Isle of Wight Sloe Gin Recipe

Last Modified: 20 November 2023 4:01 pm

Okay, so who’s managed to make their sloe gin yet using Isle of Wight sloes? There are still a few sloes on the bushes and at this time of the year (early October) they are ripe so you will probably get a rich flavour and may not need to use quite so much sugar as you might have had if you picked earlier in the season.

It really is a simple process. Having gathered your sloes on a leisurely walk through the Island’s wonderful countryside give them a good rinse under the tap using a sieve. You then have to sit down and spend an hour or so pricking each of the sloes before popping them into a wide-mouthed jar – a Kilner jar is perfect for this. Find one of your favourite box sets and it will be done in no time at all. Sloes are quite thick-skinned and this will enable them to fully infuse the gin.

Once you’ve got all the sloes prepared you can add the sugar and gin. We use the traditional method with a pound of sloes (450g) to half a pound (225g) of granulated sugar topped up with a bottle of gin, using up to a litre.

All you need to do after this is agitate the jar on a regular basis and turn the jar upside down once every couple of days for the next 6 to 8 weeks. Don’t worry if all the sugar doesn’t dissolve immediately, it will over time. You might like to try using less sugar, this is all a matter of taste and something you can get just right by experimentation over the years.

When you think it’s time, find some muslin or use a paper filter to pour the sloe gin through into your favourite decanter or bottle. We’ve heard of people using discarded sloes to make flavoured chocolate. After all, they have been soaked in gin and sugar so a shame to waste them. It should be perfect for Christmas Day.

This year we made our sloe gin using Isle of Wight Distillery Mermaids Gin just to see how it turns out. In reality, it might be a bit of a waste of such a premium drink and we would probably have been better off using a value brand from the supermarket. Time will tell…

Print Recipe

Sloe Gin

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Maturing Time56 days d

Course: Drinks

Servings: 1.5 litres

Ingredients

• 450 g ripe sloes
• 225 g caster sugar
• 1 litre gin you can always use Mermaid Gin

Instructions

• Sterilise a large jar
• Prick the skin of the sloes all over with a clean needle and place in the jar
• Pour in the sugar and gin, seal and shake well
• Store in a cool, dark place and shake every other day for seven days
• Thereafter, shake once a week for at least two months
• Strain the sloe gin through a muslin cloth into another sterilised bottle
• Enjoy!