Just finished decanting my gins

[PrettyCandles]

Not bad for a first attempt, I think.

The sloe gin is a bit harsh. Possibly it's just that I don't care for gin and that's what I'm tasting. But hopefully it will continue developing and be nice and smooth by autumn.

The elderberry gin, now, that's a different matter! Mmm-mmm it is deeelicious. Fruity and syrupy, with just a little bite and enough tannin to stop it becoming sickly sweet. Oh I like this one

I have re-macerated the ginned fruit in sherry. I've read that it onlyly needs to age for a month before it can be drunk.

Anyone else bottling?

Ooo yum- haven't made any this year but have been an eager bottler previously. I'm jealous!

I bottled mine a while ago. I thought the fruit should be removed after about 3 months.

I did sloe gin and sloe vodka. Much prefer the sloe gin, but then I love Gin

Hadn't thought of using elderberry - shall give it a go next year. I have also tasted some blackcurrant vodka that was great - would like to try making that too.

Where do you get your bottles? I'm late doing mine because I couldn't find anything suitable. I used passata bottles in the end - not very elegant! I was tempted to buy the cheapest half-bottles of vodka just to pour the booze away and reuse the bottles.

Ooooh, tell me how to make fruity gin/vodka. I love such things, and what do you mix them with when you drink them? I generally use tonic for G&V but it doesn't go with fruity versions

Bottling it? I've just been drinking it straight from the steeping jar!

[http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/two-recipes-wild-damson-gin-and-sloe-gin-37#comment-63170 This] is my favourite website for homemade liqueurs, so far. But I found it after I'd made up the first lot so didn't follow their recipes.

This.

i have drunk most of mine

but i do have fab ikea bottles with flip grolsch type lids to put my wine in...i kid myself it is still fermenting but actually i just haven' got round to it...

made blackberry vodka and raspberry gin.

it tastes like it had no alcohol in.

but it really really does...

? we have drunk ours. waiting for the next lot of fruit to come along.

Oooo dh is going to Ikea tonight on a reccy - I shall ask him to get me some of those bottles!

Thanks Pretty Candles, thats great. I shall make Damson gin this year instead of jam. What is raspberry gin like? It looks like we have a good crop this year

it was bout 6 months ago prettycandles - let me know if you get some!

rasberry gin is lush - like very concentrated, but not sickly, raspberry
syrup

i have damson wine in the demijons, also marrow , apple and grape...occasionally i stick a straw in and have a slurp...

Chili sherry is also delicious - don;t need much, one scotch bonnet per bottle, in for a month I think (though there'll be a recipe around the internet somewhere).

Chilli sherry, how very queer......DH would love it, not that he is queer I hasten to add.....So tell me how do you drink these various G & V's. What do you mix them with if anything? This is a whole new world to me

ooh chili sherry sounds interesting

I am sure that someone here was on about bacon vodka a few years ago, yikes !!

have made this year:

Cointreau-style orange vodka, v v good

blueberry vodka, such a pretty drink too

greengage brandy; now this I am v v disappointed with - it's a most unfortunate colour (HORSE URINE ) but makes up in taste, thank goodness

I am planning to make raspberry vodka this weekend, and I ought to get citrus whiskey going (it's a bit like drambuie, om nom nom)

funny, I usually have them neat in shot glasses in winter and with sparkly water in tall glasses in summer

Thanks Boys, perhaps with soda then? In neat shot glasses would just mean me drinking far too much in far too short a time.....I need mixers to spread the alcohol out

soda or mineral water

actually the nicest thing is Cava, but one gets blotto v quickly

yes, I forget that mineral water and soda are different. Will try mineral water. With cava would be just like a kir royal but more so, would get pissed far too quickly!

Mmm I was scoffing blueberries this afternoon and wondering about turning them into liqueur.

I could get quite into this. Trouble is, we barely drink. A bottle of spirits can last us a couple of years.

What about veg - do they make good drinks? Squash always smells so divine when cutting one up, but would it taste as lovely as it smells, I wonder? Or maybe Tomato & Basil Vodka, to be drunk with an olive, martini-stye - just imagine! Or lavendar vodka!

One can make ice cream with lavender, so why not a flavoured vodka

I give lots away at Xmas, they make pretty gifts

Not sure about chilli sherry but have heard that chilli vodka is fab

Chilli sherry sounds lovely! yum! We've done cherry brandy before, delish! If you bother to destone the cherries you can then put them on ice cream when you finish the bottle. We used a mix of sweet and sour ones as that's what we could find and they were all very edible after sitting in sweetened booze for a bit! Also done sloe gin...or it may have been damson...

Also we've just made our own beer! Dirt cheap and easy, tasty, not too strong (we reckon no more than 3% but we like that for relaxed drink without getting wasted) and best of all ready to drink in a week!

So far we've done nettle and ginger. Nettle from a recipie then we just altered it for the ginger. They taste more like pop than beer, what with having on hops. Even the nettle, not nearly as herbal as i thought it might be. If anyone is interested i can share the recipie.

Yes, please, MFM! I'd love to put those ghastly nettles to good use.