The Potting Shed

A bottle and glass of pale amber homemade gin held against soft light, with dried orange and lemon peel and juniper berries on the table.

Why is my homemade gin yellow? Compound gin colour explained

Dried orange and lemon peel colour a compound gin as they flavour it, and nothing is redistilled to take it back out. Why that is normal and not a fault.

A bottle of homemade gin with a blank handwritten tag tied to the neck, standing beside a glass of gin and tonic with ice and lemon.

What strength is homemade gin? ABV, dilution and what the vodka label tells you

Infusing changes flavour, not alcohol, so homemade gin is the same strength as the vodka it was made from. Where to read the ABV and what really changes it.

A clear bottle of unlabelled vodka beside a wide mouthed jar, a measuring spoon of juniper berries and dried citrus peel on a kitchen worktop.

Why do gin kits start with vodka? Choosing the base spirit

Gin's flavour comes from juniper and botanicals, not the spirit, so a neutral vodka is the right canvas. Which bottle to buy, what size, and why not to overspend.

A tall glass of deep blue gin turning pink where tonic has been poured in, with ice and a lemon slice, on a dark worktop.

Is colour changing gin safe to drink? What butterfly pea flower is and what it does

Colour changing gin is a plain gin infused with dried blue pea flowers. Nothing artificial is added, and the pigment shifts from blue to pink with an acidic mixer.

A tall jar of spirit steeping with juniper berries, coriander seed and citrus peel next to a jug and metal sieve on a kitchen table.

What is compound gin? The bathtub gin method every home kit uses

Compound gin steeps juniper and botanicals in a finished spirit instead of redistilling them, which is why it carries colour and why you can make it at home.

Several bottles of homemade gin with blank handwritten tags lined up on a kitchen table beside a notebook and measuring spoons of botanicals.

Can you sell gin you made at home? What changes the moment money is involved

Making gin at home needs no licence, but selling it needs one from your council under the Licensing Act 2003, and producing for sale needs HMRC approval.

Two labelled swing top bottles of homemade gin and spiced rum on a kitchen shelf beside small dishes of juniper berries and whole spices.

Do you need a licence to make gin or spiced rum at home?

No licence or HMRC approval is needed to steep botanicals in a spirit you have bought. Producing alcohol and selling it are the two things that do need permission.

A large glass jar of vodka steeping with juniper berries and strips of citrus peel on a kitchen worktop beside an empty bottle and a sieve.

Is it legal to make gin at home in the UK? Infusing vs distilling and the 2025 rules

Infusing botanicals into shop bought vodka is legal and needs no licence. Distilling your own spirit without HMRC approval is an offence. Here is where the line sits.

A kitchen worktop in the evening with a jar of gin infusing, a pan of warm curds and a gold mended jug beside it.

Gifts for parents who have everything: an evening they make themselves

Parents with full cupboards do not need another object. Gin, cheese and kintsugi kits turn a weeknight into a project, with what to add to each.

A bottle of home made gin with a handwritten kraft tag, a round of fresh cheese on a cloth and a gold mended bowl on a windowsill.

Retirement gifts for mum: makes that are hers, not the household's

Retirement gifts that belong to her rather than the house: a cheese kit, a gin kit with her name on the bottle tag, and a kintsugi repair kit.

Two jars of gin botanicals infusing on a kitchen counter beside a mended bowl with a gold seam and a glass of tonic.

Gifts for a husband who has everything: an evening's project instead of a thing

Buy him an evening rather than an object: gin, meat and kintsugi kits for a husband who replaces his own things, and what to buy alongside each.

A jar of kimchi fermenting beside a bottle of homemade gin and a repaired bowl with a gold seam on a kitchen worktop.

30th birthday gifts for him: something to make, not something to own

A man turning thirty buys his own things, so give him a skill instead: gin, kimchi and kintsugi kits, and the fresh half to buy alongside each one.

A tall glass of botanical tonic over ice with juniper berries and a twist of orange peel on a rustic wooden table.

Dry January without the boredom: botanical tonics and alcohol-free infusions

Alcohol-free drinks get dull because they are sweet. How to build botanical tonics with juniper, citrus peel and spice, plus syrups and garnishes.

A jar of vodka infusing with juniper berries and citrus peel beside a labelled swing-top bottle of amber homemade gin.

Homemade gin for Christmas: start now to have it ready for the day

Homemade gin infuses in days, not weeks, so a mid-December batch is ready for Christmas. The timeline, the vodka to buy, straining and gifting.

A glass of blue gin turning pink as tonic is poured, beside wrapped parcels and a bottle of spiced rum on a wooden table.

Office Christmas party gifts and raffle prizes people actually want

The five tests a good office gift passes, what makes a raffle prize the room competes for, and how to handle colleagues who do not drink.

A bottle of deep blue homemade gin beside a glass where tonic has turned the drink pink, with dried blue pea flowers on the table.

How long does colour changing gin keep, and do blue pea flowers go off?

Bottled colour changing gin keeps up to a year, and the kit 18 months from packing. Why light, not time, is what fades blue pea flowers and the finished bottle.