Joe and Sarah Maiellano had an idea. They already made and enjoyed home made gin in their own home. But, they wanted to figure out a way to bring it to others. “I came up with our gin recipe in 2012,” says Joe. “One night, I was enjoying homemade gin and tonics with my now business partner, Jack, and our wives, at home, when we had that light bulb moment. We should figure out a way to get this into other people’s kitchens.”
With that, the idea of creating a gin kit was born. “We started out with a goal to sell 250 over eight months… we sold 2,500 in two months! We now have a warehouse and fulfillment crew, and sold over 10,000 kits in our first year.” Joe and Sarah are co-founders of The Homemade Gin Kit. “The kit gives our customers the tools and knowledge necessary to turn a boring bottle of vodka into an excellent, small batch gin.”
Sarah is excited to be at the forefront of this budding hobby. “People love the idea of being able to craft liquor at home in a safe and fun way. Brewing beer has been popular for a long time now. Infusing liquor at home is next.”
But why gin? “To start with, because I like it,” says Joe. “But seriously, the flavor of gin relies on herbs, spices and other botanicals that can be tweaked in the home over a reasonable amount of time.” Sarah added, “It’s also a popular spirit worldwide and doesn’t require aging.”
The kit includes their proprietary blend of botanicals, two Italian swing top flasks, funnel, strainer, and the instructions necessary to create your own handcrafted gin. “The finished product is what’s known as a compound gin, so there is no dangerous (and illegal!) home distilling. Also, no bathtub needed!”
The couple got into cocktails after visiting some of the great craft cocktail bars in Washington, DC such as The PX and Columbia Room. “It was eye opening to see those bartenders experimenting with homemade bitters, syrups, tinctures, etc,” says Joe. “The realization that you could apply that to infusing spirits was a huge epiphany.” Sarah’s first job out of college was with an alcohol beverage trade association. “We actually took our engagement photos in a cocktail bar.”
For the holidays, they have released a new gin blend. “We toned down the summery elements and laced it with ginger, cinnamon, and rosemary,” says Joe.
Sarah points out that people say that the can just buy all of the ingredients and make homemade gin without their kit, but even just buying the botanical blend and juniper berries will set you back over $40 plus shipping. “And they wouldn’t get the nice swing top bottles, strainer, funnel, or instructions. Because we order in bulk, the kit is actually a good deal for people who want to make gin. The kit is also a wonderful gift and the finished product gin in one of the two bottles we provide makes a great present too.”
For more information or to order your own kit, visit: www.homemadegin.com
Christopher Osburn
Rochester, NY
cosburn@thefatherlife.com
Profiles editor for Chilled Magazine
Cocktails writer for Men’s Journal
Source:
http://drinkingmadeeasy.com/blog/joe-and-sarah-maiellanos-homemade-gin-kit/
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