Whole Cloves – Botanical for Gin, Spirits & Distilling

Whole cloves are one of the most intensely aromatic spices available to the craft distiller. Known for their unmistakable warm, spicy, slightly sweet, and woody character, cloves can bring depth and complexity to gin, botanical spirits, spiced rum, liqueurs, bitters, and custom infusions.

Because cloves have such a concentrated flavor and aroma, they are generally used as a supporting botanical rather than the dominant ingredient. Even a small amount can noticeably influence the finished spirit, making whole cloves especially useful when you’re building a layered botanical recipe.

Excellent for Craft Gin

In gin recipes, cloves can provide a warm background spice that complements the bright, piney character of juniper berries. They pair particularly well with botanicals such as coriander seed, orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom, angelica root, licorice root, cinnamon, and orris root.

Used carefully, clove can add complexity without overpowering the juniper and citrus notes that define a traditional gin.

Great for More Than Gin

Whole cloves are extremely versatile and can be used to experiment with many different styles of spirits and infusions. Their rich warming character makes them especially well suited for:

• Botanical gin
• Spiced rum
• Whiskey and bourbon infusions
• Brandy
• Moonshine and flavored neutral spirits
• Herbal liqueurs
• Bitters
• Holiday and seasonal spirits
• Fruit and spice infusions
• Custom botanical recipes

Cloves pair beautifully with orange, apple, cherry, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and other warming spices, making them especially useful for fall, winter, and holiday-inspired spirit recipes.

Distilling & Infusion

Whole cloves may be incorporated into botanical recipes through maceration, infusion, or distillation, depending on your equipment and desired flavor profile. Crushing or breaking the cloves can expose additional surface area and produce a stronger extraction, while leaving them whole can provide more control over their powerful flavor.

Clove contains naturally occurring aromatic compounds, most notably eugenol, which is largely responsible for the spice’s distinctive warm and penetrating aroma.

Start Small

Cloves are considerably stronger than many common distilling botanicals. When developing a new recipe, starting with a conservative amount is usually best. You can always increase the amount in future batches as you dial in your preferred flavor profile.

Whether you’re developing your own gin recipe, creating a spiced spirit, experimenting with botanical moonshine, or building a complex herbal liqueur, whole cloves are a valuable botanical to keep in your distilling cabinet.

Form: Whole Cloves
Flavor Profile: Warm, spicy, woody, aromatic and subtly sweet
Popular Uses: Gin, botanical spirits, spiced rum, whiskey infusions, liqueurs, bitters and flavored spirits
Pairs Well With: Juniper, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon, cardamom, angelica root, vanilla, ginger and licorice root