How to make sloe gin: Our quick and easy recipe for homemade sloe gin liqueur

While there are some lovely sloe gins available, nothing could be more satisfying than making your own batch of this stunning, deep purple flavoured gin.

And with the blackthorn bushes around the country heaving with an abundance of sloe berries almost ready for you to pick, then now - September - is the perfect season to try your hand at this lovely recipe.

Not tried sloe gin before or new to the whole homemade gin thing? Let’s cover a few of the basics first!

Sloe gin is not, in fact, gin! Technically, it’s a flavoured gin liqueur…

Ok, so now you’re wondering, what does that mean - what’s the difference between gin and sloe gin? And what does sloe gin taste like?

Well, while gin is made from distilling a base spirit with juniper and additional herbs and spices to create a clear spirit that’s about 40% alcohol, sloe gin is made by combining an existing gin with lots of sugar and sloe berries. Over time, the flavour of the sloe berries steeps into the gin, and the mixture forms into a deep, fruity and sweet ruby-red liqueur. Due to this process, the alcohol level for sloe gin is also lower than ‘normal’ gin, at about 20%.

So in summary: sloe gin is red in colour, has a fruity berry flavour, a sweeter, more syrupy texture than gin, and is lower in alcohol.

As sloe gin is a liqueur, you might choose to drink it in a slightly different way from gin - it’s lovely neat or over ice, with no need for tonic or mixer, for example. It’s also absolutely delicious in cocktails! See more of our serving suggestions below.

First, you need to decide if you want to make sloe gin from ripe, frozen or dried berries. We recommend picking your own berries for maximum flavour (and sense of achievement!).

Despite the rumour that you need to wait until after the first frost of the year (that’s just to soften the skin, which helps the juice to seep out) it’s really just down to looking at the fruits and giving them a squeeze to see if they are ripe and ready.

The berries should feel soft enough to have a bit of give, exactly like a ripe plum. If they’re still hard - give them a miss for a few weeks, then try again.

So when is the best time to pick sloes? Usually, sloes will start to be ripe enough to pick in early autumn; those that have ripened in the sunshine will be ready first, and will also likely be sweeter than those that have grown in the shade. (Oh, but please note - as tempting as they look, sloes do NOT taste good raw! Pop one in your mouth and you’ll end up pulling a face not even a mother could love…)

You can freeze your berries until you’re ready to make your sloe gin - in fact, the freezing sloes makes their skins burst, which can help speed up the maceration process when you do start to make your liquid.

If it’s not the season for sloes, you can still make sloe gin from dried berries, which are available in many shops or online all year round. Check out our blog here for a good recipe.

It will take all of two minutes - honest - to actually prepare your homemade sloe gin; then all you need to do is wait!

It will take at least four weeks for your gin to take on a really rich flavour and colour, and you can leave it for much longer if you wish - we’d recommend up to three months. Many people leave their sloe gin to steep for years!

So if you’re planning on making some sloe gin to bottle and wrap up as a Christmas gift for the gin lover in your life, try to get your batch underway by the start of November.

A couple of tips before you start:

1. Pop your sloe berries into the freezer the night before you plan to make your gin. This is particularly useful if you have picked your sloes before the first frosts of the year (see above). Freezing sloe berries helps to break down the skin, ensuring that the flavourful juice can steep into your gin more easily.
2. Use a good quality, neutral gin. The flavour of the sloes and sugar can’t mask a nasty gin!

Pop your sloe berries into the freezer the night before you plan to make your gin. This is particularly useful if you have picked your sloes before the first frosts of the year (see above). Freezing sloe berries helps to break down the skin, ensuring that the flavourful juice can steep into your gin more easily.

Use a good quality, neutral gin. The flavour of the sloes and sugar can’t mask a nasty gin!

• Pour all three ingredients in a sterilised glass jar, close and shake well.
• Start with just enough sugar to cover the sloes. You can always taste the gin and add more sugar at a later date, if you prefer it a little sweeter.
• Store the gin in a cool, dark place and make sure the lid is on tightly. Give the jar a good shake about twice a week to help the flavours infuse.
• After four weeks, taste your gin and add more sugar if you like. If you want a gin with more depth of flavour, leave the sloes to steep for a few more weeks (or months - there are no hard and fast rules). Once the gin is to your liking, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth int and pour into a clean bottle.
• Keep your sloe gin tightly sealed in a cool, dark place (this could be the fridge) and it will last for at least a month. Many people leave their sloe gin to mature for years before opening!
• Top tip: If you wanted to experiment with your flavoured gin, why not try adding some other fruits, herbs or spices to your infusion? Damsons, vanilla, almonds and cinnamon all work well with sloe berries for a twist on the usual flavour!

Pour all three ingredients in a sterilised glass jar, close and shake well.

Start with just enough sugar to cover the sloes. You can always taste the gin and add more sugar at a later date, if you prefer it a little sweeter.

Store the gin in a cool, dark place and make sure the lid is on tightly. Give the jar a good shake about twice a week to help the flavours infuse.

After four weeks, taste your gin and add more sugar if you like. If you want a gin with more depth of flavour, leave the sloes to steep for a few more weeks (or months - there are no hard and fast rules). Once the gin is to your liking, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth int and pour into a clean bottle.

Keep your sloe gin tightly sealed in a cool, dark place (this could be the fridge) and it will last for at least a month. Many people leave their sloe gin to mature for years before opening!

Top tip: If you wanted to experiment with your flavoured gin, why not try adding some other fruits, herbs or spices to your infusion? Damsons, vanilla, almonds and cinnamon all work well with sloe berries for a twist on the usual flavour!

• Neat! Pour a little into a tumbler and sip as a beautiful digestif.
• Chilled, over ice.
• In a champagne flute, topped up with prosecco or champagne.
• Mulled with spices for a warming festive treat.
• In one of these delicious sloe gin cocktails.

Neat! Pour a little into a tumbler and sip as a beautiful digestif.

Chilled, over ice.

In a champagne flute, topped up with prosecco or champagne.

Mulled with spices for a warming festive treat.

In one of these delicious sloe gin cocktails.