Melbourne winters are brutal and this one seems to be more bitterly cold than usual. From someone who withstood years of English winters, this is saying something. Sloe gin is my go to in winter and this rich spiced Sloe gin and Tempranillo Negroni by Dan Jones in his book Gin: Shake, Muddle and Stir is perfect for cold evenings. You could even heat it up a little to keep your hands warm!
Ingredients for Sloe gin and Tempranillo Negroni
30ml Sloe and Star Anise Gin
30ml Tempranillo reduction
60ml campari
orange peel/star anise to garnish
Method
To make the Sloe and Star Anise infused gin
For his recipe Dan has created a sloe and star anise gin from scratch, using fresh ripe sloe berries, as they are easier to come by in the UK. Fortunately I had some delicious McHenry sloe gin to hand so, I added some star anise to the sloe gin and infused for three days.
To make Tempranillo reduction
Ingredients
200ml Tempranillo wine
pinch of crushed star anise
100g of dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon of corn syrup or golden syrup (optional)
Method
Simmer the wine and star anise in a non-stick pan and slowly add the sugar. Turn down heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has reduced by a third. Turn off the heat and leave for 20-30 minutes to cool and for the flavours to infuse. Adding the corn syrup to the finished product will keep the reduction smooth.
To make to Sloe Gin and Tempranillo Negroni
Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with a large ice-cube. Garnish with the orange peel and or star anise.
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