Cheap gin to make sloe gin?

[Loopytiles]

Perhaps this should be on the poncetastic thread, but anyone know where to get cheap gin to make sloe gin with? Have free access to the sloes!

Aldi London dry is about £15 a litre - not very cheap, but decent gin

I love Slow Gin. You can't remake it properly unless you know how to stop it going cloudy etc. I just buy mine ready made. Toffee vodka is a different story, monin caramel, vodka, bespoke bottles to put it in, perfect for Christmas presents.

I use Morrisons own gin it's £15 & something pence a litre and is actually quite a good London dry gin & def a good base spirit for fruit gin.

Mines not cloudy, I put in whole sloes and strain through muslin when decanting

You should prick the sloes with a fork when you put them in. Shaking every day helps.
If it's coming out cloudy it sounds like they weren't rinsed beforehand.
I can't help with which brand of gin - supermarket brands have always been used here, and work perfectly well.

A friend made it with Sainsbury’s basics. Please don’t do that the hangover was absolutely hideous.

I've always used just any old supermarket value gin. The only time mine ever went cloudy was when I tried using frozen sloes. Some recipes recommend this as a way to split the skins. I roll fresh ones over the pointy side of a cheese grater, it's fairly quick and the gin stays clear.

Aldi Gin and freeze the Sloes. Breaks them down without having to prick the little buggers!
Never had a cloudy batch yet.

Another vote for the aldi gin.

Thank you all very much!

I make it every year, freeze the sloes first, never have cloudy sloe gin. Just use sainsburys london gin.

The Aldi one has won awards. I bought it for plum gin which is currently brewing. What it will taste like I have no idea, but I picked Aldi on recommendation.

You don't actually have to use gin - vodka will do just as well if you've got a bottle going spare...
It's not as if you can taste the gin when the sloes and sugar have been mixed in.
When I'm in France I buy litre bottles of plain alcohol in the supermarket, it's called 'Alcool pour fruits' , it's 40 pct ABV and its great for making any fruit liqueurs, it used to be about 10€ a litre but sadly it's gone up quite a lot. damn you, Brexit