Firestyle Magazine: Issue 5 - Autumn 2016

GENERAL INTEREST
How To Make Sloe Gin
Autumn is the perfect time to begin preparing your sloe gin for the upcoming
party season. Now is the time for picking sloes as they are ripe this time
of year! Sloe gin is a British classic drink, it seems over the decades that
it may have been slightly forgotten about, however in recent years it has
reappeared and is becoming a staple drink throughout the colder months.
Preparation:
First and Foremost, you need to get all
your ingredients ready to begin your sloe
gin. You need to pick your sloes and find
the perfect bottle to store your sloe gin
in. There are only 3 ingredients needed
which are:
The finished product
When your gin is ready to drink, strain the bottle through
some muslin or a jelly bag.
A lot of people like to keep their sloe gin in a traditional
bottle with a brown label around it to give it the
ultimate home brew look. Also, this could be the perfect
Christmas gift! Sloe gin tastes best when its stored at room
temperature and can be simply served in a short glass.
1. 500 g sloes
2. 250 g of sugar
3. 1 litre of gin
It is fairly simple to create the perfect
sloe gin, especially during the
preparation process.
30
The steps are as follows:
1. Sterilise your bottle.
2. Place the sloes in the freezer
overnight.
3. Put the frozen sloes, gin and
sugar into the bottle.
4. Shake the bottle for around a
minute.
Let it brew
In order to brew the sloe gin properly,
you need to lay it on its side in a dark
room or cupboard.
Shake the bottle every 2 days until the
sugar is dissolved.
Usually the gin will be ready after about
3 months, however the longer you leave
it, the better it will taste! After about 6
months, the sloes need to be filtered
out.
Have a little taste of your sloe gin every
few months whilst it is brewing as it will
highlight whether you need any more
sugar adding to give it a sweeter taste.
Cocktails
If you are throwing any Christmas party’s this year and
you are looking to impress your guests with some delicious
cocktails – sloe gin is the perfect main ingredient!
One of the most popular cocktails is a Sloe Gin Fizz. You
can serve this in a champagne glass, with around 25 ml of
sloe gin, then fill it up with dry sparkling champagne and
place a few blackberries on the top.
A Sloe Gin Collins is put together the same way as a
traditional Tom Collins cocktail. You pour around 35 ml of
sloe gin, 25 ml of lemon juice and 100 ml of soda water
over ice in a high ball glass then serve with a lemon
wedge.
The South-wold Slammer is made with 35 ml of amaretto,
35 ml of Sloe Gin, 100 ml of orange juice and 25 ml of
cranberry juice, served over crushed ice in a highball glass.
Sloe Gin is the perfect home made drink either to be
served as a short or cocktail. The main benefit of Sloe Gin
is that there are only 3 ingredients needed and it takes
little time to brew it, you basically just need to leave it in
the cupboard! Sloe Gin is a party favourite and can also
double up as a gift.