I’m having a go at making Sloe Gin again this year. In 2007 I made my first batch of Sloe Gin which was quite successful and went down very well 
and very quickly 
with family and friends. 2008 was a bad year for Sloes due to the wet summer we had in the UK but this year has produced a good crop; certainly in Cumbria and Yorkshire.
Sloes are the fruit of the Blackthorn bush/tree and making Sloe Gin is really easy.
The three ingredients of Sloe Gin are Gin, Sloes, and sugar; some people add other ingredients e.g. Cinnamon and Cloves, I’ve tried this and it’s worth experimenting with small quantities to see what suits you best.
To make Sloe Gin you first need to find and then pick the Sloes; I’ve not found anywhere that sells Sloes but if you get out into the country you can get them for free and you can turn it into a great day out. Best time to pick Sloes is after the first frost of the winter which used to be end September / early October but due to recent weather pattern changes people seem to be picking them at around September/October frost or no frost. This timing conveniently coincides with the time it takes to make Sloe Gin in time for drinking over the Christmas and New Year period. If you’re not sure where you can get Sloes then ask around; I was quite surprised to find lots of people who know about Sloe Gin and where to find Sloes. Then you’ll need a bottle/demijohn, Gin, and sugar.
Once you’ve got what you need it’s time to start making the Sloe Gin;
I make Sloe Gin with the following measures (taken from the Sloe.biz website) and then scale up the quantities to suit the amount of Sloes I’ve managed to find.
For 400g of Sloes = 500ml Gin = 150g Sugar
I make my Sloe Gin in 5Ltr water bottles that you’ll get from most supermarkets; so I use 2.5 Ltr Gin, 2 kilo Sloes, and 750g sugar. Different people use different amounts of sugar and Gin to the quantity of Sloes; it’s purely a matter of taste.
1) In your bottle put the Gin and sugar (remember to save the empty Gin bottles for the Sloe Gin).
2) Be sure to take the stalks and any leaves off the sloes and wash them in cold water.
3) Prick the Sloes one at a time and add to the Gin until the Sloes displace the Gin to about an inch of the top of the bottle.
4) Seal the bottle and turn the bottle and store in a dark place.
It’s important to rotate the bottle every so often; either every day or every other day will do just fine.
Just before Christmas use a sieve to strain the sloes out of the Gin and funnel the Sloe Gin into the empty Gin bottles. I quite like bits of Sloe flesh in Sloe Gin but I know most people don’t so you can either decant the Gin a few times or pass the Gin through something like a coffee filter.
Sloe Gin Liquor chocolate.
If you like chocolate then don’t throw those used Sloes away. Make sure you take out the stones in the Sloes and put the Gin soaked Sloe flesh to one side. Get a plate with some grease proof paper and put a thin layer of melted chocolate down, then spread a thin layer of the Gin soaked Sloe flesh on top and cover with a second layer of chocolate. Let the chocolate set and then hide it – because if anyone finds it you’ll not get any!
There’s a great website dedicated to Sloe Gin making @ Sloe.biz with forums for Sloe and other fruit-liquor marinating projects.
Let me know how you get on with Sloe Gin making by leaving a comment below.
Until the next post…
