Superb sloe vodka recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 130 comments
Sloe vodka on day one
We have found that most fruit recipes work equally well with gin or vodka. With a few exceptions. Raspberry gin is sublime and dessert gooseberry vodka is to kill for. Their cousins, Raspberry vodka and dessert gooseberry gin are companiable and gluggable but not the super stars of the cocktail cabinet.
We traditionally always make sloe gin. Lots of it. This year I has so many sloes that I decided to give sloe vodka a whirl. A litre of vodka made two 750ml bottles of grog. One for the cellar and one for testing and tasting.
I need to clear a space on the shelves in the barn to put our sloe gin and vodka out of reach. When I do this, it matures quietly, without being disturbed. I haven’t had time to do his so our kitchen side looks like a sloe liqueur drinker’s paradise. It has also had an impact on using the toaster which sits behind the bottles and jars. A careful, crane like movement is needed to operate the toaster.
Late one night, I spotted the sloe vodka on the kitchen side and thought that I’d have a teeny taste. It was wonderful. Clean, crisp, punchy and absolutely delicious. It was barely three weeks old. Made with the sloes that I picked from John’s garden on October 27th.
I had another toot the next night and then waved the bottle in front of Danny’s nose. Then other visitors were introduced to this ambrosia. Reviews were good and glasses refilled.
I am ashamed to announce that our tasting bottle is almost finished but delighted that I tried sloe vodka this year. I hate to admit it but I think that sloe vodka is better than sloe gin.
I had a 800g of sloes in the freezer so Jalopy and I rumbled over to Tesco on Saturday and bought an extra large bottle of medium priced vodka. Made 2 x 75ml bottles as per the above recipe and was left with 570ml of vodka. I added the remaining sloes (336g) and topped up with just over a kilo of sugar. This will produce the really ‘thick’ sloe liqueur that loads of our friends adore. This is the bottle in the photo with the white label. The label is actually the sugar -scary stuff! If we have a super party and a tasting, the sugar lovers will not be left out for years, as they have been in the past. We like the sharp taste of our grog. This bottle will be for sweet toothed visitors only.
If you still have access to sloes try our recipe. You won’t regret it.
I will report back on how the thick sugar solution sloe vodka develops in a few months time!
| Superb sloe vodka recipe |
- 1poud / 500gm of washed sloes
- 4 ounces / 112gm of white granulated sugar
- 2 empty 75cl vodka bottles
- 1 litre of medium quality vodka such as supermarket own brands
- Wash sloes well and discard any bruised or rotten fruit. Prick fruit several times with a fork and place sloes half the sloes in each bottle. I put several sloes in my palm to prick them rather than picking them up one by one.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar and top up with gin to the rim. Always open sugar bags over the sink as sugar tends to get caught in the folds at the top of the bag.
- Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (try to leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for a year. As you can see from above it was overwhelmingly moreish at three weeks).
- Some people strain the grog (through muslin/jelly bag) after 3 months and bottle it, leaving it mature for six months. We will strain and bottle any that’s left after six moths as I want to try making sloe sherry and slider (farmhouse cider and gin/vodka soaked sloes as recommended into the comments section of our sloe gin posts). Don’t leave the straining process longer than a year; leaving the fruit in too long can spoil the liqueur.
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sorry mate but chilli sherry sounds sooo wrong, how ever in last years sloe gin i added some stuff called glog from Denmark a herb and spice liquid they add to wine and serve warm and if i say so my self its very very nice just adds that little winter feeling to the gin.
Hi Natalie
Lucky you, 11 lbs is a great haul.
Last year was terrible around here too.
I have just got in from collecting 11 lb of big juicy sloes from just two bushes!!! what a bumper crop. Last year was terrible down my way – I’m so excited!! I intend to make 1/2 gin 1/2 vodka and decant into gift bottles for friends and family at christmas. I have read somewhere about dipping left over sloes in luxury dark choc – could be scrummy and also a nice gift maybe – off to the cash and carry now for the plonk!
Hi Bernie
Wow you are lucky to have sloes in your garden!
Thanks for dropping by.
hello to you all,this year will be my first sloe gin,vodka bonanza and i cant wait.We moved into a place in the country nearly 3 years ago and i am lucky to have 200ft of sloe bush going along one side of my property,thanks for all the ideas i will definatley be putting one away for next year a real vintage.thanks again all the best bernie
Hello Mary Jo
The raspberry gin recipe here
https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=53
gives the amount of sugar for blackberry gin/vodka.
I’ve not made blackberry brandy so can’t help with that.
This year has been a bumper year for both Sloes and blackberries.
I normally make jam or puddings with the blackberries so I’m keen to try to try the Vodka and Brandy with them. Can anyone tell me what quantity of sugar is required for them.
Hi Alyss
Thanks so much for all your ideas. Can’t wait to try them out.
Hi Jan
Great information on identifying sloes. Thank you.
Glad that you liked the plum jam.
Hi Sara
You don’t have to wait until the first frosts, just whack them un the freezer.
Re sloe identification etc I recommend Richard Maybes Food for Free. The pocket edition is on offer on Amazon and just under £3.00 – a real bargain.
Hello Tim
Great idea. Have you tried chilli sherry – https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=98
Hi Quackerz
Yes you can freeze sloe for later use but I wouldn’t leave them in the freezer for more than three months as their flavour will diminish.
My family used to be like that until they tasted the produce 🙂
I have picked loads of sloes, its a real bumper crop this year and they are really large. I know there has been the tip to freeze them to create the frost but can you leave them frozen so that I can create batches up to and after the festive season as I seem to give a lot away at Christmas. Oh and by the way the family think I am mad as I spend my evenings looking for another recipe to create. I wish I had found your site earlier in the year – the raspberry liqueurs look great but there is always next season.
Am about to make sloe vodka also have grown a vast amouts of chillies so am going to wack them in both gin and vodka ha ha lets see what happens.