Gingle all the way with this homemade sloe gin recipe from our gin connoisseur Andy.
Sloe gin is a traditional British after-dinner digestif. Smooth and fruity with its own unique flavour, this delicious traditional treat is great for a tipple at home and also makes for a wonderful gift. Best of all – this recipe only requires three ingredients and a bit of time.
Ingredients
- 500g ripe sloes
- 250g Golden Caster Sugar
- 1 litre of Gin
Method
It’s easy to confuse sloes with wild damsons which are similar in colour with the same bloom. if in doubt, take a look online to ensure you are picking the real thing!
They say it’s best to pick sloes after the first real frost and not to pick the lot of one bush, pick some from many and leave enough on the low and high branches for the wildlife.
You will need 500g of sloes for this recipe, but if you pick more then put them in the freezer un-pricked for the future so you can make some more when you have emptied the jar from the first batch.
Once home, rinse and pick through the sloes, picking out and stems or any shrivelled sloes and discard. Then pat them dry in a clean tea towel. Using a stainless-steel fork or cocktail stick, prick the sloes and tip into a 2-litre glass jar, or divide between two smaller jars, or Kilner style bottles or jars that you can seal.
Add the sugar and gin, then seal the jar and shake well. Once a day for seven days, give the jar a good shake.
Store the jar in a cool, dark place and leave for two to three months, if you can last that long. Watch the colour change over the days and the sugar will all dissolve.
Line a plastic sieve with a square of muslin set over a bowl and strain the sloe gin through it. Decant into clean, dry bottles, then seal and label.
Your sloe gin is now ready to drink but it’ll improve and mature over time – so, if possible, make it one year to drink the next and you’ll really get a kick!
