Blue Gin (Butterfly Pea)
OVERVIEW
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There have been more and more gins coming to market in the last few years and some are very 'gimmicky', blue gin seems to be one of them, having the properties of changing colour with the addition of certain tonics or lemon juice...oooo magical. In reality it is a flower that creates this amazing colour and it changes with PH levels so normally it is blue/purple and if you add lemon juice it goes pink/purple.
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The flower is Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) and is difficult to grow in the UK, however it is readily available online and buying it dried is ideal for this recipe.
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In terms of flavour it really is pretty neutral so this recipe shows you how to make a blue gin that turns pink with lemon juice or with certain tonics, but in terms of flavour it really does not have one.
INGREDIENTS
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20-30 Butterfly Pea flowers (Calyx taken off) - though this depends how blue you want your gin.
700ml of Vodka (40% ABV or higher)
METHOD
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STEP 1: Remove the calyx from the flowers, this is the slightly green end of the flower, if you grab the blue flower end and pull the other end it should come off easily (this part is a bit bitter so you do not want that to infuse).
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STEP 2: Place the flowers in a 1 litre kilner style jar. How many depends how blue you want it. 20-30 should be enough for most.
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STEP 3: Pour the gin over the flowers, with in a few minutes you will see the liquid begin to go blue. Close the lid ensure the gin can not leak.
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STEP 4: Shake the contents for a few seconds and put the jar to one side. Keep an eye on it over the next 30 mins to an hour and wait until you get the desired blue colour of your choosing. If you leave it overnight by the morning it will be a deep inky blue (which is fine if you want it a deep blue).
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STEP 5: Whenever you decide it is blue enough for you strain the liquid through muslin or a fine mesh and place the resulting liquid in to a nice clean spirit style bottle. When making a G&T if you use an acidic tonic it will change colour, or make a collins and the addition of lemon juice will create a colour change.
