[NTLK] [OT-FS] Re: [ADMIN] Post Etiquette: Items For Sale

[Matthias Melcher]

I know, I know, I am late to the party.

My family has been making Doppelwacholder - the German equivalent to Gin for over 250 years here where I live. We were so good at it that we received the right to move inside the city walls of Uerdingen (near Düsseldorf).

Gin is made by throwing juniper berries (which are actually cones, not berries) and possibly some secret ingredients into a big pot. Alcohol is added (96%, made from anything you can find, grain, rice, potatoes, beets - at 96%, there is no difference anymore) and the mix rests for a couple of days. Then, the mix is heated to 90 deg C. The alcohol boils and takes all the aromas out of the berries, taking it with in gaseous form. It is then cooled and collected. The result is a juniper extract that has about 80% of alcohol and an extremely intense juniper flavor. This is usually done twice to get all the aroma out.

The resulting extract is mixed with filtered water and fresh 96% alcohol to create a drink that has between 36% and 40%.

Often, people drink Gin out of ice cold shot glasses in one go. This is quick and leaves a slight nice aftertaste. Those who really enjoy the intense juniper taste prefer Gin at a warmer temperature and sip it quite slowly to have the full aroma.

Enjoy.

 - Matthias

http://www.weinbrennerei-dujardin.de/