We recently shared a gin recipe that featured a heavier-than-usual dose of angelical root, because we were very taken with our home-grown angelica, and wanted to showcase it in as many ways as possible.
This citrus and spice gin recipe was just one of them; we also used our angelica as the hero in a botanical spirit that we created in our latest Elements of Flavour workshop. Gin is all about juniper, but what happens when you take that away, and completely re-centre the spirit on a different botanical? Turns out something really special, as long as it’s done with consideration and skill.
This happens a lot in the Lab. When something is especially vibrant or we come across an exceptional bounty, this sets off a cascade of ideas and experiments. Not all these ideas are brilliant, or even successful, but we always learn more about the plant and our techniques—and more often than not we will hit on something exciting.
This is why we encourage you to experiment with what you can grow yourself, and what is really flourishing in your local environment.
Angelica archangelica is easy to grow, you just need a bit of space where it can grow to its full height. The plant is a biennial (meaning it flowers and sets seeds in its second year). Dig up the root in the autumn of the first year when it is still strong, white and fragrant. You can read more about its characteristics and uses in our Encyclopedia Botanica, and buy your own to grow at Kings Seeds.
This particular root is destined for a few different uses; we’ll make some plant butter and tincture the green seeds for perfumery, experiment with it fresh (in place of dry) in some of our favourite recipes, then clean and dry the rest for vermouth, gin and spirits.
