SLOES are now in season and can be found all over the Isle of Man in hedgerows, but they are not easy to find and the trees are usually well hidden and the thorns can be vicious, so you’ve been warned.

One piece of advice - the sloes are best when fully ripe. Right now (early to mid September) we have spotted lots and lots of ripe fruit, so get hunting. But don’t expect anyone to give away their sources - the location of sloes is a closely guarded secret, so you will have to find your own.

If you can’t find any then there are some alternatives such as blueberries which provide the perfect base for a variety of liqueurs, and you could also substitute the sloes with blackberries or cherries. (The sugar content can be reduced to 1-for-1 if using other fruit). We’ve even used tinned cherries to make a really interesting fruit liqueur - and it works!

INGREDIENTS:

1lb sloes

2lb sugar

1 75cl bottle of gin

METHOD:

Place the sloes, sugar and gin into an airtight glass container. Gently turn the bottle to move the fruit and sugar around once a month. After four months or so strain the fruit, leaving the liquid to mature in a quiet place (not too warm).

After around 9 months it will have matured into a wonderful liqueur which can be consumed on its own (beware, it can be rocket fuel!), or it’s wonderful as the base for cocktails.

The longer you leave it the better the taste. We have a bottle of sloe gin which is a more than three years old and the taste is just magnificent.

If you’re using wild fruits such as blueberries, blackberries or cherries, then strain the fruit after three months and the liqueur will mature probably within another three months, but the longer you leave it the better. Another worth trying is Raspberry Vodka. (see our recipe “Manx Raspberry Vodka”).