Sloe Gin

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Discussion

A M G

1,237 posts

240 months

Wednesday 30th September 2009
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No tips, but I'm part way through some made in 2000! It is rather good, a fantastic colour, smooth and slightly syrupy. In just poking around for the bottle now, I've found some more, from 2005. In the interests of research, I shall conduct tests this evening.

rovermorris999

5,195 posts

188 months

Wednesday 30th September 2009
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Third to a half a bottle of sloes, 4 oz of sugar, top up with gin. Lovely!

kiteless

11,683 posts

203 months

Wednesday 30th September 2009
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rovermorris999 said:
the longer you leave it, the better.
yes

12 months minimum.

We use a 1950's recipe which produces a sharp, slightly sweet, sloe gin:

3 pints (by volume) of sloes (de-frosted ones) in a demijohn with 1.5lbs of sugar. Pour about 4 pints of gin into the jar (gin quality aint important). Shake the demijohn every 3 days for 3 months, then rack off through muslin into bottles.

It's drinkable young, but aged is better.


madbadger

11,555 posts

243 months

Monday 5th October 2009
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Bottled my demijohn off at the weekend. Yielded just over 3l once off the sloes.

Had a look at Hugh Fernley-Whittingstalls recipe in his cook on the wildside book. His is 1.25 pints of sloes, 55g of sugar and one bottle of gin. Not sure what weight is in 1.25 pints or how big a bottle he is using, but those proportions sound more like I used last year rather than some of the recipes earlier in the thread.

Picked just over 10lb of sloes over the weekend. Never seen so many on the bushes. All perfect condition. Just nice and ripe but hardly any on the bushes were starting to wrinkle. Sometimes later on in the year you need to be quite choosy which sloes to pick. Should be enough for 2 demijohns this year so I'm doing one of Gin and one of Vodka.

Chin chin.

smile

SwanJack

1,912 posts

271 months

Monday 5th October 2009
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Didn't bother with Sloe Gin this year, but made some Damson Whisky and Damson Vodka instead lick

willyworm

433 posts

238 months

Tuesday 6th October 2009
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After you have made the sloe gin save thr sloes and cover them in chocolate for a really nice after dinner treat.

rovermorris999

5,195 posts

188 months

Tuesday 6th October 2009
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I've done that before, gorgeous!

eddo

Original Poster:

167 posts

224 months

Tuesday 6th October 2009
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Chocolate covered sloes,,,that sounds luverly. Made 6 bottles sloe gin and 1 large sloe potcheenbiggrin
Ed

majordad

3,600 posts

196 months

Wednesday 7th October 2009
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How mite one make sloe potteen ? or sloe whiskey ?

martin_b

97 posts

179 months

Wednesday 7th October 2009
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add a handful of chopped Almonds to the sloes for a nice variation.

escargot

17,110 posts

216 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
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I really want to make some sloe gin this year, however, i've got no idea where to find the plants that yield the berries. Any tips as to where they like to grow?

madbadger

11,555 posts

243 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
quotequote all
escargot said:
I really want to make some sloe gin this year, however, i've got no idea where to find the plants that yield the berries. Any tips as to where they like to grow?
In the hawthorn bush.

Common in the hedgerows - check around common land and country lanes.

The sloes can be almost invisible if they are spread around so look closely. Watch out for the big spikey thorns in the bush.

eddo

Original Poster:

167 posts

224 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
quotequote all
Yep the thorns are the giveaway. Small plum like fruits. Mines starting to taste almondy and sweeeeeeeet,,,yummy. Aint gonna last long.
Ed

Simpo Two

85,149 posts

264 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
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Not long ago there were lots of elderberries in the lanes - can you make elderberry gin? (they make nice wine)

Simpo Two

85,149 posts

264 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
quotequote all
madbadger said:
escargot said:
I really want to make some sloe gin this year, however, i've got no idea where to find the plants that yield the berries. Any tips as to where they like to grow?
In the hawthorn bush.
Nope, hawthorn fruits are hips or haws, and they're red and poisonous. You want blackthorn smile

madbadger

11,555 posts

243 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
madbadger said:
escargot said:
I really want to make some sloe gin this year, however, i've got no idea where to find the plants that yield the berries. Any tips as to where they like to grow?
In the hawthorn bush.
Nope, hawthorn fruits are hips or haws, and they're red and poisonous. You want blackthorn smile
You learn something everyday.

TBH a bush is a bush. I don't think I would pick hips by mistake.

smile

madbadger

11,555 posts

243 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Not long ago there were lots of elderberries in the lanes - can you make elderberry gin? (they make nice wine)
yes

Bit better with Vodka but can be done with gin. The recipe is the same.

Bottled a litre of Elderberry on the weekend. Made with spirit distilled from elderberry wine. lick

Simpo Two

85,149 posts

264 months

Thursday 8th October 2009
quotequote all
madbadger said:
Simpo Two said:
Not long ago there were lots of elderberries in the lanes - can you make elderberry gin? (they make nice wine)
yes

Bit better with Vodka but can be done with gin. The recipe is the same.

Bottled a litre of Elderberry on the weekend. Made with spirit distilled from elderberry wine. lick
So you make elderberry wine, distill it to give elderberry spirit, then add it to some more elderberry wine.... we're talking fortified here aren't we... ah! Elderberry Sherry!

madbadger

11,555 posts

243 months

Friday 9th October 2009
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
madbadger said:
Simpo Two said:
Not long ago there were lots of elderberries in the lanes - can you make elderberry gin? (they make nice wine)
yes

Bit better with Vodka but can be done with gin. The recipe is the same.

Bottled a litre of Elderberry on the weekend. Made with spirit distilled from elderberry wine. lick
So you make elderberry wine, distill it to give elderberry spirit, then add it to some more elderberry wine.... we're talking fortified here aren't we... ah! Elderberry Sherry!
Distillate is 50% so more of an elderberry Eau de Vie.

I don't think you would get away with more than 15 - 20% in a sherry but it might work!

smile

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Friday 9th October 2009
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Not that it would stop me, if I had the kit and was confident I wasn't going to give myself methanol poisoning, but isn't home distillation illegal?