How To Make Damson Whisky Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is damson gin the same as sloe gin? ›

“They're different. The damson is a sort of domesticated sloe – and your brother-in-law is lucky to live in Guernsey – the sloes there are bigger and juicier than in the rest of the UK.” They are better not blended he advises, and even batches of the same drink – sloe or damson are best kept small.

Decant the gin into a clean gin bottle then use the fruit to accompany a roast pork or pheasant. Damsons that have been strained from their liquor can be stoned and stirred into the cooking juices of a roast loin of pork or fillet of venison.

Line a plastic sieve with a square of muslin (or use a coffee filter in a cone for a really refined gin) and strain the damson gin through it. Decant into clean, dry bottles, seal and label. The gin is now ready to drink, but will improve and mature over time – it will keep for over a year, if you can wait that long.

Sloes have a very characteristic green flesh to their blue bloomed dark purple fruit, as do damsons but they are around 15-30mm in length to the sloes 10-12mm. Damson foliage is almost free from thorns unlike it's smaller cousin, enabling pain free picking.

The main problem seems to be differentiating sloes and wild damsons as they are both small and dark. Sloes are the fruit of blackthorn trees and have sharp thorns and wild damson trees do not. Damsons have longer stems so hang and look more like a tiny plum. Sloes have shorter stems and hug the branches more.

DAMSON STONES

If you don't like the idea of leaving stones in, you can cut down the length of the damson and twist, then use a knife to lever the stone out. Another option is to sieve the jam after cooking, although this will give a different texture. Alternatively just leave them in and warn your guests!

British Damson Gin 70cl / 37.5%abv.

Modern cultivated damsons (such as the Merryweather variety) can be eaten raw when ripe, although there is about as much stone as there is flesh. In general, they're best cooked, which brings out their sweet, spicy flavour. Many home-brewers are also eager to harvest the fruit to make damson 'wine' or damson gin.

If you don't have sloe gin for Nigel Slater's Apple recipe, you can try substituting with other fruit-flavored liqueurs like raspberry or blackberry liqueur. Alternatively, you can experiment with other spirits that complement the flavor profile, such as cherry brandy or even a bit of regular gin.

The historic mulberry tree on the island was the inspiration for our take on a Sloe style gin. Produced seasonally from South Australian mulberries steeped in our award winning gin. Naturally sweet and boldly tart, the rich flavours of real mulberries distinguishes this elegant gin.

What kind of gin is sloe gin? ›

Let's be clear: while it may seem like gin by any other name, sloe gin is technically a liqueur. The berry-pink drink is born a regular gin, but the booze is then steeped with sugar and sloe (a rouge berry from the Blackthorn plant) to sweeten the spirit and lower the proof to as low as 15%.

WHAT GIN TO USE. Don't cheap out. Sloes are booze thieves and they love ripping out the alcohol from your liquid, therefore if you start with cheap plonk at 37.5%, you'll be in the high 20's by the time you strain them out, and that's before you add the sugar.