As the weather begins to warm up, I love to sit on my deck with a cold drink. One of my favorites has always been gin and tonic. Just one problem now, we rarely drink alcohol anymore. We drink a mocktail.
So I set out to try to create those flavors without the booze.
I knew that gin was primarily juniper berries, but there is something else. The traditional gin is distilled with juniper berries (lots of juniper berries), lemon peel, coriander seed and angelica root. But my quest was how to create that flavor in a base.
After some experimentation I came up with a drink base that had flavors pretty close. It’s a little cloudy, but you don’t notice it once it’s mixed.
Give it a try. Tell me what you think!
Here’s How to Do it:
Crush the junipers in a mortar just enough to crack them.
Place them and all the other spices with the water in a small sauce pan. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the agave and continue to simmer until it’s reduced by half.
Strain through a coffee filter and remove as much of the particles as possible.
It will still be a little cloudy.
Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to make the mocktail, put about 1/8 cup in a pint class. Fill with ice and top with tonic water. A slice of lemon to garnish and it’s good to go.
© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

The refreshing taste without the alcohol.
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup juniper berries, slightly cracked
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander seed
- 1/8 teaspoon anise seed
- 1 thin slice lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon agave syrup
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Crush the junipers in a mortar just enough to crack them.
-
Place them and all the other spices with the water in a small sauce pan. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
-
Add the agave and continue to simmer until it's reduced by half.
-
Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
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When you're ready to make the drink, put about 1/8 cup in a pint class. Fill with ice and top with tonic water. A slice of lemon to garnish and it's good to go.
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© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome
Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!
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#ginandtonic
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I will have to give this a try. But, I couldn’t help thinking this would also make a great base for pickles.
Hmmm – yes it would! You can also buy alcohol free gin on amazon. Sorry for the delay in responding. I’ve been a bit sick this last week. Hope your week is going well and thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for taking the time to reply and I hope this finds you completely recovered.
Thanks Bernadette – I’m working on it. Hope your weekend is going fabulous!!