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The Homemade Gin Kit: Building a business on booze

Rachel Nania | rnania@wtop.com

January 8, 2014, 4:19 PM

The Homemade Gin Kit includes two bottles, a tin of juniper berries and a blend of herbs and spices. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
The Homemade Gin Kit, which sells for $49.95, includes two bottles, a tin of juniper berries and a blend of herbs and spices. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Those using the kit steep the juniper berries for 24 hours in a neutral-grain alcohol, such as vodka, which is not included in the kit. The alcohol strips away the essential oils from the berries. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
After 24 hours, the spices and botanicals are added to the mix to steep for another 12 hours. The liquid is strained from the rest of the recipe, and funneled into two swing-top glass bottles. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Similar to popular homebrew kits, The Homemade Gin Kit capitalizes on the craft cocktail movement by allowing people to make their own gin at home. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Jack Hubbard, Joe Maiellano and Sarah Maiellano of The Homemade Gin Kit. (WTOP/Rachel)
WTOP/Rachel
Jack Hubbard and Joe Maiellano launched The Homemade Gin Kit in November 2012. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
This year, the company made a Christmas blend for the kits. Joe Maiellano shows a batch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Joe Maiellano says coming up with the perfect gin recipe took lots of trial and error. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
(1/9)

WASHINGTON – Jack Hubbard and Joe Maiellano became fast friends after a night of gambling in Las Vegas.

“Jack thought I looked lucky for some reason and offered to split the pot with me if I picked a winning number on roulette,” says Maiellano, an Arlington, Va., resident, who was in Vegas at the time with his wife, Sarah, who worked with Hubbard.

“I picked number nine, he put 100 bucks down and won four grand

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