Sloe Gin

Whether you want to create a homemade gift for Christmas, or simply stock up your own drinks cabinet, sloe gin is a great winter warmer that's as easy to make as it is to drink!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: British

Keyword: cocktail, gin, sloe

Servings: bottle

Calories: 1196kcal

Equipment

Large Kilner jar or similar sealable bottle

Ingredients

Basic Sloe Gin

70 cl bottle of gin
450 g sloes
200 g caster sugar

Bay and Star Anise

2 dried bay leaves
2 whole star anise

Rosemary

1 fresh sprig rosemary

Instructions

Add the sloe gin ingredients into a sealable jar or bottle large enough for everything to fit.
If making one of the variations above, add in the botanicals at this stage and then seal shut.
Give everything a good shake every day for a week, until all the sugar has dissolved into the alcohol.
If making the basic recipe, or the bay and star anise, leave the jar in a dark cupboard for 2-3 months. For the rosemary infused recipe, you don't want the rosemary to overpower the sloes. It's therefore best to remove the sprig of rosemary after a week. But check and adjust as you wish.
When the time is up, use a sieve lined with muslin cloth, and strain the gin into a clean bottle. Seal and enjoy either neat, on ice, with tonic, or try making your own cocktails!

Notes

You can save the sloes and reuse them to make another batch. However, the flavour in the sloes will be less intense. But try a smaller quantity of gin, with the right ratio of sugar, and explore another flavour combination!

Nutrition