Traditional Dry Gin – Ever Wondered How Is Gin Made?

Gin is one of the most distinctive spirits in the world. Although recipes and botanicals vary widely between distilleries, the basic principles of gin distillation are relatively simple.

Rosemullion Distillery founders Liz and Andy Bradbury were former career chemists who eventually turned their hands to distilling gin. With a background in science and a passion for flavour, the team has put together this guide to explain how gin is made — and why the age-old process of distillation plays such an important role in shaping the character of the spirit.

Gin has a long and fascinating history, but at its heart the process of making it is surprisingly straightforward. From fermenting a base spirit to distilling botanicals like juniper, each step shapes the flavour that eventually ends up in your glass. Here at Rosemullion Distillery in Cornwall, we follow the same fundamental principles used by distillers for centuries — with our own carefully chosen blend of botanicals.

In simple terms, gin is made by distilling neutral alcohol with botanicals — most importantly juniper berries — which gives the spirit its distinctive flavour.

 Gin Distillation at a Glance 

• A base spirit is fermented to create alcohol
• The wash is distilled to produce a neutral spirit
• Botanicals such as juniper, citrus and spices are added
• The spirit is distilled again to capture botanical flavours
• The finished gin is diluted and bottled

What Ingredients Are Used In Gin

“Distilled gin is… produced exclusively by redistilling ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin… in the presence of juniper berries and other natural botanicals.” The Gin Guild

All gin begins with a neutral spirit that acts as the base for the finished gin. This base spirit is then redistilled with botanicals — the most important being juniper berries from the cypress tree family.

The Royal Society of Chemistry notes that “juniper berries constitute the major flavourant” in gin. They give gin its distinctive piney, citrusy and slightly peppery character — the crisp, resinous note that gin lovers instantly recognise.

Other botanicals commonly used include:

• coriander seed
• citrus peel
• angelica root
• cardamom
• orris root

Each distillery chooses its own combination of botanicals to create a distinctive flavour profile, just as we do here at Rosemullion. Experimenting and deciding what tastes good is half the fun of the creative process.

“Step-by-step gin distillation process”

Step 1: How Is Gin Made? – Creating the Base Spirit

Before gin can be made, a neutral base spirit must first be produced. Many gin distilleries buy this neutral spirit from large industrial producers, and it is often made from grains such as wheat or corn.

At Rosemullion Distillery we take a different approach. Rather than using grain-based neutral alcohol, we produce our own sugar-derived neutral spirit here at the distillery.

This base spirit is created by fermenting sugar and then distilling it to produce a clean, high-strength alcohol. Using sugar as the fermentation source produces a very neutral spirit, but one that can give the finished gin a slightly rounder and fuller character compared with the very dry profile typical of wheat-based neutral spirits.

The spirit is produced using Cornish rainwater, fermented and distilled at the distillery before being redistilled with our botanicals.

Rosemullion uses different base ingredients depending on the spirit being produced:

• Gin – fermented sugar neutral spirit
• Rum – distilled from molasses (a by-product of sugarcane production)
• Whisky – made from malted barley mash

What Does Fermentation Mean?

Before any spirit can be distilled, alcohol first has to be created. This happens during a process called fermentation.

In simple terms, fermentation is the stage where yeast converts sugars into alcohol.

Step A: Creating the Ferment

For Rosemullion’s gin base spirit, sugar is mixed with water to create a liquid that yeast can ferment.

The yeast consumes the sugars and converts them into:

• alcohol
• carbon dioxide (CO₂)

This is the same natural biological process used to make beer, wine, cider, and bread.

Step B: Fermentation

Over the next few days, the yeast continues feeding on the sugars.

As fermentation progresses:

• alcohol begins to form
• carbon dioxide bubbles are released
• the liquid becomes increasingly alcoholic

By the end of this stage, the liquid — often called a wash — typically reaches around 6–10% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Step C: Your Neutral Spirit

Once fermentation is complete, the wash is distilled. Distillation concentrates the alcohol and removes unwanted compounds, producing the neutral spirit that forms the base of gin.

This neutral spirit acts as the blank canvas onto which botanical flavours will be layered.

In short, fermentation creates the alcohol, and distillation refines and strengthens it.

Step 2: How Is Gin Made? – Adding Botanicals (The fun bit!)

This is the stage where gin truly becomes gin.

Botanicals — a selection of spices, roots, seeds and citrus peels — are added to the neutral spirit before or during distillation.

Juniper berries must be present for a spirit to legally be described as gin.

The combination and balance of botanicals is known as the recipe or botanical bill, and many distilleries treat this recipe as closely guarded information.

Step 3: How Is Gin Made? – Distillation

The botanical-infused spirit is then distilled in a still.

As the liquid heats, alcohol vapour rises through the still, carrying aromatic oils from the botanicals with it. These vapours then pass through a condenser, where they cool and return to liquid form.

This process allows a distiller, like us at Rosemullion, to capture the flavours and aromas released from the botanicals.

Distillation is a carefully controlled process. Temperature, timing and the amount of botanicals used can all influence the final flavour of the gin.

Step 4: How Is Gin Made? – Dilution and Bottling

After distillation, the gin is typically diluted with purified water to reach bottling strength.

Most gins are bottled between 37.5% and 45% ABV, depending on the style.

The gin may then be rested for a short period before bottling to allow flavours to settle and integrate.

Why Distillation Method Matters

Different distillation techniques can produce noticeably different styles of gin resulting from how gin is made.

For example:

Pot still distillation — like we use at Rosemullion Distillery — often produces richer, fuller flavours

Vapour infusion can produce lighter, more delicate aromas

Small variations in technique can significantly affect the character of the final spirit. This is why distillation remains one of the most important parts of the gin-making process.

A Spirit Defined by Botanicals

Although the basic process of gin is made is consistent, gin remains one of the most diverse spirits.By adjusting:

• botanical combinations
• distillation methods
• ingredient quality
• artisanal and commercial distillers can create a huge range of flavour profiles — from bright and citrus-forward to spicy, herbal, or floral.

How Many Types of Gin Are There?

There isn’t a single fixed number of gin types, but most are grouped into a handful of recognised styles based on how they’re made and flavoured. The main categories include London Dry Gin (the most classic, crisp and juniper-forward), Distilled Gin (similar but with more flexibility in flavouring), Compound Gin (where botanicals are simply mixed rather than redistilled), and Old Tom Gin (a slightly sweeter, historical style). You’ll also see modern variations like Plymouth Gin, Navy Strength Gin (higher alcohol), and contemporary flavoured or “New Western” gins that emphasise botanicals beyond juniper. In practice, there are 6–8 commonly recognised types, but the category continues to evolve as distillers experiment with new styles.

To see what we produce click here: Our Award Winning Gins

Discover Gin at Rosemullion Distillery

At Rosemullion Distillery we produce our own base spirits and use traditional pot still distillation to craft our Cornish gins.

If you’re curious to taste the results, you can explore our range of gins, enjoy them in your favourite cocktail, or visit us at all sorts of events that we attend, from Porthleven Food Festival to the Royal Bath & West Show to see the distillation process for yourself. Many visitors enjoy seeing the stills in action and learning how the flavours of our spirits develop from fermentation through to the finished bottle.

With best wishes,

The Rosemullion Distillery Team.