Gin in its most basic form is actually pretty straightforward: it’s simply a neutral spirit as the base which is then flavoured with botanicals (that’s any plant material used as a way to add flavour). The only real stipulation for it to be called ‘gin’ is that Juniper is the dominant botanical and it is at least 37.5% ABV.
While most ‘proper’, commercial gin makers extract the flavours from botanicals through distillation, it is possible to make gin simply by ‘steeping’ the plants, herbs or spices you want to use in the base spirit. Which means it is very possible to make your own gin at home, using vodka!
Learn about the history of homemade gin here