Hayman's Sloe Gin Recipe

Sterilize and prepare

Sterilize the glass jar and bottles by washing with hot soapy water, rinsing, then pouring boiling water into them and letting sit for a few minutes. Drain and allow to dry. If using fresh sloe berries that were just picked, rinse quickly and pat dry; remove any stems or leaves. If using frozen sloe berries (recommended to help burst skins), proceed from frozen.

Prick or freeze the sloes

Traditionally, sloes are pricked with a needle or the back of a metal skewer to help release juice. An easier method is to freeze the berries (spread on a tray for a few hours or overnight) — freezing bursts the skins and gives excellent extraction. If you pricked berries, place them in a clean bowl and proceed.

Layering fruit and sugar

Place the prepared sloes in the sterilized jar. Add the granulated sugar over the sloes in an even layer. If using a mix of granulated and demerara/muscovado, add as desired for flavor. The sugar will draw out juices and help create syrup as it sits.

Add aromatics (optional)

If using, add the cinnamon stick, cloves and the strip of orange peel on top of the sugared sloes. These are optional but give a warm, spiced citrus lift reminiscent of classic English sloe gin.

Pour gin

Pour the 750 ml of London dry gin over the sloes and sugar until the fruit is completely submerged. Leave a little headspace at the top of the jar.

Seal and shake

Seal the jar tightly and give it a firm shake to help dissolve some sugar and distribute the fruit. Place the jar in a cool, dark place.

Agitate regularly

For the first two weeks, shake the jar once every day to help dissolve sugar and extract flavor. After two weeks, shake once or twice a week. Over time the sugar will dissolve completely and the gin will take on a deep ruby color.

Patience: maceration time

Allow the mixture to macerate for at least 3 months. Traditional sloe gin often benefits from 6–12 months of maturation — flavors round out and integrate over time. Taste at 3 months and then every month thereafter until you’re happy with intensity and sweetness.

Strain

When the flavor and sweetness are to your liking, strain the contents through a fine sieve or muslin into a clean bowl or jug. Press gently on the fruit to extract the remaining liquid but avoid forcing solids through the cloth (which will cloud the gin). Discard the used fruit and aromatics.

Adjust sweetness (optional)

If you find the gin too dry, you can dissolve a little extra sugar in a small amount of warm gin or boiling water, cool, and add to taste. Stir or shake in the final bottled gin to incorporate.

Bottle and rest

Decant the strained sloe gin into sterilized bottles, seal tightly, label with date and contents, and store in a cool dark place. While ready to drink once strained, the gin will continue to mature in bottle; many prefer it after another month or two.

Serve sloe gin neat chilled, over ice, or as a component in cocktails (e.g., sloe gin fizz: sloe gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, soda). It also works as a festive drizzle over desserts or stirred into wintery cocktails.