Easy Damson or Sloe Gin – 3-Ingredient Recipe

Are you a gin lover? Well, in my September gardening post, I said I’d be making some luscious damson gin and sloe gin again. If you live near a public hedgerow (sloes) or have access to a fruit tree (damson) then you really should have a go too. These fruit gins are soooooo easy to make, taste utterly delicious, and, if you can bear to give any away, make lovely gifts. So, if you make them now, they’ll be ready for bottling by mid-December, just in time for Christmas. Here’s my recipe for easy damson or sloe gin. (And if you have any fruits over, check out my recipe for easy damson or plum jam too!)

Easy Damson or Sloe Gin

Ingredients

• 500g of damsons or sloes
• 200 – 250g of sugar (according to taste)
• 1 litre of gin (or vodka if you prefer)

How to make your gin

1. Wash your fruit and discard any bruised or mouldy ones.  Then you can either prick each berry to split the skin or, if you have more exciting things to do, pop them in the freezer overnight. You just need to split the skins to release the juice, which is what the overnight freeze will do for you.

2. Put the pricked or defrosted berries into a large sterilised jar, eg, a Kilner jar.*

3. Pour in your sugar. Use more or less sugar, depending on how sweet you like your final drink.

4. Pour in your gin (or vodka) and seal the jar tightly. Tip: Don’t buy expensive alcohol, budget own brands are fine!

5. Store your jar in a cool dark place and shake vigorously every day for a week, or until all the sugar has dissolved, Thereafter shake once a week for at least two months. The longer you can leave it, the more intense the flavours will be.  The waiting is the hardest part of this process…

6. Strain your fruit gin through a sieve, and then again through muslin or coffee filter papers* into sterilised bottles.*  Tip: expect to go through a LOT of coffee filter papers!

7. Seal, label, drink, and enjoy 🙂

8. Tip: discarded sloes can be covered in melted chocolate for unusual sweet treats (but watch your teeth on the stones). Discarded damsons can be enjoyed gently heated with custard or ice cream (but beware those stones again).

9. Tip: you can make blackberry brandy or plum schnapps in exactly the same way, but blackberries and plums won’t need pricking or freezing.

Have you ever tried making your own fruit gins, vodkas or brandies before?  Do you even like fruit spirits? (!)

* If you click on an affiliate link and then purchase a product from a retailer, I will receive a very small commission at no cost to you.