The Hedgerow Sloe Gin Maker’s Kit

£33.99

Sloe gin blending kit with ingredients to make two 750ml bottles of gin.

If you are looking for a gift for that gin-loving friend or family member but don’t want to buy them just another bottle of gin, look no further! With these fabulous sets, they will have everything they need to make their very own bottle. Makers of the original home gin blending kits, and still the very best, Gin Etc have carefully selected and balanced their ingredients and provided enough of the ingredients to ensure that it will take no longer than two weeks before you have a perfectly blended bottle of your own craft gin. Beautifully presented in custom packaging, simply add some sugar and 750ml of ordinary supermarket own-brand gin (not included) and you have everything you need to create a rich and expertly crafted warming sloe gin. Ideal for all gin aficionados as well as anyone looking to add their own unique bottle of gin to their spirits collection.

The straightforward method in the kit makes it possible to transform any basic gin into your own craft sloe nectar, and four varieties of botanicals are also included for you to experiment with once your sloe gin is made.

Sloe berries are small, purple and resemble plums. They have a bitter astringent taste straight from the bush but when added to gin, they have a magical plummy sweetness. Tradition has it that you rush out to your nearest sloe bush at first frost to harvest these purple gems, but clearly this isn’t always possible – sloe bushes are not ten a penny in cities and the window for ripe sloes is relatively small. So with their Hedgerow kit, Gin Etc have come up with a recipe for sloe gin that works all year round. Simply take any bottle of gin and add some sugar to these unique dehydrated sloes to impart a memorably intense flavour – there is enough flavouring and essence in the kit to create two full 750ml bottles of rich, warming sloe gin in just two weeks. Perfect for sipping by itself or mixing with fizz, and your drained sloes can even be reused afterwards to pep up any average bottle of red wine.

All Gin Etc kits are suitable for vegans and kosher acceptable.

Whilst procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of the fourteen identified allergens being present, we cannot guarantee that the ingredients are totally free of traces.

Included in box: Italian glass bottle, dehydrated sloe berries, pipettes, filter papers, funnel, label and four varieties of botanicals for you to experiment with once your sloe gin is made.

The kit includes all you need to transform any basic gin into your own craft sloe nectar in just two weeks, following these simple steps:

Take half of the sloes and rinse them carefully – you need to rinse them two or three times.

Next, put them into a lidded jug or large jar and cover them with water. Gently shake the sloes to help them clean. The water will turn slightly murky – change the water and repeat twice until the water is clean after shaking. Try not to break up the sloes as this will make your gin cloudy.

Place the washed sloes in the bottle provided, add three tablespoons of sugar and cover them with water. Leave overnight – this step rehydrates the sloes and readies them for the alcohol.

In the morning, drain out the sugar water using a sieve, then add a fresh 125 grams of sugar to the bottle and fill the bottle with your gin. We normally use the cheapest supermarket gin we can find.

Leave your bottle in a dark place to infuse for two weeks, turning the bottle every other day to move the sloes around. Normally, when making sloe gin you have to leave it for up to a year to mature, but we have found that using this method the sloe flavour can develop within a matter of weeks and it does then mature over time if you can hold off drinking it. We have included a few pipettes to let you taste your gin as it develops.

When infused to your taste, strain the gin through a sieve to remove the sloes into a separate vessel, then filter the gin back into the bottle using the funnel and the filter papers to ensure that the gin is as clear as possible. Stick on the label and leave it to mature for as long as you like.

As the gin takes on the flavour of the sloes it also takes on their colour and will turn a beautiful ruby red colour.

If your sloe gin is too sweet, add more gin, and if it is too alcoholic, add more sugar.

We have included four botanicals in the kit to allow you to add these to your sloe gin. We suggest that you add these to the gin once the sloes have been removed:

– Cloves; traditionally found in sloe gin
– Cassia bark; an alternative to cinnamon with a similar taste but stronger
– Star anise; gives a lovely warm aniseed flavour but use sparingly
– Allspice; usually found in gin and adds a warm spiced flavour

The botanicals do impart a lot of flavour so don’t be tempted to overload and do only leave them in the gin for a couple of weeks at most.

Our key tips for a successful blend would be:

– The washing process does make a difference, so don’t be tempted to skimp on this stage by just slinging the sloes straight into your bottle.

– Don’t take a short cut on the overnight rehydration process.

Sloe gin is best sipped on its own by an open fire. Having said that, a drop added to champagne makes a very acceptable cocktail.

You don’t have to stick to gin – try sloe brandy or sloe whisky.

And don’t throw your sloes away! When you have drained your sloes from your gin, don’t discard them but reuse these gorgeous berries that have been soaked in alcohol and sugar by adding them to an average bottle of red wine. After three months, drain them out and you will have a very palatable fortified wine, not quite port but a very good substitute. Waste not, want not!

The original and arguably still the best gin blending kit; become a craft gin expert in just two weeks with this DIY masterclass. We have produced thousands of these kits over the years and if the instructions are followed it is virtually foolproof. Our recipe transforms dried sloes in a matter of weeks into a rich warming gin drink that is perfect drunk on its own or mixed with fizz.

Traditionally, sloe gin is a labour of love, taking six to nine months to mature. However, with this expert kit, your own delicious ruby red sloe gin can be ready for consumption in just two weeks. And no need for the fiddly sloe foraging! You can have that magical plummy sweetness on tap, all year round.