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first timer sloe gin how to make it - a dummys guide!


jamie101
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As the title says guys. Im a first timer at the sloe gin job and im also a dummy lol and would like to know a step by step guide how to make some sloe gin. All the ingredients/equipment i need, how long i need to leave it to stand, what to look for and when to pick the berrys etc etc. Thanks in advance lads!

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This is a good start SIPSMITH

 

Maybe only add 1/2 the sugar and make a sugar/water syrup for adding to taste at the end.

 

edit to add my ratio is about

 

500grm Fruit

1L Gin

135 grm Sugar (but don't add it all at once)

 

 

Freeze and thaw the only the perfect examples of the fruit a few times

Leave for a year if you can

 

HOWEVER

 

For a first batch, I'd actually use damsons and drink much sooner!!! my "damson and orange" is in the food an drink section on here.

Edited by malkiserow
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  • 3 weeks later...

I seem to recall a method on this forum that enabled the stuff to be made in next to no time-you bake the sloes then crush them to make a kind of concentrate-we did it a couple of years back and it works a treat. We used to make about 4 litres every year but now that Lidl do it for about £7-8 a bottle (and its awesome) it's simply not worth the hassle anymore.

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You shouldn't make sloe gin with gin because the gin you buy is already flavoured with juniper berries and is effectively "juniper gin". Gin is an old generic London word for any distilled spirit whatever the flavouring. You can get strawberry gin, blackberry gin, plum gin etc and of course the commonest is Juniper

The best unflavoured base spirt to try is Sainsbury's Vodka but don't miss out on the strawberrys, blackberries and plums as well if you are experimenting

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You shouldn't make sloe gin with gin because the gin you buy is already flavoured with juniper berries and is effectively "juniper gin". Gin is an old generic London word for any distilled spirit whatever the flavouring. You can get strawberry gin, blackberry gin, plum gin etc and of course the commonest is Juniper

The best unflavoured base spirt to try is Sainsbury's Vodka but don't miss out on the strawberrys, blackberries and plums as well if you are experimenting

A very good post.

I have to admit I didn't know the above about "gin" being vodka flavoured with juniper until this week.

Strawberries work very well and very quick too. Only needs a week ( or even less for that matter!) before it is very drinkable.

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Lots of variations on similar recipes.

 

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/two-recipes-wild-damson-gin-and-sloe-gin-37/

 

http://www.sipsmith.com/blog/articles/how-to-make-the-perfect-sloe-gin

 

 

Sloes ideally need 6 months to infuse, then drain and bottle. Keep for another 6 months (test occasionally and add sugar if you need to - it's personal taste how much you add). Tends to taste better the longer you leave it!

 

As has been said - Damson gin tends to mature quicker (4-6 weeks) and in my opinion is just as good if not better than sloe gin (naturally sweeter so needs less faffing). Damsons can also be picked a bit sooner around late September.

 

A lot of sloes were `early` this year and near me some bushes have already finished - others still seem to have some decent fruit on them.

 

Deffo checking out the Lidl option though, although I do still like the idea of `homemade`. Tesco had Greenhalls and Sipsmith on half price a while ago so I did get some (I had no sloes last year so needed something for this Xmas).

 

Happy brewing - it is a bit trial and error!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't forget the toffee vodka :whistling: VODKA, and Werthers original toffees, pour your voddy in a pop bottle and pop in a couple of packets of werthers. Shake every 30 mins and the moment all the toffee is dissolved its ready to drink :good:

Oh and BTW, many moons ago I was told 1kg sugar to 1kg sloes!

 

DONT. Far to syrup like and awful, I now use 700g sloes and 200g sugar and its much better!

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Try and experiment with other spirts, i rarely use gin now. Sloe whisky is quite nice and i;ve even made sloe tequlia a couple of times. Just use any cheap supermarket spirt

 

In the old days it was always 1lb of fruit and 1 lb of sugar but nowadays 1: 1/2sugar ofr less is more normal. Like everyone has said u can always add more sugar later on. If u do make a batch to sweet u can save it and make another batch extra sour to mix them together

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