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Sloe gin (sloe gin or slow gin) is a British liqueur made from ripe blackthorn fruits based on London dry gin. The drink is remembered for its rich red color, spruce-fruity aroma and soft plum taste with hints of juniper in the aftertaste. Fortress – 15-30% vol. With the raw materials available, sloe gin is easy to make at home, we will look at the traditional recipe and consumption culture.
Historical information
Presumably, sloe gin appeared in the middle of the XNUMXth century, several decades after the British adopted and modernized the technology of gin production from the Dutch. The name of the author of the recipe has not been preserved in history.
Due to the poor quality of the raw materials and poorly debugged distillation, at first it was an alcohol of the lower strata of society (like ordinary gin). The first written mention of sloe gin dates back to 1717 – the drink was described in the poem as “a mixture of sloes, sugar and garbage from grocery stores.” In 1838, the press referred to sloe gin as “London porter’s blend”, in the sense that only longshoremen who worked in the port could drink it.
However, in 1832, the vertical distillation column appeared and the quality of gin improved markedly, from that moment the history of modern London dry gin as we know it is counted. In turn, with the improvement in the quality of the alcohol base, sloe gin turned from alcohol for the poor into an exquisite drink for ladies and gentlemen.
Today, sloe gin is popular in Britain and the European Union. Moreover, this is the only liquor in the EU that has the right not to use the word “liquor” in the name.
sloe gin recipe
Ingredients:
- gin – 1 l;
- blackthorn fruits – 500 g;
- sugar – 200-250 g.
It is not necessary to use gin of recognizable brands as the alcoholic base of the liquor, budget options and even homemade gin from moonshine are suitable, since after insisting the unique tones of expensive brands are still lost.
The classic recipe uses small wild thorns, harvested in the fall after the first frost, then the fruits are as sweet as possible and not bitter.
You can not wait for frosts and collect ripe sloes at any time, then place the fruits in the freezer for several hours. Freezing removes excess bitterness, increases sweetness, and improves infusion by breaking down the fibers of the pulp and skin.
Sugar must be added in order to extract the juice from the blackthorn. I advise you to add 200 g per 0,5 kg of fruit, and if necessary, sweeten the finished liquor to taste after insisting.
Technology of preparation
1. Wash the blackthorn berries, sort them out, remove spoiled, rotten and moldy fruits.
2. Place the turn in the freezer for 2-3 hours, then remove and leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature to defrost.
3. Pierce each berry several times to the bone with a toothpick. In the traditional recipe, thorn tree thorns are used for this.
4. Put the fruits in a container for infusion – a glass bottle or jar. Pour in the sugar and pour in the gin. Stir or shake, seal tightly.
5. Move the container to a dark, cool place. Insist at least 3 months. Shake once a day for the first 15 days so that the sugar is completely dissolved, then once a week.
6. Strain the finished homemade liquor from the turn through 2-3 layers of gauze. Taste, sweeten with sugar if desired, and stir.
7. Pour into a storage bottle. Close hermetically. Before tasting, leave for 2-3 days in the refrigerator or cellar to stabilize the taste.
Initially, the liquor is cloudy, this is normal. During storage, a precipitate will appear, so from time to time you need to carefully pour the liquor through a straw into another bottle without touching the sediment. Another option is to filter the drink through a cotton wool or coffee filter, a long but effective process.
Shelf life away from direct sunlight – up to 10 years. Fortress – 27-30% vol.
How to drink sloe gin
Blackthorn gin is served as a dessert spirit in glasses (shots) at a temperature of 4-8 °C. Fruit, sweet pastries, ice cream, chocolates and even hard cheese are suitable as snacks. Liquor is drunk in small sips.
sloe gin cocktails
Blackthorn gin is diluted with juices: cherry, pomegranate, grapefruit and orange. The proportions depend on personal preference, in most cases a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 is used (2-3 parts of juice to 1 part of liquor).
The most popular sloe liqueur cocktail is the Sloe Gin Fizz.
Sloe Gin Fizz (Slow Gin Fizz)
Composition and proportions:
- sloe gin – 30 ml;
- regular gin (dry London) – 30 ml;
- lemon juice – 20 ml;
- sugar syrup (water and sugar in equal proportions) – 15 ml;
- soda (carbonated water) – 15 ml;
- ice.
Recipe:
1. Fill the shaker with ice. Add both gins, juice and sugar syrup. Shake.
2. Pour the resulting mixture into a serving glass.
3. Top with soda. Mix carefully.
