Sloe gin.
- Thread starter E. By Gum
- Start date
MaC
Moderator
Having used expensive 'brand' name gin for years, I gave it a shot with Lidl's own stuff.
It's very good, it works just the same and my sloe gin tastes just the same too
....and it worked out about half the price
It's very good, it works just the same and my sloe gin tastes just the same too
....and it worked out about half the price 
BorderReiver
Moderator
I've still got some in the booze cupboard that must be 10 years old. It's like sherry now. My wife can no longer drink alcohol so it's kept for guests. I have the odd sip occasionally, it's rather pleasant.
Beachlover
Moderator
Good man, You've just reminded me that I've not started mine yet this year. Got some sloes in the freezer from last year.
MaC
Moderator
You've just minded me that I put a bag of sloes into the freezer last week.
I need to buy a bottle of gin. I'll add it to the messages
M
I need to buy a bottle of gin. I'll add it to the messages
M
Ha! I lived in Scotland in the Borders for a while and was always mildly bewildered by the word messages. Finally, like just now, realized it might have soemthing to do with 'mess' as in officer's mess, and got round to looking it up. A lovely complication of food and sending.
www.etymonline.com
messy | Etymology of messy by etymonline
"untidy, in a state of disorder or dirtiness," from mess (n.) "state of confusion" + -y… See origin and meaning of messy.
www.etymonline.com
MaC
Moderator
I had never heard that it had anything to do with messy or dirty. Indeed messages are clean things.
“messages” in Scottish slang actually refers to shopping for groceries. You might even hear people say, “Got the messages,” referring to acquiring groceries.
Looks like it came from the message boys....which is what I was told when I asked when I was a child.
Folks wrote out a message, it went to the shop, and the message boy brought the messages to the house for you.
It has evolved though; folks might say, "I've a wee message to do", but they mean there's something they have to go and do....pop in with something to a neighbour, put a parcel in the post, pick up the dry cleaning, that kind of thing.
“messages” in Scottish slang actually refers to shopping for groceries. You might even hear people say, “Got the messages,” referring to acquiring groceries.
Looks like it came from the message boys....which is what I was told when I asked when I was a child.
Folks wrote out a message, it went to the shop, and the message boy brought the messages to the house for you.
It has evolved though; folks might say, "I've a wee message to do", but they mean there's something they have to go and do....pop in with something to a neighbour, put a parcel in the post, pick up the dry cleaning, that kind of thing.
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Saint-Just
Administrator
In French it is "les courses"
Faire les courses is going out shopping for groceries. I mention it because it seems to me that the origin is similar.
We also say "j'ai une course à faire", which is exactly similar to what Mary wrote:
)
Faire les courses is going out shopping for groceries. I mention it because it seems to me that the origin is similar.
We also say "j'ai une course à faire", which is exactly similar to what Mary wrote:
(for those who don't know, "courses" is associated with races or runs. But I didn't want to give you the opportunity of a childish snigger if I had translated immediately as " I have the runs to do"
)
bushwacker
VIP Member
I bunged a couple of KGs of sloes into a demijohn with 3L of gin, last sunday and shook it well twice a day. This sunday I decanted it into bottles with a tablesoon of local honey in each bottle and split the last bit between a couple of glasses for quality control purposes. Son 2 drank one and said it was ok but not sweet enough.( I hadn't put honey in that bit.) Lots of folk tell me you need to leave it as long as possible before drinking. Its bollocks as I have proven to myself that it can happily be made and VERY drinkable in a week.. The sloes this year are larger than any previous years and started splitting where the inside has swollen to not fit in their skins any longer. I may need to make some more now as I only have a 70cl bottle left.
MaC
Moderator
I got roundly told off years ago when I said that I made sloe gin in three weeks.
I kept the jar beside the kitchen sink, and every time I minded when I passed it, I gave it a good shake.
It was deep purple in days, and after a few weeks I was fed up of it sitting there so I decanted it, strained it, sugared it, shoogled it around until the sugar dissolved, and called it done.
It was lovely stuff and there was none left by the time the New Year was bye.
I kept the jar beside the kitchen sink, and every time I minded when I passed it, I gave it a good shake.
It was deep purple in days, and after a few weeks I was fed up of it sitting there so I decanted it, strained it, sugared it, shoogled it around until the sugar dissolved, and called it done.
It was lovely stuff
and there was none left by the time the New Year was bye.
Saint-Just
Administrator
The main difference comes from the gin taste: the longer you leave the sloes in, the more the taste of the gin will fade. I have never tested if the alcohol content differed but it would be interesting to know.
MaC
Moderator
Like Sean's fruits this year, the sloes were bursting full. So are this years fruit too, funnily enough.
I didn't even need to prick the fruit this year.
The sloe gin was genuinely lovely from that batch that I described. It was sweet but not syrupy, it was full bodied flavourful with no harsh edge of gin to it. The juniper taste was there but it had blended with the ripe sloes to make a really nice liqueur, and it did it in just a few weeks.
It did get shaken a lot, because as I said, it was left beside the kitchen sink, and I certainly shook it.
Whatever, it worked
I didn't even need to prick the fruit this year.
The sloe gin was genuinely lovely from that batch that I described. It was sweet but not syrupy, it was full bodied flavourful with no harsh edge of gin to it. The juniper taste was there but it had blended with the ripe sloes to make a really nice liqueur, and it did it in just a few weeks.
It did get shaken a lot, because as I said, it was left beside the kitchen sink, and I certainly shook it.
Whatever, it worked
Beachlover
Moderator
Foolishly decided to move my sloe gin into a new bottle as it had been in a large commercial gin bottle. All went well until a rogue aloe got into the funnel and I attempted to push it through with a spoon handle. Beat the bloody lot over and lost about a third over work surface, cupboard doors, clean jeans and the floor. 
What’s left is looking a good colour though, even if it’s cloudy after the calamity.
Off up the Downs now to pick some more sloes for a second batch.
What’s left is looking a good colour though, even if it’s cloudy after the calamity.
Off up the Downs now to pick some more sloes for a second batch.
BorderReiver
Moderator
I'm getting to be a clumsy old bastard too.Foolishly decided to move my sloe gin into a new bottle as it had been in a large commercial gin bottle. All went well until a rogue aloe got into the funnel and I attempted to push it through with a spoon handle. Beat the bloody lot over and lost about a third over work surface, cupboard doors, clean jeans and the floor.
What’s left is looking a good colour though, even if it’s cloudy after the calamity.
Off up the Downs now to pick some more sloes for a second batch.
Beachlover
Moderator
I'm getting to be a clumsy old bastard too.
All in all it worked out OK as I got enough sloes for another bottle, a couple of parasols to go in my bacon sarnie for lunch and for some chicken, now chicken and mushroom soup.
As a real bonus got to see one of our sea eagles being mobbed by a couple of crows. As I was getting back in the van one of those RSBP types pulled up all excited and confirmed it was a sea eagle and asked if I’d managed to get photos as I was putting my camera away. I had to own up and tell her that by the time I’d taken the camera out it was but a dot in the distance.
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BorderReiver
Moderator
Thy almost were for me when I became sensitised to the buggers.
Saint-Just
Administrator
Żubrówka bison grass
Jaggededge
Explorer
I use blackberries and whiskey. Once it's ready it doesn't last long though