The quality of the Gin was poor - made with turpentine and all sorts - so adding sloes to it masked the flavour, but was dubbed ‘the poor man’s Port’. For a long time, though, Sloe Gin didn’t have the best reputation. At the height of the 18th century was the ‘Gin Craze’; a time where consumption of Gin grew rapidly in Britain, and particularly in London, when it’s said that the average Brit was drinking 14 gallons of the stuff each year.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that ‘shooting Gins’ are for doing shots in bars, but actually, they were favoured by the British aristocracy for sipping from a hip flask in the countryside when shooting birds and game. If that all seems like too much hassle, or you can’t find any sloes where you are, we recommend you cheat and buy it! Playing host? Our range of flavoured gins is sure to get the party started. Whether you prefer a classic dry gin or want to add some colour with pink gin, we’ve got a wide variety to choose from. Just some of the flavours we offer include summery strawberry, peach and mango.

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Fast forward to today, and Sloe Gin is having a revival. No longer considered only something your granny liked, the big Gin producers have put lots of care and attention into creating Sloe Gins that are deliciously sweet, tart and balanced. Take your pre-frozen sloes, or fresh ones that you’ve poked a bunch of holes in, and tip them into a 2 litre Kilner jar (or divide between two smaller ones).

Add the Gin, the sugar, seal the jar, and shake well. Once a day for the next seven days, give the jar a good shake. Leave it in a cool dark place for two months. Let’s start with a step-by-step outline of the sloe gin-making process ( or watch the video here!): Say chin chin with our fabulous collection of gin. If you love a classic G&T, get your hands on your favourite gin brand, and don't forget the tonic water. And of course, grab some limes too. If you don't have a favourite brand, try a variety before making your mind up. Our gin miniatures are great way to sample our range of brands and flavours. You’ll also find the right gin glass from our glassware collection. Pour a good-quality gin (we recommend our London Dry Gin, of course) into the jar – enough to fill to the top One ingredient that occasionally appeared in 19th-century recipes for sloe gin was almond. A crushed almond, added at the start of the maceration process, highlights the marzipan character of the sloe without the added effort of crushing a few sloe stones. SLOE GIN MYTHBUSTING

Sloes grow in hedgerows - historically used to divide land in England - and are abundant in the British countryside, making Sloe Gin production easy. Consider how nuts about Gin the English are… it was an obvious pairing and a match made in heaven. Sloes are native to Europe and have long been used by the British to create ‘shooting Gins’ (as they used to be known). When it’s time to decant, use a very fine sieve over a bowl (or line a normal sieve with a muslin cloth) and pour the mixture out. Then divide it into clean, dry bottles and label. Although it’s ready to drink now, it’ll still change over time, so try not to drink it all at once! If you feel like getting creative in the kitchen, you’ll be pleased to hear that the quintessential British liqueur is surprisingly easy to make. Simply follow this essential guide to homemade sloe gin by Master Distiller and Co-Founder Jared Brown.

Colder weather and dark evenings call for a warming drink, and while Gin is traditionally thought of as a refreshing summer drink on hot days, there’s no need to step away from the Gin bottle entirely. Now that you’ve mastered how to make sloe gin, it’s time for a bit of trivia. There are some absurd myths about harvesting and processing sloes floating around, and we think it’s time to dispel a few of these: The good thing about making your own Sloe Gin at home, is that the hard part is done for you. There’s no distillation involved. As this is a Gin-based Liqueur, start with the base.

Technically, it’s not really a Gin, it’s a Liqueur. That’s because there are stringent rules about what can and can’t be classified as Gin (if you wanna geek-out about different types of Gin, have a read of this). From the initial syrup recipe on which to build your gin to tips on foraging for berries so you can make the most of the sloe gin season, you’ll find everything you need to know here. HOW TO MAKE SLOE GIN: THE PROCESS Strain the sloe gin and sweeten to taste with sugar syrup or honey (or a mixture of both), a little at a time until it reaches your preferred sweetness. You can find our sugar syrup recipe below