And who doesn’t need some gin this close to Christmas?! Recipes for Sloe and Rhubarb gin – both needed to be made a few months ago, so perhaps book mark these for next year...

Ingredients

• Gin – cheap gin is fine (the rhubarb recipe also works with vodka)
• Rhubarb
• Sloes
• White sugar

Rhubarb Gin

Step 1

Cut the pink-ist rhubarb sticks you can find into approx 10cm lengths and a width which will fit into the neck of the bottle or jar you are using to make the gin.

Step 2

Fill the bottle / jar with the sticks of rhubarb and carefully pour in 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Step 3

Pour in the gin, fasten the top of the bottle / jar well and shake until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 4

Leave for a few months, shaking every few days, until the gin is pinkish. Drain off the gin, enjoy either neat or as long with tonic and a skinny stick of rhubarb

Sloe Gin

Step 1

Pick the fattest sloes you can find (mind the thorns!), they are usually ripe in October / November.

Step 2

Fill the bottle / jar with the sloes and carefully pour in 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Step 3

Pour in the gin, fasten the top of the bottle / jar well and shake until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 4

Leave for a few months (or until next Christmas) shaking every few days, until the gin is a beautiful dark purple colour. Drain off the gin and enjoy, I prefer Sloe gin neat – it should taste smooth and fruity so add some more sugar and leave it a bit longer if required.