Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: Redwellies on April 21, 2007, 21:00

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Redwellies on April 21, 2007, 21:00

Anyone have a procedure for making this for my mum.  She loves it apparently, and if my mum likes it, it must be like rocket fuel!!!!! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  And being a novice, can anyone tell me when sloes are in fruit.

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: WG. on April 21, 2007, 21:24

Blackthorn is the plant.  It bears sloes in September so you've plenty of time to scout around for some local hedgerows.

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Redwellies on April 21, 2007, 21:35

Thanks WG, have you got the receipe though!! the most important bit, don't forget my mother, she 's chompin on the bit already at the mention of sloe gin.  Not that my mother is lush or anything, but does like to par-take of the odd tipple or two.  Sloe = slow, now I know why she is so slow, ahhhh the mist is clearing!!! :lol:  :lol:

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: WG. on April 21, 2007, 21:38

Well, I've got until September to find the recipe for you.   If you need to keep up Mother's blood/alcohol levels until then, I can recommend a few nice malt whiskies for her ... or make her some damson / plum brandy.

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Aunt Sally on April 21, 2007, 21:44

Two very useful sites:

Blackthorn (http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/gardenerscorner/trees/blackthorn.shtml)

Sloes (http://www.sloe.biz/)

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: WG. on April 21, 2007, 21:49

Incidentally, did you know that Gordon's now sell Sloe Gin commercially?

1lb sloes, trimmed / washed
2 pints gin
4oz sugar
few drops almond essence

Prick sloes all over with a large needle. Some folks freeze them rather than prick them.  Place in a bowl with other ingredients and mix well.   Pour into a crock or jug which can be corked tightly, leave in a dark place for 3 months.  Shake occasionally (the jar, not your mother).

Strain through cheesecloth into sterlised bottles, seal and age for at least 6 months.

Variant : Substitute blackcurrants for the sloes & verbena leaves for the almond essence.

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Ann on April 21, 2007, 22:39

If you don't want to wait that long you could try dried sloes if there is a supplier in your area.

I've discovered that a local home brew shop sells dried sloes, elderflower and elderberries.  :D

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: ytyynycefn on April 22, 2007, 01:01

My recipe:

1 Kilner jar, size doesn't matter (unusually  :shock: I used spaghetti jar sized ones)

Fill a third of the way up with sloes that have been frozen and pricked with a fork.

Fill to the halfway mark with caster suger.

Fill to the top with gin.

Shake once or twice a day until the sugar is dissolved, then stick in a cupboard and try to forget about it until Christmas.  Filter through a muslin cloth into a bottle - happy quaffing!

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: slow_worm on April 23, 2007, 13:54

Quote from: "whisky_golf"

Incidentally, did you know that Gordon's now sell Sloe Gin commercially?

1lb sloes, trimmed / washed
2 pints gin
4oz sugar
few drops almond essence

Prick sloes all over with a large needle. Some folks freeze them rather than prick them.  Place in a bowl with other ingredients and mix well.   Pour into a crock or jug which can be corked tightly, leave in a dark place for 3 months.  Shake occasionally (the jar, not your mother).

Strain through cheesecloth into sterlised bottles, seal and age for at least 6 months.

Variant : Substitute blackcurrants for the sloes & verbena leaves for the almond essence.

can also sub Damsons for the sloes!

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Redwellies on April 24, 2007, 17:53

Cheers everyone!! :D  :D

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Bernard on June 03, 2007, 22:26

Here's what I did to make sloe rum last yr/thisyr (white rum because it was the cheapest white spirit available. The point about this method is that adding the bulk of sugar as a secondary stage to the berries which have already been soaked draws nearly all the juice out of them by osmosis. They end up wrinkled and empty.

Sloe rum:
24/10/06
35cl bottle of white rum place in 70cl whisky bottle.
Berries pricked and added to the bottle until full. (Bottle is now full of both rum and berries).
1 tspoon sugar added.

19/12/06      (8 weeks)
Liquor transferred to another bottle.
200g sugar (caster) to sloes.

2/1/07      (2 weeks)
Syrup drained from sloes & added to original liquor (in 70cl bottle)
Another 100g sugar added
Makes approx 50cl      Stored (3 months?)   

30/1/07
Sugar has dissolved.
Tastes good.

1/6/07
Tastes superb

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: trigger1943 on July 30, 2007, 21:57

I was given another tip which worked well. When you have finished with the sloes, pour a bottle of cheap red wine over them and leave for a while (not sure how long). Strain and finally throw the sloes away, drink the wine, it tastes a lot better than it started out.

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: Esme on August 06, 2007, 15:17

You don't throw the sloes away either until you've either eaten them - although they are mostly stone they are delish, or used them to make sloe gin truffles...

Title: Sloe Gin
Post by: muntjac on August 06, 2007, 17:00

if folks cant find em let me know we have whole hedgerows of em  :wink: