Which Neutral Spirit or Vodka Should You Choose to Make Your Homemade Gin with Ginius?

Making your own homemade gin is a fun, hands-on experience and above all, it gives you the pride of serving a unique bottle crafted by your own hands.

Whether you're diving in with your very first Ginkit or experimenting with a new recipe using our botanical refills, there’s one essential step before letting the magic happen: picking up a bottle of neutral spirit. Every Ginius kit is designed to transform a standard 750 ml bottle of alcohol into two unique 375 ml bottles of craft gin.

To comply with the SAQ’s legal framework governing spirits distribution in Quebec, our "Ginkit" gin-making kits are sold without alcohol. This gives you total freedom to select the exact blank canvas on which your botanicals will shine. It's a crucial step because when it comes to crafting a perfectly balanced homemade gin, your choice of vodka or neutral spirit makes all the difference.

So, how do you choose the right alcohol base to ensure a smooth, flavorful result that will impress your guests at cocktail hour? Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Is Choosing the Right Vodka or Neutral Spirit Crucial for Homemade Gin?

You might think all neutral vodkas are created equal, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Vodka forms the core of your creation—it welcomes, absorbs, and elevates all the rich botanicals from your Ginius blend.

To understand why this choice matters so much, think of it like brewing coffee: chlorinated water will overpower and ruin even the finest coffee beans, whereas pure, clean water allows their subtle flavors to bloom fully. The same principle applies to your homemade gin: a low-quality or overly harsh vodka will mask the delicate balance of your recipe.

Pro tips for choosing your base:

• Stick to unflavored vodkas: Avoid vodkas flavored with vanilla, fruit, or citrus. Your Ginius botanical blends already provide all the character, aroma, and personality your spirit needs.
• Look for smoothness and neutrality: The ideal vodka should feel soft on the palate, with no bitterness or harsh burn.
• Prioritize a rounded texture: A well-filtered vodka adds body and a silky mouthfeel to your gin without altering its botanical profile.

Good to know: You can also use a neutral grain spirit as a base for your gin. We highlight vodka in this guide mainly because it’s the most widely available option on store shelves, but you’ll find our recommendations for neutral grain spirits available at the SAQ a bit further down.

Top 4 Best Vodka Bases for Making Homemade Gin

To help guide your choice, we’ve rounded up four of our favorite bases for infusing your botanicals. Each one guarantees a flavorful, beautifully complex result.

One essential detail: no matter which bottle you pick, always choose a base with an alcohol content around 40% ABV. Avoid higher-proof spirits (50% to 70% ABV), as their high alcohol content can scorch the delicate flavors of your botanicals and leave an overly sharp aftertaste.

1. BOLD Vodka

If you're looking for an accessible, foolproof option for a successful first batch, BOLD is a solid pick.

• Highlights: Crafted from 100% Canadian corn and natural Quebec spring water selected for its extremely low mineral content, it undergoes double distillation and triple charcoal filtration.
• On the palate: Exceptionally neutral and smooth with zero harshness, its crystalline softness leaves plenty of room for your Ginius blend to express itself fully.

2. Vodka d’Irma

Distilled locally by Les Subversifs, Vodka d'Irma is a true craft favorite.

• Highlights: Made with demineralized water, it is one of the rare Canadian vodkas distilled from Quebec wheat, giving it a truly unique personality.
• On the palate: Crystal clear with a silky texture, it reveals delicate notes of anise balanced by a pleasantly pastry-like wheat finish. Its rich roundness elegantly coats your botanical creation.

3. Pur Vodka

Known for its flawless balance and celebrated worldwide, Pur Vodka showcases the very best of Canadian ingredients.

• Highlights: Made from 100% premium Canadian ingredients, it blends carefully selected corn with pristine glacial spring water.
• On the palate: Delicate, refined, and crystal clear, its natural smoothness and neutral profile make it a high-end canvas for bringing out every subtle note in your Ginius blend.

4. Vodka Aupale

For those wanting to take their homemade gin to the next level with an ultra-refreshing profile, Aupale is the way to go.

• Highlights: Bottled in Quebec, it’s crafted using pure spring water sourced directly from the glacial valleys of Northern Quebec.
• On the palate: Going down like silk, it offers an incomparably smooth feel. It features subtle herbal aromas, a lightly spiced perfume, and soft lemon notes that pair effortlessly with gin botanicals.

Vodka Bases to Avoid When Making Your Gin at Home

While taste is always a matter of personal preference, our team tested various options and found that certain vodkas produce less-than-ideal results when infused. To save you from a disappointing batch, here are two vodkas we recommend skipping:

• Iceberg Vodka: During infusion, it tends to leave a noticeable bitterness and a harsh alcohol aftertaste that overpowers delicate botanicals.
• Smirnoff No. 21: A commercial classic, but it lacks roundness on the palate. It tends to mask subtle aromas in favor of a sharp heat in the throat.

Our recommendation: To make your creation shine, always choose a vodka that offers pure neutrality and a smooth finish, like the ones featured in our Top 4.

Neutral Grain Spirits: An Ideal Alternative for Crafting Your Own Gin

If you want to explore alternatives to traditional vodka, the SAQ offers other neutral-profile spirits that work wonderfully for home infusions and artisanal macerations.

These pure spirits act as true blank slates, letting the full complexity of your botanicals come forward:

1. Generic Neutral Spirits

• Global 40%: Available in a practical large format, this Quebec-bottled spirit provides an ultra-neutral base. Bottled at 40% ABV, it's an affordable, straightforward choice for an easy infusion.

2. The 100% Local & Artisanal Alternative

• De La Visitation Maïs: For those seeking a high-end local touch, this premium pure spirit (500 ml format) is an exceptional pick. Distilled in Quebec exclusively from local corn, it delivers flawless neutrality and a silky body that serves as a luxurious canvas for your Ginius recipe.

Let Your Creativity Shine and Create Your Homemade Gin

Does your local SAQ store not have these specific bottles in stock, or are you eager to experiment with other local products?

Quebec is home to passionate craft distilleries producing outstanding neutral spirits. Feel free to browse the SAQ’s selection of neutral spirits and Quebec vodkas to discover new gems and reinvent your homemade gin with every season!

Ready to Create Your Own Gin with Ginius?

Head over to our online store to order your Ginkit or botanical refills, pick up your favorite bottle of vodka, and get ready to share a unique story with your loved ones over a homemade drink!