Sloe Gin
At a glance
About this wine
Sloe gin is a traditional country favourite and a wonderfully simple way to make use of autumn sloes. The fruit is infused in ready-made gin with sugar for four weeks, producing a rich, fruity drink with a beautiful colour and gentle sweetness. Once filtered and bottled, it is ready to enjoy neat, over ice or with your favourite mixer.
Ingredients
- 1 litre gin, (you don't need the best gin, any will do)
- 800 gm sloes
- 215 gm sugar
Equipment
- Sterilising fluid
- Plastic bucket
- Fork
- Scales
- 3 litre kilner jar
- Colander
- Muslin cloth or wine filter
Preparation
- Pick sloes as late as possible, preferably after first frost. This isn't as easy as it sounds as often the bushes have been stripped of berries before then. Wait as long as you can. The berries should be black with a frosty appearance to them and squash between fingers. Wash the berries removing any stalks and any small insects. Freeze the sloes for 24 hours, this helps break the skin. When defrosted prick each Berry with a pin or cocktail stick about 3 or 4 pricks is sufficient.
Method
- Sterilise all equipment before use and then rinse.
- Weigh out the berries and put them in a 3 litre kilner jar and add the sugar.
- Pour in 1 litre of gin.
- Ensure the kilner jar lid is tight and doesn't leak. Gently shake the jar to dissolve the sugar.
- Do this every day for 1 week to be sure the sugar is all dissolved. After the first week, shake the jar once a week.
- After 4 weeks, using a colander remove the berries by pouring them into another vessel. Using a muslin cloth or wine filters, filter back into the kilner jar.
- Use the gin soaked berries to make wine.
- If the gin is a little cloudy, filter again.
- Due to the juice from the berries you should have approx 1.25 litres.
- Bottle the gin, it's now ready to drink neat or with your choice of mixer.
- The finished gin will be in the region of 30-32% alcohol.
Fermentation notes
Fermentation is not applicable, as this recipe uses ready-made gin rather than requiring fermentation.
Clearing & ageing notes
Clearing is normally not required. The gin can be filtered after the sloes have been removed. If it remains cloudy, filter again through a muslin cloth or wine filter until clear.
Tips & notes
- For the best flavour, pick the sloes as late as possible, preferably after the first frost. If frost is not available, freezing the sloes for 24 hours helps to break the skins.
- The gin-soaked sloes don't have to be thrown away — they can be used to make wine.
- Use a good-quality gin if you prefer, but there is no need to use an expensive gin for this recipe.
Serving suggestions
- Sloe gin can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or with your choice of mixer. It also makes an excellent addition to cocktails.
Storage & ageing
- Store the finished sloe gin in clean, sterilised bottles with secure closures. Keep in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Once opened, keep the bottle securely closed when not in use.
FAQs
The gin is ready to drink after the four-week infusion, although leaving it for longer can allow the flavours to develop further.
Do I need to use expensive gin? - No. A reasonably priced gin works perfectly well for sloe gin.
Can I use frozen sloes? - Yes. Freezing the sloes for 24 hours helps to break the skins and release their flavour.
What should I do with the gin-soaked sloes? - Don't throw them away. They can be used to make wine, or you can use them in other recipes.
Why is my sloe gin cloudy? - If the gin is cloudy after the sloes have been removed, filter it through muslin or a wine filter. It can be filtered again if necessary.