Sloe Vodka with maple syrup (better than Sloe Gin!)

[@mr.garlicman3134]

Hello Sir I wrote on your comment section about looking for Sloe Gin. Well good news I found some. I ordered it in a liquor store here in Illinois and they sent it to Me from England. I tried it and it was so good. It was made in England.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I'm delighted that you found it!

[@alanmuddypaws3865]

All that tasting for the sweetening process - it's a hard job but someone has to do it! Nice!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

One year I do d six different types. Fiona and our great mate Dave did the tasting as I sweetened. We had to Carr Dave home 😁

[@ashm5206]

It’s so nice to see a blackthorn as a stand-alone tree rather than just in a hedge. They are such pretty trees and definitely don’t get the appreciation they deserve!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I couldn't agree more, they do become a lovely standard

[@matoni69]

I’m making the same thing with grappa, sloes and honey. Interesting video.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Interesting!

[@SpinsterSister]

Is it me or do you always seem especially excited when you feature home-made alcholic delights in your videos!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

They are great fun to make, fun to drink and even better to share. Making fun stuff really "lubricates" the barter network 😉

[@micheleeastmond9552]

I love your videos. I dont drink vodka but somehow you inspire me to give it a try 😊

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Trust me, it's nothing like basic vodka 😉

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I'm asking myself the same question as Mystique (below). What is a sloe? I've never seen it around here or grown here. This sounds amazing! I'll look around at sloes and what might be around here. Cheers!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Sloes are the fruit of the Blackthorn tree. Small, sour and purple but with a plum like quality. Blackthorn is a popular hedging plant here with vicious 2" thorns, livestock won't push through it in a hedge

[@SithApprenticeTV]

What can you do with the fruits after the infusion is done? Cut them up, juice them, and add them to the liqueur for more flavor?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Honestly not too much as they are quite bitter. I have frozen them as an ice cube garnish. Its also possible to do a second infusion of port with the same fruit

[@kelsvlogs52]

Not sure if a silly question hut do you sterilise the bottles? I'm thinking not because of the alcohol. Thanks and I'm enjoying you're videos

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I do with wine and beer. With spirits I just make sure that the bottles are scrupulously clean 🙂

[@fastfreddy19641]

I've got to try this.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Totally worth it!

[@Kiwi_Ed]

Thanks for the video. The sloes are coming into season, so looking forward to trying this. Just two question: does the window sill needs to be sunny? And what is that white pen you are using, that's death handy! Thanks again, Edwin

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Edwin! Any window or cupboard is fine. The pens are oil paint markers - they write on glass & most other things but you can scrub off the writing with a scourer. These are the ones we use amzn.to/3cZrohm

[@Kiwi_Ed]

Excellent, thanks a lot. I will check our local stationary shop to see if they sell these (before giving mr. Bezos even more money..).

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@Kiwi_Ed Sadly it's hard to link to local stores. There's a chalk version too - but I find I rub it off in handling

[@mariafraser2241]

Was size bottle of vodka did you use please 🙂

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Maria 700ml - standard UK spirit bottle 🙂. Hugh

[@SpinsterSister]

Have you thought of starting your own Gourmet Syrups/Bitters/Flavoring company? Also can you use a brixometer to test the sweetness level of the sloes before processing?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

A brixometer is a great idea!

[@paulcraddock8597]

I am sorry to point out that the fruit you were using did not look like sloes but bullace which are larger than sloes and the trees have no spikes but blackthorn does.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

They were definitely sloes. We do have bullace too but those are sloes from an old blackthorn hedge

[@blasphemer]

I didn't add any sugar until I strained the sloes out and they were really hard, so I'm not sure the sugar had anything to do with the osmosis.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Alcohol is a pretty good solvent on it's own but the principle of osmosis is scientifically sound

[@Andrew.Croft.]

Sloe vodka, I am so jealous, still haven't found any and we have an awful lot of bushes nearby all bare, like you said about pollenation because they are normally everywhere in huge ammounts, will have to have a trip down south and try and find some, thanks for the vid.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Shame to miss out Andrew - next year!

[@Andrew.Croft.]

@@EnglishCountryLife Gonna have another look over the weekend for some, sloe vodka sounds way too good to miss.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@Andrew.Croft. Good shout!

[@drmystique]

What exactly is a "sloe"? Is it a particular type of plum?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

A sloe is the fruit of the Blackthorn tree, a small and viciously thorned tree popular for hedging in the UK and Ireland - no animal pushes through a Blackthorn hedge - the thorns are 2" long! The fruit are like small sour plums.

[@chrisharvey2295]

Got my frozen sloes and think I will make sloe vodka not gin. Thanks 👍

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Definitely my choice 🙂

[@Beaguins]

Well, now I know why Fiona drank the sloe gin.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I must confess I think this a much nicer drink 😁

[@valparry4648]

Why do you say it's better than sloe gin?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Val 🙂. Because it hasn't got the overwhelming juniper flavour of gin, so you really appreciate all the luscious sloe flavours! Hugh

[@valparry4648]

@@EnglishCountryLife that make sense

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@valparry4648 I suspect that a blend of plummy, almondy, mapley flavours need little else,!

[@valparry4648]

@@EnglishCountryLife I have actually got the sloe gin on the go this year. Not really sure why as I don't drink nowadays, but gin used to be one of my tipples back in the Navy days.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@valparry4648 We have a lovely local tree surgeon who loves the stuff. He drops us, literally, lorry loads of felled trees. I make it for him and others as...a tangible...thank you.