Hi everyone,

I am working on a 3 gallon gin and tonic short mead that will be kegged for my roommate's bday at the end of January. Primary will be complete and clear by this weekend and will be racked onto spices and herbs in secondary. see my recipe log for more detail if you wish

Now, I have discussed this recipe with a few people, but, I wanted to double check that my final proportions aren't off:

• 2 anise seeds

• ½ cup dried juniper

• ¾ tsp grains of paradise

• 1.5 tsp coriander

• 1tsp lavender

I also created a cinchona bark tincture a few weeks back that is still sitting around. This should extract the quinine quite well I assume, and then I will add to taste at kegging time.

Long story short; here are my questions to the community:

1. I have seen recipes for gin making that say to add 2 anise seeds. I understand that anise is a stroong licorice flavor, but, are these recipes saying 2 full star pods? The seeds themselves are tiny little guys and I cannot imagine that 2 of these itty bitty seeds packs enough punch for 3 gallons.

2. the most important part of this recipe is the juniper and lavender. do these proportions sound alright?

3. grains of paradise and coriander are used in most gin recipes that I have seen to add complexity to the flavor. the grains of paradise do not give off much of an aroma aside from a weak earthy flavor.. is it best to crack these two and boil them briefly or just crack them and toss them in with the rest?

4. all in all, how do the proportions look to you all? Will anything be overpowering/underpowering?

All feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,

Farley