Your best sloe gin recipe?

[Fib new]

As asked above... What is your best sloe gin recipe? I know this has passed as a topic in the past, but I'm very curious in your recipes.

 

Slow methods, fast methods, what sort of sugar, amount of berries, additions like cinnamon or orange peel, gin, crush berries, heated or not, how long before you drink it?

 

And not the same topic, but also worth a try: wodka with pear and cinnamon and sugar... Anyone experiences?

Edited September 30, 2013 by Fib new

[bigadam]

I do a quick recipe but takes a while to do

1 litre of gin in two bottles couple of table spoons in each bottle of brewing sugar and 2 hand fulls of sloes cut with a knife down to the stone around the middle put them in and shake like hell

Leave for 2 weeks and syphon off

[Blunderbuss]

Freeze your sloes first to split them (saves pricking them). In whatever size container you are using, fill in layers a third deep. Layer of sloes, equal layer of sugar, then fill with gin to a third above the sugar if that makes sense. Don't use expensive gin as the strong flavour of the sloes will mask the subtle juniper and other aromatics you are paying for. But, use the strongest gin you can find, at least 40% proof, preferably more as the sloes and sugar dilute it. Not of that 35-37% ****! Shake every day for the first two weeks then once a week. Leave at least 3 months, but no longer than 6 months before decanting and straining. A drop or two of vanilla or almond essence is the only extra I ever add, and I don't always bother with that. I prefer mine less sweet, so usually adjust the sugar down a bit.

[ratbuster]

Sadly this year I'm down on sloes but last year we had a bumper crop, so I put the sloes hand pricked with a wood pin (afterwards I discovered you could freeze them as well ) in a large (3 litres) glass with a lid on top , put sugar, a vanilla plod and a cinnamon stick and cheap "Jenever " ( Dutch gin) on the sloes and put it in my cellar for two months , shaking it daily in the first weeks , afterwards a bit less. After three months I bottles the liquor and let it rest for another six months before drinking it. Great taste, a bit like port, not to sweet, just lovely. Did run out of this batch very quickly, lots of family coming to taste a little zip........

 

I'm making a batch of pear wodka at this moment. cooking pears, cinnamon , sugar and wodka that's it. Doing the same thing with some wild apples I found, no, not the crab variety (don't have them over here in Holland)

 

Cheers,

 

Rb

[Fib new]

Radbuster, where in Holland are you about? I'm in Holland as well...😁 We have a superb amount of sloes at the moment...

[ratbuster]

I'm living in a small village not too far from the German border, about 20 miles from Arnhem

 

Cheers,

 

Rb

[rimfire4969]

Not many sloes in the normal spots I have found them so had to look a bit harder than normal, but did find enough for my needs.

Easy recipe:

1lb sloes frozen or pricked

8ozs caster sugar

1ltr cheap as strong as you can get gin.

 

All in a kilner or big bottle shake everyday for a week or so then once or twice a week. Ready in a couple of months but even better longer.

[camokid]

Not many sloes in the normal spots I have found them so had to look a bit harder than normal, but did find enough for my needs.

Easy recipe:

1lb sloes frozen or pricked

8ozs caster sugar

1ltr cheap as strong as you can get gin.

 

All in a kilner or big bottle shake everyday for a week or so then once or twice a week. Ready in a couple of months but even better longer.

 

 

just done the same.. i found masses around this year .. also rose hip syrup and crab apple and rowen jelly got done this weekend.... free is best...

[figgy]

I make mine in the big gallon water containers from supermarkets or two litre pop bottles. Pound of sloes 1/2 to 3/4 pound of sugar to a litre of gin or vodka. I always leave the fruit in for years as the stones impart the almond flavour to the liquor.

 

Tip don't add to much sugar as you can allways add more to taste later but can't take it out, a couple of desert zooms of glycerine from boots with give it a better feel on your palette.

 

The fruit when frozen solid,I roll mine about on a tea towel with the zester part of the grater to put loads of holes and tears in the skin.

 

 

Figgy

[Gnome of the Woods]

I never get the cheapest gin bit!

Always use good quality stuff and it will taste better.

I normally use Gordons, pick it up cheap when its on offer.

Everybody who has tried mine says it tastes very nice and smooth.

Here is how I do mine, not the normal way but always produces great results.

 

http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/homefeature/400399/Sloe_Gin__Captain_Harriman039s_accelerated_sloe_gin.html

Edited October 27, 2013 by Gnome of the Woods

[p@cman]

Picked sloes this morning and bottled this afternoon.

 

Used one of the recipes from http://sloe.biz/pip/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=fa94085ec6e47a3962a3230e0bfafe62 sloe.biz

 

Still have some of last years batch, so will aim to leave this new batch until spring next year before decanting off.

[Blunderbuss]

I never get the cheapest gin bit!

Explanation @ post no. 3 :-)

Edited October 27, 2013 by Blunderbuss

[rimfire4969]

I find by the time you drink the sloe gin all of the flavour comes from the sloes, the extra money you spend on expensive gin is wasted. I normally but supermarket own brand or Gordon's etc if on offer. No point spending on my favourite sapphire gin when the others are half the price.

[hedge]

Good thread.

 

I was coming on here to ask about whether the quality of the gin affects the final product and it seems opinion is divided.

 

This year I've used Tesco's own brand and Gordon's gin, and `Russian Standard` & Smirnoff vodka. Only time will tell. I'll have a taste test and see if I can tell the difference.

 

Got loads of sloes up my way. Was in Lincolnshire last wekeend and the bushes were bursting.

 

Happy brewing.

[robbiep]

2 bottles of gin (any brand, BUT make sure it is full strength. Some of the supermarket own brands are only 27%).

Pour gin into demijohn. Add 1kg of sugar. Shake, stand, shake to dissolve.

When all the sugar is gone, add another 200g sugar, and shake again (this lot can take a few days). Continue until it starts to become a pain in the backside to get all the sugar gone.

Add sloes. To blett your sloes, freeze and defrost them a couple of times. Shake again.

Store in a cool dark place. Shake every week if you remember. Don't kick yourself if you forget.

Forget about it for a year. Or maybe 2. Three would be even better.

Strain, filter, etc. Then drink

[Thunderbird]

The best recipe for sloe gin is time / patience. Aka slow gin.

 

I use whatever gin is on offer in supermarkets, failing that Lidl's finest.

 

I like mine medium sweetness, last lot I made had 1.25 kg of sloes, 350 g of sugar and two and a half bottles of gin.

 

I stirred the kilner jar for the first few days then just left it for six months.

 

Gorgeous.

[Maldred4]

I had more berries than I have ever seen on my little spot for picking this year. Was blessed with Blackberries as well so plenty of Sloe gin, Blackberry Vodka andBlackberry gin made this year

 

I follow this recipe loosely per litre of gin for Sloe gin

 

450g sloes pricked several times with a cocktail stick. (the kids get couple of quid per 500g)

125g caster sugar

1 litre gin

(Aldis Oliver Cromwell London dry gin at 13.99 litre is excellent. Its a good gin on its own having this year beaten many more expensive brands in blind taste tesing at the International spirits challenge where it was awarded a silver award)

 

Every thing goes into a large Kilner Jar gets shaken about every day for one week, then every other day for the next week and then whenever I happen to go into the basement. Will strain off the berries after 3 months, I dont leave it any longer but some do. Made 2 litres in October for this christmas and 8 litres ready for next year.

 

I found that a regular clear plastic sandwich bag held around 500g of sloes so after a while didnt bother weighing the berries I just put in a full sandwich bag.

[malkiserow]

just started this thought again for 2014 about what is the BEST sloe gin recipe. So this search was good!!!!

 

There seems to be a big variation in weights and quantities.....

 

What really makes the quality difference in the finished drink?

[rimfire4969]

just started this thought again for 2014 about what is the BEST sloe gin recipe. So this search was good!!!!

 

There seems to be a big variation in weights and quantities.....

 

What really makes the quality difference in the finished drink?

I have used the same quantities for a good few years. But the end product can be quiet different, some years maybe the sloes are sweeter so the gin is a bit sweeter its all part of the fun.

 

The best year for mine was 2009 i remember it well, this gin was extremely well balanced not too sweet or sharp and enough warmth for a cold day out with the gun. I dont think the quality of gin makes much differance, you could use a £30.00 bottle of Tarquins gin but not great sloes so the end product is drinkable but not great, but possibly better than a £10.00 bottle. However a bottle for a tenner plus great sloes makes for great gin. Mind I am no expert, I sort of chuck it together and drink it however it comes out

[rich1985]

1 pound sloes to every litre of gin,

Will come to the sugar in abit.

Add the sloes and gin together, pricked or frozen, shake daily for a week. Not adding the sugar at the start will give you the benifit of the natural sugars and juice of the sloes being extracted more efficiently by the gin. Add the sugar to your own taste but I add about 10oz of sugar per litre of gin, add this any time after the first month. I add sugar, shake every day untill dissolved then leave another couple months, strain, bottle, enjoy!

[AlistairB]

There's loads of sloes round here at the moment, i picked 5kg last weekend which should give around 6-7 litres of gin.

 

Recipe

70cl gin (generally Tesco Everyday Value Gin!)

600g sloes

250-300g sugar

 

***** the sloes or split them in the freezer, chuck it all in a kilner jar, shake every day for the first 2 weeks to dissolve all the sugar, occasionally stir with a sharp knife to help the sloes breakdown a bit, leave for 3 months, drain through muslin and bottle - job jobbed!

Edited September 2, 2014 by AlistairB

[super sharp shooter]

Not sloe gin but just as nice.

 

2ltrs Brandy

900g blackberries

500g caster sugar.

 

Add all to a 5ltr demijohn bottle

Shake every 2days for the first week then once a week after that.

Ready in 60 days but left longer if you can.

Edited September 2, 2014 by super sharp shooter

[SPARKIE]

do people put anything into there gin to thicken it up like liquer.....i find mine allways is very thin and some others ive tryed are easier on the pallet thicker when drinking neat.

[bi9johnny]

I use food grade glycerin, makes it smoother on the tongue

[clakk]

2lbs sloes,200g sugar ,46%tanqueray gin,mmm.***** the sloes ,place in big kilner jar sprinkle the sugar on leave to ferment for a couple of hours then add the gin.shake like mad n place in a cupboard .once a day shake for a month,leave for 3 months shake every 3 months just once.decant n drink and fall over .vodka n plums 2lbs plums 300g sugar ,repeat sloes method and hide from family