Peter and Mike collected the sloes used in the Sloe - Generosity Gin by hand from Relbia, near Launceston. Sloes (which look similar to blueberries) are the berries of the Blackthorn - Prunus spinosa, a large deciduous shrub brought to Tasmania by early settlers and originally used as hedgerow fencing throughout the historic northern midlands. Blackthorn bushes look much like Hawthorn and they are often found interspersed with them. Most blackthorns (sloes) are found around northern Tasmania, whilst Hawthorn is much more widespread. Blackthorn grows to around 5 metres, with blackish bark and dense, tangled, spiny branches that make the harvesting of the Sloes problematic to say the least. Sloes ripen in late autumn and are harvested after the first winter frosts. Sloes are thin-fleshed, with a strong astringent flavour when picked. The sloe skins are then pricked and steeped in Generosity Gin with a small amount highland hakea honey and other spices added. The result is a beautiful rich ruby red liquor that will awaken your senses. It is delicious neat, on the rocks or enhances a variety of cocktails. You may notice something that looks like sediment in this sloe gin. It is a perfectly normal reaction to the honey we used to sweeten it. This is harmless and shows a commitment to using natural products. Our Sloe Gin was triple filtered and bottled during a Miena snowstorm in November 2021. 500ml. ABV: 32%
