Making Sloe Gin

covey123 · 15-11-2021 6:54pm #1

This will be my first attempt at making my own sloe gin so just wanted to run something by anyone who has made it before,will using cheap gin make much of a difference to the end flavor if adding some sugar?

I have a litre bottle of Gordons( 47.3% picked up in Spanish duty free) sitting in the drinks cabinet for a few years that hasn't been touched, and to be honest I don't think it will be used as it is as I wouldn't be a fan of it.

I was going to buy a bottle for making the sloe gin with the intention of not adding sugar in process, just adding sugar syrup as needed afterwards, but would adding sugar to the Gordons make it palatable or does the flavor of the gin itself have a major bearing on the end product?

I have over 500g of sloes picked so should be a good amount to go with a litre.

the beer revolu · 16-11-2021 8:49am

The Gordon's will be fine. Although, using a nicer more complex gin will give you a nicer end result. Still I'd use up the Gordon's, if it was me. The fruit and sugar cover a lot. And nothing in particular wrong with Gordon's, anyway.

Most recipes add sugar in the bottle but I think it's a better idea to add sugar at the end, to taste,as you suggest.

I'd put some orange zest in it, too. Orange compliments sloes really well.

covey123 · 16-11-2021 10:42am

Thanks for that.Did you add much zest?Also read that almonds work well too so might try that

the beer revolu · 16-11-2021 11:46am

I'd say the zest of one orange will do you.

Unless you really like almondy flavoured things like ameretto, I'd stay away from almonds. The stones in the sloes will give it an almondy flavour. I don't care for this flavour and wouldn't want to emphasise it. The almondyness is something I don't really like about homemade sloe gin. Some sloes don't do this, others do.

Effects · 17-11-2021 2:04pm

I made mine this year with something that was offer in Supervalu. Cork Dry Gin I think.

1L to 500g of berries, and I added just 40g of sugar at the start. Not as many places say to add the sugar at the end, in the form of a syrup, but it makes sense. I don't really want it to be over sweet myself.

covey123 · 17-11-2021 9:53pm

Settled on a mix of 1ltr of Gordons,500g of sloe berries,50g of castor sugar and the zest of one orange.

Will report back in a few months on the end result!

Effects · 17-11-2021 10:37pm

I think I'll break mine out at Christmas, and then top up with gin and berries. I froze about another 1.5 kg separately.

TheW1zard · 17-11-2021 10:40pm

If you ever use freeze dried berries it comes out quite syrupy. But is amazing in a G&T.

If I get fresh ones it's for sipping straight- country style

covey123 · 17-11-2021 10:42pm

Still have a handful of berries left myself so will experiment on a smaller batch with those and some other ingredients and see what happens

covey123 · 17-11-2021 10:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118183639#Comment_118183639

By freeze dried,do you mean shop bought?

TheW1zard · 18-11-2021 7:10am

Yeah you can get dried ones online, not as good as fresh but amazing in a g&t

beertons · 20-01-2022 9:54pm

My friends dad used to make it out of Poitín. It was amazing, could jump start a dead rhino.

covey123 · 24-07-2022 8:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118183388#Comment_118183388

So after 8 months I had a tasting last night.It worked out perfectly, amazing aroma and even though a cheap gin was used,still a tasty drink to drink with tonic.

If a better gin, and a little more sugar was used, it would make a great winter sipping drink. As it stands,still a great drink but definitely needs a little bit of sugar syrup for my liking if drinking without a mixer