Cocktail: Sloe Gin & Tempranillo Negroni

We’re really pleased to be able to share another Negroni variation with you from a new book by dedicated booze enthusiast Dan Jones.

GIN: Shake, Muddle and Stir is filled with gin facts, tips on glassware and both classic and fabulously inventive gin cocktails, with clear instructions to help you master the art of mixing the perfect gin pick-me-up. The book, published by Hardie Grant, is available online and in all good bookshops - easy to get a hold of and full of ginspiration!

In this recipe, rich, sloe-berry-infused gin and a sweet, dark Tempranillo reduction come together to make a potent, wintry spin on the ultimate Negroni cocktail. Check out how to make your very own below.

Ingredients:

30 ml Sloe & Star Anise Gin (recipe below)
30 ml Tempranillo Reduction (recipe below)
60 ml Campari
Orange peel, to garnish

Equipment:

Mixing glass, strainer

Method:

1. Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass over ice.
2. Strain into a tumbler filled with ice cubes.
3. Garnish with the orange peel.

Sloe & Star Anise Gin

Pick a handful of fresh, ripe sloe berries and add these to 500 ml (17 oz) of gin along with a single star anise pod, bashed into manageable pieces, and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Let it steep for at least 3 days in a cool, dark place before straining and serving. Store for up to 6 weeks in the fridge in the original bottle.

Tempranillo Reduction

Makes enough dashes for approximately 15 drinks

Ingredients:

200 ml Tempranillo wine
Pinch of crushed star anise
100 g dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup or golden syrup (optional)

Equipment:

Non-stick saucepan, wooden spoon, 200 ml (7 oz) kilner jar or glass bottle with stopper and a funnel. 

Method:

1. Simmer the wine and star anise in a non-stick saucepan and gently add the sugar.
2. Turn down the heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3–5 minutes, until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has reduced by approximately one-third.
3. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 20–30 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
4. While still runny, decant into a sterilised kilner jar or funnel into a sterilised glass bottle with a stopper.
5. Adding a spoonful of corn syrup to the cooled mixture now will help keep the reduction smooth. Store in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.