no idea if it would go, but I love the flavour of elderflower and I figured that they wouldn’t put it in tonic unless they meant you to put it with gin.
It was delicious. The hint of sweetness from the elderflower perfectly complimented the gin (regardless of which one you use – I tried it with both just to make sure!).
If you fancy recreating this deliciousness at home then you’ll need
- 25ml gin (that’s one shot)
- 100ml Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic
- Plenty of ice cubes
- A slice of cucumber
Simply put it all in a glass, give it a quick stir, and… enjoy!
I like to have 1 part gin to 4 parts tonic, but I’m a bit of a lightweight so if you like your drinks to have a bit more of a kick then reduce the amount of tonic a bit.
I tried it with both lemon and lime instead of the cucumber but I found the flavour of them over-powering. The cucumber adds a subtle extra flavour which perfectly compliments the gin and elderflower.
18 Amazing Foods to Cook with Gin
Now I’ve got quite a lot of gin in the house I started thinking about what to do with it all. The obvious choice was to drink the lot. However, I remembered seeing this recipe for Gin and Tonic Cronuts by Angela at Patisserie Makes Perfect and it got me thinking about other foods that can be made with gin. After a bit of searching and asking for suggestions on social media, it turns out that there’s plenty of fabulous things to make with gin.
So I thought it would be fun to round a few up for you.
The question is which to make first, what do you think?
These Cucumber Gin and Tonic Popsicles by Port and Fin take the simple gin and tonic and turn it into a grown-up frozen treat, perfect for a summers day.
Other summer’s day recipes include these Bramble Jelly Shots by The Jelly Shot Kitchen – a place choc-a-bloc full of jelly shots and and all just as beautiful.
There’s also this recipe for Vegan Gin and Gooseberry Jelly by Family Friends Food. Clearly I’m not the only fan of the gin and elderflower combination as it features here too.
What’s jelly without ice-cream? So how about a big scoop of Gin and Tonic Ice-cream by Scoop Adventures to go with it. Dad, if you’re reading this – you’d like Scoop Adventures, it’s a blog solely devoted to ice-cream!
If you’re into baking then why not try this White chocolate, Gin and Blueberry Cheesecake by Cate in the Kitchen. Not only is it full of gin, it’s also covered in gold chocolate spoons. It was made for her sister’s 18th birthday celebrations. What better way to celebrate than cheesecake with plenty of alcohol in!
If you’re up for a baking challenge and love pretty food then why not try these Salted Grapefruit Macarons with Gin Buttercream by Baking the Goods. A little trickier to make than some of the other recipes here but there’s plenty of tips and tricks in the recipe to help you along the way.
Staying on the macaron theme, there’s also these Gin and Rose Macarons by Hannah Bakes Things which are inspired by her obsessions for rose lemonade and gin.
A trifle just isn’t complete without a decent splash of alcohol and this recipe for raspberry gin trifle by Foodie Quine replaces the traditional sherry with gin.
For a more traditional cake then why not try this Gin and Tonic Loaf Cake by Pudding Lane. When I was searching for gin cakes, plenty of suggestions came up. However it turned out that everyone was simply baking this loaf cake and sharing how lovely it is. A very popular choice.
If you prefer a round cake then there’s also this boozy bramble cake by Jen’s Food flavoured with gin, lemon and blackberries.
You could always fill a cake (or sandwich, or scone) with this Damson Plum & Gin Jam by Love and Olive Oil, inspired by damson plum infused gin. There’s even pretty printable labels for your jars so they can look as lovely as this picture (aren’t they pretty!)
You don’t just have to stick to sweet things when cooking with gin. There’s plenty of inspiration in the savoury front too. How about this Drunken Salmon Gravlax by Moving Out…Eating In, perfect if you’re cooking for a crowd as a main course or as a canapé at a party.
If you simply fancy adding a little something to your mid-week dinner then how about this gin penne pasta by Macheesmo.
Another great light meal is this tomato soup in a flash by what’s for tea tonight dear? It’s got a secret ingredient – can you guess what it might be?
I’ve never tried alcohol as a salad dressing and then I came across this Scottish Barley and Smoked Salmon Salad with a Whisky Dressing by Foodie Quine and then this cucumber salad with gin dressing by the eat more food project. I’m starting to think that alcoholic salad dressings are a thing I should be doing – tomato and baileys anyone?
There’s also gin snacks too, and if you’re after something really simple then how about these Gin Marinated Olives by Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen. Simply mix the ingredients and pop them in the oven. If you’re wondering what a flexitarian is (first time I’ve come across it) then take a look at their “about” page while you’re there.
Still on the snack theme, there’s also this gin popcorn by Kate Garrigan at The Gin Is In, an oracle of all things gin.
Well that’s it, my round up of 18 fabulous gin recipes. A huge thank you to everyone featured for agreeing to appear x
Do you know of any fabulous gin recipes I’ve missed? Which one would you most like to try?
Cucumber Gin and Tonic Popsicles – Port and Fin, Bramble Jelly Shots – Jelly Shot Test Kitchen, Gin and Tonic Loaf Cake – Pudding Lane, Damson Plum and Gin Jam – Love and Olive Oil, White Chocolate, Gin and Blueberry Cheesecake – Cate in the Kitchen, Gin Marinated Olives – Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen, Gin Popcorn – Kate Garrigan, Gin and Tonic Cronuts – Patisserie Makes Perfect, Drunken Salmon Gravlax – Photo P. Tang styled by G. Lush, Salted Grapefruit Macarons with Gin Buttercream – Baking the Goods, Gin Penne Pasta – Macheesmo, Cucumber Salad with Gin Dressing – The Eat More Food Project, Gin and Tonic Ice-cream – Scoop Adventures, Gin and Rose Macarons – Hannah Bakes Things, Raspberry Gin Trifle – Foodie Quine, Vegan Gin and Gooseberry Jelly – Family Friends Food, Boozy Bramble Cake Jen’s Food, Tomato Soup in a Hurry – What’s For Tea Tonight Dear?
All other images are my own
LydiaF says
I’m embarrassed to be so late to the party, but thanks for the shout out! My husband and I are currently living in Spain where Gin and Tonics (heen tonick) are quite popular. There’s a bit of snobbery involved too, as people will order a particular type of gin. I usually stick with Gordon’s…I’m a blue collar gin & tonic gal 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
Well thank you for agreeing to let me feature your post. I certainly discovered the G&T snobbery when I was asking for suggestions on the best gin. I think I disappointed a few people by choosing Bombay sapphire over Hendricks!
Wheelie Good Meals says
Great post, really informative, I’m not a massive Gin fan…. hangovers are too bad after it lol. I’ve scheduled to share on Facebook #FoodYearLinkup
Charlotte Oates says
That’s the advantage of adding it to food rather than drinking it. No hangover!
Fionnuala says
I had my first g&t at 19 and never looked back. It is so refreshing. This year I tried it with my homemade elderberry syrup too and it goes very well together.
Thanks for sharing this selection of recipes. I usually make plum jam with my in-laws’ plums so I might pimp it with gin this year.
#TastyTuesdays
Fionnuala from http://www.mykitchennotebook.blogspot.com
Charlotte Oates says
I’d imagine that it tastes delicious with home made elderberry syrup. I just wish I had some so I could give it a try 🙂
Megan - truly madly kids says
All fab ideas – we love a gin recipe here at Truly Madly !
Charlotte Oates says
I spotted your gin an tonic cake in #TastyTuesday’s earlier! I haven’t had a chance to go through all the posts yet but it’s definitely one I earmarked to come back to over the next couple of days.
Ben Groom says
You’ll always win me over with gin! Gin and salmon and gin and damson jam both sound lovely (the second must be fairly close to the taste of Sloe Gin? That would be nice). I’m more of a Tanqueray fan myself, though I’d drink it in all it’s forms- it’s ale in the winter, g’n’t all summer for me!
Charlotte Oates says
Tanqueray was another of the gins suggested to me over on Facebook but I thought I should probably finish off the two bottles I’d already bought before heading out to buy another. It’s on my list to try at some point though.
Lins @Boo & Maddie says
Oh my goodness, it probably says a lot about me that when I linked up to #TastyTuesdays just now, yours was the first post I went off to read. What inventive recipes, those popsicles look lovely and refreshing in case we get any hot weather *stares wistfully into the distance*
Charlotte Oates says
We actually had sunshine today, I think that’s about the third time this year! Perhaps I should have made some while it was sunny as who knows when it’s going to come out again. Those popsicles were high on my list of the recipes to try. I think the fact that they’re so simple to make makes them even more tempting.
Nikki Frank-Hamilton says
I like gin, vodka is my drink of choice normally. But a gin bloody mary is incredible. And I am thinking I need to make some of those gin olives to go inside it! Yum. Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
Ooh that’s a great idea. I’m still so new to gin that there’s so much I still need to try. Gin bloody mary is another one added to the list.
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect says
Thank you for including my cronuts Charlotte. This is a great round-up. Hendricks is my favourite gin 🙂 It’s a shame you didn’t like it.
I really like Sipsmith’s gin as well. There are some amazing gins out there and I love gin so much.
Lots of great inspiration here.
Charlotte Oates says
I didn’t mind the Hendrick’s, I found it a bit bitter with the plain tonic but it was nice with the elderflower. I suspect that’s it’s probably not an “introductory” gin, once I’ve had a few more gin and tonics I’m sure I’ll learn to love it.
Thanks for letting me use your cronuts (grrr why does autocorrect think I want to write cornets every time. I’m sure I’ll miss one at some point!). It was seeing your post that got me wondering about other things that can be made with gin which then inspired this post.
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect says
I’m so pleased you used my cronuts and I’m delighted to be the inspiration behind your gin themed post!
Hendricks is lovely with tonic and cucumber, but I know what you mean about elderflower, that is delicious with it too.
Mummy Tries says
Nooooooo! I can’t believe that you didn’t like Hendrick’s!! Not sure we can be friends 😉 must try those g&t ice lollies this summer. Fab post x
Charlotte Oates says
I did like it with the Elderflower. Does that mean we can still be friends?
The lollies look good don’t they and so simple to make. The only problem is that I’ve only got really childish lolly moulds. I’ll have to invest in some grown up ones.
Enjoy Britmums x
Laura says
Great round up of recipes! You’ll need to do a few to get through all those bottles of gin haha!
When I went to a gin masterclass, we tried Bombay Sapphire and because of the spicy botanicals we were actually told that ginger beer is a better mixer with it (and it tastes to much nicer than tonic – although I agree with you that Fever Tree is the best).
Charlotte Oates says
Fortunately I have some decent ginger beer in the cupboard so I’ll have to give that a go a bit later (I was tempted to nip into the kitchen and try it now, but I’m really not sure that’s a good idea at 11am on a Sunday!)
Arabella Bazley says
I’ve been a gin drinker all my life (makes me sound like a sot!) but the sheer range of things to cook using gin is amazing. There are lots of very inventive people out there 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
I was amazed at the range when I started pulling together the list. I was googling “gin + random food item” not expecting anything to come up and I found recipes for pretty much everything.
Tekesha says
Thanks for including me! This list looks amazing!! 🙂
Jasmin Charlotte says
Even more of a region to drink some gin tomorrow! I’m definitely a gin fiend, never cooked with it so definitely need to, thanks for the round up! x
Charlotte Oates says
Sounds like you definitely need to give it a try. The tricky question is what to cook first!