Sloe liqueur with rum: five recipes

A sloe liqueur is the perfect treat on icy cold winter evenings. It usually tastes wonderfully bittersweet and can be upgraded with Christmas spices to make the ideal holiday drink. Manufacturing is relatively easy. You basically need ripe sloe fruits and lots of rum or schnapps. Of course, a good portion of sugar should not be missing either.

basics

Making a liqueur from sloes has a very long tradition in Europe. This is partly due to the fact that the fruits of the sloe can only be used to a very limited extent in the kitchen. One reason for this is certainly that they taste relatively bitter even when ripe. However, this natural bitterness is significantly mitigated if the fruit is harvested after the first frost. The frost causes part of the tannins in the fruit to be broken down. However, they must not disappear completely because they contribute significantly to the special taste of the sloe. Blackthorn usually grows in field hedges in the wild, but can also be cultivated in the garden. The best harvest time is late autumn.

prepare liqueur

A sloe liqueur is always used. This means that the sloe fruits are first mixed with schnapps or rum, sugar and other ingredients. This mixture then has to steep for up to two months in a container that can be closed tightly, such as a large bottle with a screw cap. The alcohol and sugar extract the juice from the fruit. Although it would also be possible to squeeze the fruit and extract juice in this way, this is extremely time-consuming. In addition, very large amounts of fruit are necessary, since the juice content per fruit is very small. After the steeping time, the whole thing is simply filtered and decanted. The liqueur can now be drunk. This very simple manufacturing principle forms the basis for many recipes.

Recipe 1: Basic

How easy it is to prepare a sloe liqueur yourself is particularly evident in this basic recipe.

Ingredients

• 0.75 l brown rum (30 percent)
• ripe sloe fruits
• 300 grams of sugar

preparation

First decant the rum into an empty, well rinsed and sealable 1 liter bottle. Then add the sugar and the previously washed sloe fruits until the bottle is completely full. The bottle is then sealed tightly and placed in a warm place for two months. The room temperature should be at least 20 degrees Celsius. Instead of the brown rum, white rum or a schnapps such as vodka or double grain can of course also be used. However, experience has shown that the brown rum gives the finished liqueur a finer taste.

Recipe 2: Christmas Liqueur

Sloe fire is a typical drink for the cold season. Mixed with a few spices, you can quickly turn it into a fiery treat for the Advent and Christmas season.

Ingredients

• 700 grams of ripe sloe fruits
• 1 bottle of double grain or vodka
• 300 grams of fine brown rock candy
• juice of a whole lemon
• juice of a whole orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 vanilla stick
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

preparation

First wash the sloe fruits well and then mix them with the sugar and the lemon or lemon zest. Put orange juice in a bottle. Add spices and then top up with the chosen schnapps. Close the bottle well and leave the mixture in a warm room for about two months.

Recipe 3: Honey

The following recipe also has a Christmas touch. Since the liqueur is refined with honey, it is also a relatively timeless pleasure that tastes extremely delicious even after the holidays.

Ingredients

• 250 g sloe fruits
• 700 ml white rum
• 200 g blossom honey
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 pinches of grated orange zest

preparation

Wash the sloes and drain well. Then lightly score each individual fruit with a sharp knife. Then all the ingredients are put into a large bottle and filled up with the rum. Close the bottle tightly and leave the mixture in a warm place for 1.5 to two months.

Recipe 4: With red wine

This recipe is special in that it contains not only vodka but also red wine. This gives it a very fine, even noble touch.

Ingredients

• 500 g fully ripe sloes
• 1 l dry, fruity red wine
• 1 liter of vodka
• 300 grams of sugar
• 1 pack vanilla sugar
• 3 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 5 tablespoons brown rum

preparation

Wash the sloes well and put them in a large bottle with the rest of the ingredients. Then top up with the red wine and vodka. Close the bottle well and then shake vigorously several times so that the vodka and wine can mix well. Leave in a warm place for about two months.

Recipe 5: Grandma's sloe liqueur

This recipe is certainly one of the most complex ever. You have to reckon with a preparation time of about two to three hours. But it also tastes incredibly intense - just like in grandma's days.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg sloe fruits
• 1.5 l brown rum
• 2 liters of water
• 1kg fine brown rock candy
• 1 vanilla bean

preparation

After the sloes have been washed and drained, each individual fruit is pricked with a needle. Bring two liters of water to a boil in a large saucepan and then pour this over the fruit in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave for 24 hours. Then pour the brew through a fine sieve and fill into a bottle. Add the remaining ingredients including the rum, close the bottle tightly and leave to infuse for about two weeks.

Learn more about storing fruit