Advice for making Sloe gin, first attempt ever...

Advice for making Sloe gin, first attempt ever...

Author
Discussion

Barchettaman

6,282 posts

131 months

Monday 12th October 2015
quotequote all
The shake is only to dissolve the sugar, once it is in solution let it sit in a cool and dark place.

I just tried my 2015 actually, some flavour already after a month, lovely colour and extremely strong in alcohol.

I might pick some more tomorrow as the sloes near me are mahoosive and pratically falling off the bushes.

CharlesdeGaulle

26,091 posts

179 months

Monday 21st December 2015
quotequote all
Got to be approaching update time for sloe-ists?

My 2015 vintage has taken on a nice colour. I've not tasted it yet, but plan to decant some tomorrow to give as a gift to our Christmas host. The rest of it I'll probably leave for a bit longer to mature.

What's the best plan for preparation - simply to filter and funnel into a clean bottle?

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Monday 21st December 2015
quotequote all
By the time we had a real frost here, the sloes were knackered. frown

The crab apple vodka is coming along nicely though. smile

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Monday 21st December 2015
quotequote all
Will have to get a picture up, later.

Ours has taken on a lovely colour and we may give it a taste this week and top up the sugar (we went quite low sugar initially).

Looking forward to it biggrin

Podie

46,630 posts

274 months

Monday 21st December 2015
quotequote all
Bottled 5 litres of gin and 5 of vodka.

So far about a litre of each have gone.

markoc

1,084 posts

195 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2015
quotequote all
Mine is a stunning deep purple colour - just strained the bits out. Froze the sloes before putting them in so that the skins split and it has really worked well. I added extra sugar halfway and it's come out just sweet enough, but quite fierce. Not sure what sloe gin etiquette is on the drinking front, but I've found it is very nice with tonic but a bit strong on its own for sipping.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2015
quotequote all
Best sloe gin cocktail ever: Cloudy Sky

2 msr sloe gin
2 msr ginger ale
1 msr fresh lime juice
ice cubes

You can thank me later. bowtie


dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2015
quotequote all
Gaah - Forgot to take a picture frown

We froze ours as well and used as little as half the sugar some of the recipes suggested, added with the fruit.

Will taste some this week and top up if necessary! Someone was saying it was nice with champagne so we may give that a go!

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2015
quotequote all
dom9 said:
Someone was saying it was nice with champagne so we may give that a go!
It is smile


Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2015
quotequote all
yes

markoc

1,084 posts

195 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
I've dumped the leftover sloes from the gin in a bottle of shiraz and resealed in a kilner jar.

Let's see what happens in 3 months time. Odds on I've ruined a tenner's worth of wine, perhaps (just perhaps) I'll have created the fabled "slow port" equivalent that the MIL has suggested...

Time will tell.

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
You guys have just reminded me that our 3 months is up...

Tempted to leave it for a while, since we're not really drinking at the moment!

Forgot to taste and top up with sugar over Christmas, maybe I'll give that a go tonight!

Ours has a lovely colour but certainly not as deep as you see in the commercial bottles.

Perhaps they colour theirs? Or maybe use more sloes.

CharlesdeGaulle

26,091 posts

179 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
I decanted a bottle to give as a gift at Christmas. It had taken on quite a colour but was definitely at the dark pink end of the scale rather than the burgundy. It also tasted a little sharp and thin I thought; certainly not as full-bodied as I recall from previous attempts.

Anyway, I've left the rest of it with the berries in, and plan to give it more time before doing another taste and sweetness test.

majordad

3,600 posts

196 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
quotequote all
Makes a lovely summer drink topped up with sparkling wine.

I always leave my sloes and gin 10 mths in the jar before decanting and bottling. And the sloes are in great shape afterwards, I destone them and mix them in chocolate to make truffles.

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
quotequote all
We use it more in summer too - in a Slojito . Same idea as mojito, but swap rum for sloe gin and mint with basil (really!!!)

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Sunday 24th January 2016
quotequote all
SG&T!



Very happy with flavour and sweetness!

majordad

3,600 posts

196 months

Monday 25th January 2016
quotequote all
Photo showing effects of ground effect, and having feet in the tub rather that protruding like in the earlier version !

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Monday 25th January 2016
quotequote all

majordad said:
Photo showing effects of ground effect, and having feet in the tub rather that protruding like in the earlier version !
LOL - there's a Tamiya 956 in the garage as well for full foot-suspension comingling excitement smile