This recipe was originally posted in 2013. Two years on this Cranberry Infused Gin still a firm favourite during the festive period. 

Christmas Preparations

Two weeks ago Christmas descended upon Windsor Court. On the Sunday Jon and I took a drive through the countryside to buy our first real Christmas tree as a couple! It has been an annual tradition for my family to buy a real tree and it was one I wanted to share with Jon.

For me, when choosing a tree bigger is better. It needs to be tall, bushy and most of all majestic. Our tree is just that! We’d talked about getting a 6ft tree as our lounge is quite large but Jon had worried it was a bit much – those who know me won’t be surprised we came home with a seven footer…

As well as getting a real tree I made it my mission to make as many handmade decorations as I could. I made robins, reindeer, wreaths, Christmas pudding and gingerbread men with our names embroidered on them especially for our tree.

Our Christmas tree now has so much personality and really represents us as a couple! Homemade Christmas decorations are also a nice present for friends and family: I made personalised gingerbread men for my direct family as well as friends and they’ve been so well received! There are so many other homemade gifts you can make at Christmas, many of them edible!

Homemade Gifts – Cranberry Infused Gin

One of the simplest Christmas gifts however is also one of my favourites – Cranberry Infused Gin! I get my love of gin from my Dad and somehow along the way I managed to convince my best friend just how awesome gin is too and we spend many an evening setting the world to rights with a gin and tonic in hand.

With this in mind I couldn’t think of anything better than a bottle of Christmas Gin flavoured with cranberries, citrus fruit (orange or grapefruit works best) and star anise.

The Recipe

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Cranberry Gin with grapefruit and star anise

Give the gift of home infused cranberry gin with grapefruit and star anise this Christmas!

Course Drinks

Cuisine British

Keyword cranberry, gin, grapefruit, star anise

Prep Time 10 minutes

Infusing time 1 day

Total Time 1 day 10 minutes

Servings 1 litre bottle of infused gin

Author Emma Walton

Ingredients

• 500 grams cranberries fresh
• 1 small grapefruit peel only
• 2 star anise
• 750 millilitres gin

Instructions

1. Sterilise your bottles by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing and then placing in an oven on a low heat until completely dry.
2. Allow to cool before piercing each individual cranberry and placing in the bottles.
3. Add the grapefruit peel and star anise before covering with the gin.
4. Seal the bottle and leave to infuse.
5. After just a few days you will see the gin go from being perfectly clear to pink and then bright red!
6. Serve chilled on ice with high quality tonic water.

Recipe Notes

Please note that whilst the instructions state this takes 24 hours to make, it is best to leave it for at least 48 hours to infuse if you can!

Personally, I think that homemade gifts are the best kind! After all, Christmas is a time for loving and sharing, and what better way to show someone you love them, then by making them something special just for them!

Are you sharing any of your special talents this Christmas in order to put a smile on your friends’ and family’s faces? Are you knitting, sewing or cooking up a storm in your kitchen making homemade gifts? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments! Perhaps your another gin lover and will be making a bottle of Cranberry Infused Gin this Christmas?