Sloe gin

[Tecsyn]

October is the time to make this, and it can be ready for Christmas. Some say it's better kept till the next year, but it never lasted that long here!

1Litre gin
8oz+ sloes
3-4 oz demerara sugar
10 bruised almonds

Drink enough gin to allow room for the sloes.
Collect sloes from bushes in local fields & lanes, wash them and prick the skins
Pop sloes into gin bottle, leaving a bit of space for sugar and almonds.
Shake bottle regularly, every day at first
In about two months filter/decant gin into a clean bottle and allow to settle in a cool dark space
Enjoy around Christmas time as an aperatif - a splash in a champagne flute makes your bubbly extra nice!

I have two jars on the go this year...

[tulip]

I have drank this stuff too.. It has a nice taste and a wild kick...

[Tecsyn]

Yeah tulip, it has a kick alright, and turns champagne into a wicked cocktail! I have just made some more stuff for Christmas:

Pineapple and Cranberry vodka - two-thirds of a fresh pineapple peeled and chopped, a handful of dried cranberries, a few chopped almonds and a cinnamon stick plus 4oz sugar in a kilner type jar - fill with vodka and shake daily for a week or two. After that, taste periodically until it hits the spot then decant and enjoy chilled. Do not throw away the pineapple\; remove the cinnamon stick and put the fruit into a jelly to make a delicious 'adult' sweet with cream... The fruit can be frozen in a container with this in mind, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Oh, I have 2" of voddie left, whatever shall I do with it...

Strawberry gin: hull about 8oz of strawberries and quarter them, drop into a kilner jar with about the same sugar and a handfull of dried cranberries (optional) I put a cinnamon stick and almonds in mine but again, optional. Shake the same as before and taste periodically... Oh dear, I have some gin left over... oh, just a quickie then I'll top-up the sloe gin

[ceffyl du]

I've made some sloe vodka and brandy this year as well Don't know how they will turn out. Will see
I've used almonds before though. Do they make a big difference to the taste?

[Tecsyn]

I've made some sloe vodka and brandy this year as well Don't know how they will turn out. Will see
I've used almonds before though. Do they make a big difference to the taste?

Not a BIG difference, more like a subtle influence... Try both and see...

[Anchee]

Mine's been on the go for three weeks now. It will be good and ready for Xmas. Its a wonderful colour already.