Sloe gin
Encyclopedia
Sloe gin is a red liqueur
flavoured with sloe
(blackthorn) berries, which are a small fruit relative of the plum
. Sloe gin has an alcohol
content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to infuse gin
with the berries. Sugar is required to ensure the sloe juices are extracted from the fruit. Almond
flavouring may also be added.
Many commercial sloe gins today are made by flavouring less expensive neutral grain spirit
s, and produce a fruit cordial
effect, although a number of long-established, reputable manufacturers still use the traditional method.
has it that when making sloe gin, one should not prick the berries with a metal fork, unless it is made of silver. The established traditional method is to prick the berries with a thorn taken from the blackthorn bush on which they grow.
For each 1 pints (568.3 ml) of sloes, 4 ounces (113.4 g) of sugar is used, then the jar is filled with gin, adding a few cloves and a small stick of cinnamon, as well as the almond essence. The jar is sealed and turned several times to mix, then stored in a cool, dark place. It is turned every day for the first two weeks, then each week, until at least three months have passed.
The gin will now be a deep ruby red. The liqueur is poured off and the berries and spices discarded. Alternatively, the leftover berries can be infused in cider, made into jam, used as a basis for a chutney
, or a filling for liqueur chocolates. The liqueur can be filtered, but it is best decanted back into clean containers and left to stand for another week. Careful decanting can then ensure that almost all sediment is eliminated, leaving a clear liqueur.
Made in this way, the alcohol extracts an almond-like essence from the sloes, this comes from the sloe stones; this avoids the need to add almond essence. Recipes for sloe gin vary depending on the maker's taste. The sweetness can be adjusted to taste at the end, but sufficient sugar is required at the start of the process to ensure full extraction of flavour from the sloes.
, Herefordshire
. Each year the winner is crowned the "Grand Master of the Sloes".
and other German-speaking countries, a very similar liqueur, Schlehenfeuer (literally, "sloe fire"), is made, but in the English speaking world, Schlehenfeuer is generally considered any German version of sloe gin, not the specific product. Schlehenfeuer has an alcohol content of about 38% by volume, and this higher alcohol content is also the most important difference between it and other sloe gins. However, Schlehenfeuer and other types of Schlehenlikör (the generic German term for any kind of sloe liqueur) are sometimes made with vodka
or rum
. The most popular commercial brand, based on white rum, is made by Mast-Jägermeister SE, better known for its product Jägermeister
.
In Spain
, pacharán is made by soaking sloe berries in an anise-flavoured spirit, resulting in a light reddish-brown, sweet liquid, around 25-30% alcohol by volume. In Italy
, bargnolino
is made by soaking sloe berries with sugar and spices in spirit alcohol (recipe varies locally), resulting a reddish, sweet liquor, around 40-45% alcohol by volume; it is often chilled before serving.
Sloe gin is also known as sloe or Schlehen wine.
Slider, a Devonshire tradition, uses the used sloe berries from the sloe gin to steep in still cider, making sloe-flavoured cider. Sloe whisky and sloe brandy are variants on the tradition, and are often mixed with ginger beer or ginger ale.
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
flavoured with sloe
Prunus spinosa
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
(blackthorn) berries, which are a small fruit relative of the plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
. Sloe gin has an alcohol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to infuse gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
with the berries. Sugar is required to ensure the sloe juices are extracted from the fruit. Almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
flavouring may also be added.
Many commercial sloe gins today are made by flavouring less expensive neutral grain spirit
Neutral grain spirit
Neutral grain spirit is a clear, colorless, flammable liquid that has been distilled from a grain-based mash to a very high level of ethanol content...
s, and produce a fruit cordial
Squash (drink)
Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that is usually fruit-flavoured and usually made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional flavouring...
effect, although a number of long-established, reputable manufacturers still use the traditional method.
Manufacture
To make sloe gin, the sloe berries must be ripe. In the Northern Hemisphere, they were traditionally picked in late October or early November after the first frost of winter. Each berry is pricked, and a wide-necked jar is filled half way with the pricked berries. FolkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
has it that when making sloe gin, one should not prick the berries with a metal fork, unless it is made of silver. The established traditional method is to prick the berries with a thorn taken from the blackthorn bush on which they grow.
For each 1 pints (568.3 ml) of sloes, 4 ounces (113.4 g) of sugar is used, then the jar is filled with gin, adding a few cloves and a small stick of cinnamon, as well as the almond essence. The jar is sealed and turned several times to mix, then stored in a cool, dark place. It is turned every day for the first two weeks, then each week, until at least three months have passed.
The gin will now be a deep ruby red. The liqueur is poured off and the berries and spices discarded. Alternatively, the leftover berries can be infused in cider, made into jam, used as a basis for a chutney
Chutney
Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...
, or a filling for liqueur chocolates. The liqueur can be filtered, but it is best decanted back into clean containers and left to stand for another week. Careful decanting can then ensure that almost all sediment is eliminated, leaving a clear liqueur.
Made in this way, the alcohol extracts an almond-like essence from the sloes, this comes from the sloe stones; this avoids the need to add almond essence. Recipes for sloe gin vary depending on the maker's taste. The sweetness can be adjusted to taste at the end, but sufficient sugar is required at the start of the process to ensure full extraction of flavour from the sloes.
Competition
A sloe gin competition is held each January in DorstoneDorstone
Dorstone is a village within the Golden Valley, Herefordshire, England. There is a thriving community with a church and public house with restaurant. The Golden Valley area offers excellent hillwalking and horseback riding countryside and is noted for its scenery...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. Each year the winner is crowned the "Grand Master of the Sloes".
Related liqueurs
In GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and other German-speaking countries, a very similar liqueur, Schlehenfeuer (literally, "sloe fire"), is made, but in the English speaking world, Schlehenfeuer is generally considered any German version of sloe gin, not the specific product. Schlehenfeuer has an alcohol content of about 38% by volume, and this higher alcohol content is also the most important difference between it and other sloe gins. However, Schlehenfeuer and other types of Schlehenlikör (the generic German term for any kind of sloe liqueur) are sometimes made with vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
or rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
. The most popular commercial brand, based on white rum, is made by Mast-Jägermeister SE, better known for its product Jägermeister
Jägermeister
Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
.
In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, pacharán is made by soaking sloe berries in an anise-flavoured spirit, resulting in a light reddish-brown, sweet liquid, around 25-30% alcohol by volume. In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, bargnolino
Bargnolino
Bargnolino is an Italian variation of sloe gin, made by soaking sloe berries from the blackthorn plant, Prunus spinosa, with sugar and spices in spirit alcohol. This results in a reddish, sweet liquor, around 40-45% alcohol by volume, although results vary by recipe used. Bargnolino is often...
is made by soaking sloe berries with sugar and spices in spirit alcohol (recipe varies locally), resulting a reddish, sweet liquor, around 40-45% alcohol by volume; it is often chilled before serving.
Sloe gin is also known as sloe or Schlehen wine.
Slider, a Devonshire tradition, uses the used sloe berries from the sloe gin to steep in still cider, making sloe-flavoured cider. Sloe whisky and sloe brandy are variants on the tradition, and are often mixed with ginger beer or ginger ale.