Every year since I got back from the states (except last year, the crop was terrible), I’ve made sloe gin. The first year was two bottles, this year will be about six bottles.

Sloes are quite plentiful and you can find them everywhere, in roadsides, in fields (ask the farmer before picking them please!), back roads and so on. There are bushels of them, and this is the time to start picking. Heeding the old wive’s tale, you must wait until the first frost before picking – you can cheat and pick them and pop them in the freezer for an hour or two.

The recipe is simple. One third sloes, one third sugar, one third gin. Put them all in a bottle, seal, and let sit. The longer you let it sit the better, like wine I suppose, but I generally start in on mine around Christmas time, just before so I can get in the mood. Drain the sloes out of course, and top it up with gin if it’s too sickly for you. I like it like a liqueur though, some like it less sweet.

Oh and one other thing, I rotate the bottles every few days just in case.