Sloe Gin - a revival

[Mrs Ava]

Took the nectar to Devon last week to try out on my grandparents as they are a pair of lushes.    All I can say is, roll on Autumn, I have advance orders, will need gallons of gin and buckets of sloes!    It was devine, delicious, umptuous, smooth, heavenly!  Need I go on...problem was, we did, go on drinking that is, and all ended up rather squiffy and in just 4 evenings managed to almost polish of a litre of the stuff!  There is just enough for my mum and the inlaws to have a wee tipple.  If you have never made it, I suggest you give it a go!

[budgiebreeder]

Gather that you got the taste for it EJ!!!
Good stuff aint it.?

[Doris_Pinks]

Shaken over ice.......Mmmmmmmmmmm  Haven't started on our litre yet   But working through the elderberry wine nicely

[Mrs Ava]

Oh BB, like you wouldn't believe!  Didn't try it over ice, just neat, but boy was it more-ish!

[ava_banana]

Must confess, it was absolutely excellent.......

....well done EJ........

..it reminded me of quite a light port.....with a hint of "spring garden".......about it...........

[derbex]

Just noticed that the pub down the road from work is doing Sloe Gin & Tonic as well as Pimms -summer must be here!

[Doris_Pinks]

Hmmm  now that is worth a try! Thanks Derbex!!  Oh BTW EJ, did you put almond essence in yours?

[Mrs Ava]

No Doris!  What a blinding idea!!  Bottle is now almost empty   but shall be picking quadroooople this year to be sure of at least 4 bottles.  I shall give the almond essence a go!  

[Andy H]

sloe berries? where do they come from and how long to grow? reading all this is making my mouth water

[Mrs Ava]

Sloes grow on the blackthorn, a rather scruffy hedgerow tree.  Our hedges in this part of sunny Essex are packed with them, and the fruit starts to show in the autumn.  I picked my bucket full about last October as the gin was ready New Years Day.    Sloes are deep purple in colour with a white dusting to them and they are quite small, about the size of a......erm....eerr....a malteser!  

[budgiebreeder]

Google /put a search on Andy someone found a picture last year.Best to know what you are looking for.They are found pretty much all over i know for sure they are in North and West Yorkshire.Cos i like the stuff as well it leaves a nice warm glow .Best to get them from  a field i was going to say as polluted from road side but with pesticides who knows.Well worth the effort .......Best method will no doubt be discussed at a later date.Quite a number of Alcis/Experts on site..........who said that!!

[Toots]

Love the stuff,but our blackthorn hedges in the garden just cut back as we had a dose of the lurgies in them.Still never know!Otherwise I will just have to trawl the canal banks here!

Sublime stuff,yet to meet the person who didn't love it!

BTW anyone any other types of gin they can recommend from garden or hedgerow produce?

[Jesse]

I've never tried sloe gin so will have to make use of the sloe berries off my hedgerow this year. Judging by all the oooooh's and aaaah's here I am missing out of something yummy, will be looking out for a recipe here later in the year.  

[Wicker]

Did see somewhere while trawling the Net (no longer trawl pubs) that blackberries and vodka done the same way as sloe gin provides a very acceptable alternative.  Can't speak from experience tho, can't think that it would be quite so liqueurish.... but then it also said to wait for one year before use  

[Toots]

Wow Wicker,worth trying though!Might just experiment! Thanks for the idea.

Jesseve,Sloe gin is just so easy to make and so tasty,and inebriating that I recommend it!  

Toots

[Mrs Ava]

I'm sure damson gin was discussed, and a friend of ours makes sloe vodka, puts hairs on your tongue tho!  I can't see why any of those plum like fruits can't be used, and if you use plums or damsons, I guess you could use the boozy fruit after to make a 93%proof fruit pie!  

[Mrs Ava]

Found this, what about cherry brandy!

Ingredients
300g cherries
600ml brandy
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar

Method
1. Place the cherries in a clean preserving jar. Pour in the brandy and add in the cinnamon stick and sugar.
2. Seal tightly and store for 2 months to infuse.

or....

Ingredients
900g cherries, stoned
225g caster sugar
400ml brandy
few drops of almond essence


You will need:
Scales, cook's knife or cherry stoner, chopping board, measuring cup, mixing bowl

Method
1. Place the stoned cherries in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the caster sugar, cover and leave overnight.
2. Next day pour the brandy and almond essence on and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Bottle the cherry brandy in a sterilised jar and leave to rest for at least a month.

YUMYUM!  

[Toots]

Wow Emma Jane,

lots of ways to make fruit liqueur-type booze!Thank you!

I did try Bullace once(least I think it was,not sloe)but not so tasty and more acidic it seemed.The Sloe has that magical flavour.Toots

[Angi]

I've just bottled up some strawberry vodka. 8oz strawbs, hulled, 1 70cl bottle cheap vodka. Let stew for 48 hrs, shaking when you pass it, strain through double thickness muslin with 3-4oz sugar to taste and (the tricky bit) leave for at least two months. Just been out to the shops to buy more vodka to do more!! The smell is fantastic, can't wait to drink it!!

[Wicker]

Oh, Angi!! Don't need so much strawberry jam nowadays so surplus of strawbs and, guess what??!! I like vodka - now isn't that a coincidence  while I'm sipping away at the strawberry/blackberry/anyotherberry vodka liqueur I'll be able to kid myself "it's fruit it's good for me".

No access to sloeberries so my gin will stay with tonic - lovely.