That time I cured MY migraine With a delicious ginfusion.

Before I jump into an ingredients listing, I want to point out that this tasty recipe can easily be adapted as non-alcoholic, herbal tea of sorts! Simply steep these botanicals in hot water, instead of spirits-- you'll have a delicious hot beverage instead of a delicious liquor, but the flavor profile will be much the same. By the way, the flavor profile is a three parts “boreal forest” two parts “winter spice” and one part “Mediterranean fruits and herbs.”

I also want to briefly explain why I call this recipe a ginfusion: (if you wanna skip my self-indulgent rambling just scroll down to the next heading, titled "The Ingredients!"

First, I thought that the word-blend ginfusion sounded clever.

So there!

Second, it technically is both a gin AND an infusion. So that word-blend is descriptive and accurate.

Gin, as defined by the US Code of Federal Regulations:

The class gin. “Gin” is distilled spirits made by original distillation from mash, or by redistillation of distilled spirits, or by mixing neutral spirits, with or over juniper berries and, optionally, with or over other aromatics, or with or over extracts derived from infusions, percolations, or maceration of such materials, and includes mixtures of gin and neutral spirits. It must derive its main characteristic flavor from juniper berries and be bottled at not less than 40 percent alcohol by volume (80° proof). Gin may be aged in oak containers.

Gin flavored via infusion is sometimes called compound gin (though that more often implies a technical mixing of liquid extracts or flavorings with a neutral spirit base, rather than the steeping of botanicals to impart flavor), or "Bathtub gin", though that name can also be used to describe gin that was bootlegged in a home distillery, initially a reference used to describe moonshiners during prohibition in the US.

But not all gins are made via infusion and I chose to emphasize that point for this ginfusion recipe because: some gin drinkers/ sellers describe infusion as an inferior method for imbuing flavor. And I disagree.

I think anybody who brands one method as inferior risks coming across as snobbish— or even insincere. I think it’s likely that gin producers like to manufacture a sense of value around their complicated distillation, so that they can command better prices for a product that almost any customer could have made quite easily (and to taste) on their own kitchen counter!

I think infusion kicks the flavor up a notch— it’s safe, affordable, simple, and accessible. You don’t need specialized equipment or advanced skills to put the ingredients you like in a jar of vodka and let it sit.

Before we get into the recipe, I also want to let you know the circumstances around this drink curing my migraine: I poured myself a short glass of this stuff, and with the very first sip I felt a big chill go down my spine, got goosebumps, and my headache went away.

As though I'd flipped a switch.

I'm not trying to sell you snake oil here-- I don't really believe that I've cracked the code for some secret medicine that will cure everyone's migraines. The reason the "MY" in the title was capitalized was to emphasize this point: my gin cured MY migraine. I don't assume it will cure yours or anyone else's.

Some of the ingredients in my gin are thought to have medicinal properties and health benefits, but I doubt there's a general migraine cure in this mixture. I mean, for starters, I'd only just tasted it when the migraine vanished-- immediately after the first sip and swallow. Any potential medicine I'd ingested probably wouldn't have had time to act, unless it leapt into my blood stream through my gums. But even then, the window of biological action would had to have been mere seconds.

Maybe it was coincidence that my migraine vanished when it did.

It's not unusual at all for my migraines to disappear all of a sudden, as though they'd been wished out of existence. they rarely actually have a slow fade. They just kinda vanish. Perhaps mine was on its way out-- and the gin felt like a cure simply because it was in the right place at the right time.

It's also worth saying that I really, really enjoyed the smell and flavor of this drink-- the smell of gin has always reminded me of my grandfather-- one of the people I admired most when he was alive.

Also, one of my special ingredients came from the Eastern Hemlock, which is my all time favorite tree-- it reminds me of the peace and beauty of being outdoors.

And that enjoyment might have helped. As I said, this gin gave me chills.

Not everyone will love this flavor like I did.

But... Have you ever felt the kind of chills I'm talking about?

The sensation of getting chills from some pleasurable stimuli is a phenomenon known as frisson. Frisson can also be referred to by aesthetic chills. Essentially this is where a person will experience a physiological change like shivers or goosebumps or deeper breathing and dilated pupils along with a sensation similar to cold waves moving across part of their body-- in response to something they find personally moving, arousing, or beautiful.

People who experience the frisson response usually feel it after experiencing something deeply emotional, moving, or evocative-- most commonly music or sights of great aesthetic beauty.... But anything from food, to physical touch, to specific word combinations can trigger this response for people who are prone to it.

Some have likened frisson chills to a brief, emotional, almost drug-like high. Studies have actually demonstrated an association between the sensation of chills and increased neural activity, including dopamine release, in the reward centers of the brain.

It is entirely possible that the neurological and physiological shift associated with frisson chills provided some therapeutic benefit and relief to my migraine symptoms.

While I don't think the gin I made turned out to be specific medicine for migraines in general, or for MY migraine, I do think that the experience of the gin appealed so greatly to me that it gave me chills. And I think the chills killed my migraine.

Maybe the smell or the flavor of the gin made me happy or put me in a relaxed mood, which could have helped give my migraine the boot?

The ingredients!

Simple listing: Vodka, Juniper berries, Eastern Hemlock needles (or regional alternative), Spruce needles, White Pine needles, mandarin orange zest, rosemary, licorice root, cinnamon sticks, cloves, vanilla bean, dill seed, Italian anise seeds, and a small bit of thyme and wild carrot

Now I’ll give you some detail on where I sourced each of these ingredients. If you’re good without the sourcing walkthrough, skip ahead to the next heading titled "Instructions:" for how to process them!

Vodka, about 4 liters/ 1 gallon: I used the Polish Sobieski Rye Vodka. I like the level of smoothness for the price point. But I imagine pretty much any vodka or alternative neutral spirit will work, as long as it’s not flavored.

Juniper berries, 4.5 ounces/ 130 grams: Juniper berries aren’t actually berries at all. Technically, they’re seed cones! (Like waxier, fleshier pine cones, but in this case not from… pines.)

They're packed with flavor and carry a rich aroma that will transport you to an unspoiled wilderness. The flavor of juniper is a lung-full of fresh air— from the shade beneath wind-bent trees, half way up a mountain climb, where the evening is cool and the forest floor is soft and green and mossy.

Aside from being the namesake flavor of gin (juniper>ginebra>gin), the berries have culinary applications: as a spice and a garnish.

They lend a fresh, clean, and invigorating quality to meats and hearty vegetables.

Some varieties were even used medicinally and as a food source by some of the indigenous American tribes, especially in the southwest. (https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/blog/cultural-uses-pinyon-and-juniper-forests/)

Juniper berries are known to have powerful antiseptic and antifungal properties, and are thought to provide quite a range of additional medicinal benefits. While researching this article I stumbled across a very detailed lit-review that summarized a host of modern studies into the therapeutic potential of juniper berries as antinflammatories, hypoglycemics, diuretics, and even antiproliferates.(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6726717/)

Hopefully science will explore these therapeutic properties in more depth and detail. After all, juniper berries have been used throughout human history across multiple cultures to treat all sorts of things.

Still… while my ginfusion seemed to have cured my migraine, I used juniper because I love the flavor.

For my purposes, I used three bags of store bought common juniper.

That said, I don’t intend to ever buy juniper berries again. Next time I need to steep some, I will be foraging!

Aside from the Common Juniper, there are several other edible junipers growing in abundance throughout the wilds of my region (New York State) Eastern Red Cedar (taxonomically a juniper tree) is especially common, and the berries are quite yummy— sweet and piney.

While the species of juniper I’m most likely to encounter in NY are generally considered safe, there are some junipers that are known to be quite toxic-- the Savin junipers, or Juniperus Sabina... Luckily for me, they are not native to the Eastern US and I've never heard of them being classed as an invasive here, so I’m unlikely to encounter them while foraging. Still, it is possible that these toxic species could have been imported as ornamentals, so I’ll be sure to get positive IDs when foraging.

Eastern Hemlock needles, atleast 4 ounces, but add more if you can source ethically!

The Hemlock tree is my favorite plant of all time!

It’s beautiful! It has this ancient, wild, gorgeously untamed look. It’s intensely fragrant and utterly delicious!

Of course, I’m talking about the tree, not the poisonous wildflower also known as Hemlock. While these two plants share a name, they are not even remotely related-- it would be impossible to accidentally harvest one in place of the other, because they look nothing alike.

Eastern Hemlocks are a cold hardy conifer native to the northeastern United States and some parts of southeastern Canada.

Also, it's worth mentioning that this magnificent tree is listed as "near threatened", because of an invasive parasite, the Hemlock Woolly Adlegid, which is killing Eastern Hemlocks, especially in the southern half of their natural range. (https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42431/2979676)

Because of the ecological difficulties which Hemlock's face, it might be kinder to forgo the harvest of Hemlock needles, depending on your location. You can substitute the needles of Balsam fir, which has a very similar flavor profile!

When harvesting any conifer take care to avoid yew trees or bushes, their needles are highly toxic! And they look very similar to firs, spruces, larches, and hemlock.

Spruce tips, just a few sprigs:

Almost any spruce tip will work, I’ve used Norway spruce and black spruce.

Just avoid white/ blue spruce-- when these needles die they let of a chemical that smells exactly like cat piss.

I know because I ruined an early batch of this recipe!

Spruce tends to be a stronger, astringent, resinous, citrus flavor as compared to eastern hemlock— so don’t use too much or it will overpower your other ingredients!

And again, take care not to harvest any needles from yew trees or shrubs-- those are very toxic and they look similar.

white pine needles, 2-3 oz:

White pine has a mellow, grassy flavor. It’s not as aromatic or as complex eastern hemlock but it hits some of the same flavor notes. If you were unable to source hemlock needles ethically, you should bump up your quantity of white pine needles.

White pine, eastern hemlock, and all the spruces are decently high in vitamin C! They’re also thought to promote good airway health when used in teas. Anecdotally, I feel chewing the needles of a safe conifer kind of helps alleviate some of my airway issues when I have a head cold.

Orange zest, fresh, 3 or 4 mandarin oranges will suffice:

You could probably sub out a different citrus here but I find the mandarin oranges have the most flavorful and least bitter zest. They’re my preference! They also fit so nicely in the palm of your hand that they’re just easy to zest!

If you’ve never zested an orange before, be careful— you want to scrap the very outer layer of the peel, harvesting just the part that’a got all the essential oils. Try not to get any of the spongey pith below the zest, that stuff is bitter!

Rosemary, 2 or 3 sprigs will do:

I used fresh rosemary that I had growing in a pot, but you could use dry if that’s easier.

Licorice root, about an ounce of you don’t love licorice, or more if you do love licorice:

This will help sweeten your gin without adding any sugar. It will also soften the mouthfeel a bit. It won’t be quite like drinking silk, unless you add a ton of licorice, at which point it will probably taste too sweet.

Cinnamon sticks, 2 or 3:

This will lend a little heat to your gin. While all the ingredients I’ve listed can steep pretty much as long as you want to increase flavor intensity, I recommend only steeping cinnamon for a few days.

In my experience, if you want a more intense cinnamon flavor you’re better off using a larger quantity— letting cinnamon overstep leads to a woody flavor in the gin!

All the good stuff infuses early on, and acts that your drink will just taste like tree bark.

Cloves, ground, about teaspoon, or a little less:

Where the cinnamon was to give the gin a gentle heat, the cloves are to give it a deeper warmth— almost a fresh baked cookie kind of tone underneath the forward aroma.

Vanilla bean, several beans inverted and scraped. The more the merrier!

This will give a mellow softness, and help round out the fresh baked cookie aromas you’ll get from the cloves.

Dill seed, about a teaspoon:

This will give a fresh, vaguely mint-like taste to gin.

Italian anise seeds, about a teaspoon:

This will compliment the licorice you added earlier, where the licorice is all on the tongue the anise is mostly in the nose. But it will round out the full flavor.

A small bit of thyme:

This gives the gin an even fresher, kind of earthy mint flavor. I used thyme that was growing in my garden, just 4 or 5 sprigs,

And wild carrot:

Wild carrot doesn’t really taste like much of anything because it’s not sweet but it smells intense, carroty but less delicate.

They grow as the white umbel shaped flower, Queen Anne’s lace.

You have to be extremely careful when harvesting wild carrot, because the plant looks almost exactly like the bad hemlock— the poisonous wild flower.

They often grow in the same areas and are both in the same family.

Wild carrots have hair on their stems, while hemlocks (and other poisonous look likes) usually don’t. Wild carrots don’t have blotchy purple stems, while hemlocks usually do. Wild carrots usually have a central dot in the middle of their umbel, whereas hemlocks don’t. And wild carrots smell absolutely delicious, where hemlocks smell vile and atrocious.

If you are not 100% certain go your identification, don’t forage this plant, because it would be pretty easy to die if you got the wrong one.

You could substitute white or even purple carrots from the grocery store. Not quite as powerful a scent, but a million times safer to procure.

Instructions:

First:

Smell all your ingredients and give each one a physical chew. Make note of the different flavors you pick up from each ingredient before adding them to your infusion. This is important! You want to develop a knowledge about each piece as far as flavor profile, so you can tweak this recipe to your preferences!

Second:

Literally, just put all those ingredients into your vodka! Let it steep around 3 days, tasting each day.

Know that the longer it steps the more intense it will be, as far as flavor is concerned.

Alternatively if you’d prefer the alcohol-free option you can just steep these ingredients in hot water! You don’t need a rolling boil, more like the temperature you’d use for green tea.

Third:

I usually fish the cinnamon sticks out at the 3 day mark and let everything else steep indefinitely.

But you might prefer to halt the prices once the infusion reaches a flavor you like!

You can use a strainer and a funnel to rebottle your gin (or tea)— it will not be clear like store bought gin. It will look more like spiced rum, and there will be some sediment left behind unless you pass it through a filter.

Fourth:

Once you have a clear liquid, free of all physical ingredients, take a careful sip and pay attention to which flavors you feel are underutilized, which you’d like to have more of— you can do a second steep with limited specific ingredients to accentuate key flavors that you like best.

Fifth:

Enjoy!

If you’ve followed this recipe you’ve got a large enough quantity to share with your friends. Gin isn’t for everybody, I know! But people who like the woodsy, spicy, wintry, flavors will enjoy this!

I’ve shared this final product with probably 15-20 different people, most thought it was good, and some really loved it! My son especially thought the non-alcoholic gin-tea was amazing :)

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