Other Definitions
sloe gin (dict)
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Sloe GinSloe gin is a red-colored liqueur flavored with sloe berries, the fruit of the blackthorn, a relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content from between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin was to infuse gin with the berries, after pricking or freezing them, sugar is also required to ensure that the sloe juices are extracted from the fruit. Almond flavoring is sometimes also added. Sloe gin is easy to produce at home. To make sloe gin the sloes need to be ripe. Traditionally they are picked in late October or early November after the first frost of winter. A wide necked jar that can be sealed is needed. Prick each sloe with a dinner fork and half fill the wide necked jar with the pricked sloes. Ensure that no leaves or twigs are included. For each pint (0.5 litre) of sloes add about 4oz of caster sugar (200 grammes) and then pour on cheap gin so that the jar is filled. Seal the jar and turn it several times to mix the gin, sugar and sloes, and then stand in a cool dark place. Repeat the turning every day for the first two weeks and then each week until at least three months have passed. The gin should now be a deep ruby red. Pour off the liquer and discard the sloes (putting them on your compost heap is good as it gives the blackbirds and and robins a unusual thrill in the middle of winter - it does not appear to harm them ). The liquer can be filtered but it is best decanted back into clean containers and left to stand for a week. Careful decanting can then ensure that almost all sediment is eliminated leaving a clear liquer. Made in the way , the alcohol extracts an almond like essence from the sloe stobnes so avoiding the need to add almond essence. Made in this way, sloe gin is a much more complex and subtle drink than that produced commercially and is well worth the effort. 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. Most commercial sloe gins today are made by flavoring the less expensive neutral grain spirits and produce an often insipid fruit cordial effect. See also External links
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