Damson gin quickly became a popular trend, yet its comforting and sweet taste has made this drink stand the test of time. Aside from being pretty straightforward to make, Damson gin is incredibly long-lasting, especially if you store it for a while as this allows it to mature as the flavours will mix and improve over time.
It's relatively cheap and low in calories too so you won't break your diet or the bank. Since it's ideal for early autumn onwards - now is the time to start making and storing your Damson gin.
What is Damson gin?
Damson gin is a regular non-flavoured gin infused with damsons, similarly to sloe gin. Aside from being a sweet and comfortable drink, like a hot toddy, damsons are in season in September, therefore Damson gin is more of a seasonal drink - particularly for the autumn and winter months.
If you're not set on making damson gin, make sure you scroll to the bottom of our guide as we've included a few popular questions on the subject.
How do I make Damson gin?
Without further ado, let's get to it with this easy-to-follow recipe! But before you rush off to start making it, you'll need to make sure you have the required ingredients as well as the correct amount:
Recipe ingredients for Damson gin
• 400 grams of damsons
• 200 grams of golden caster sugar/normal sugar
• 1 litre of gin
This makes a litre of damson gin so plenty for the winter months, the serving size is approximately 25ml.
- Firstly peel the damsons, remove any leaves and rinse them. After drying them, place them into a bag and freeze for 24 hours.
- With a rolling pin, roll over the bag until the damsons are crushed into smaller pieces. Then store them into one large or two different jars.
- Pour the sugar and gin into jars and shake the mixture well together.
- Shake the mixture every day for a week until the sugar has dissolved.
- Now store it in a cool, dark, dry place for approximately two to three months.
- After three months, strain the mixture and bottle it in clean, dry bottles.
- Leave it for a further two or three months, as this will allow the flavours to improve and mix over time.
- Enjoy!
Don't have the above equipment required to make it? Check out our roundup below, we've included the best gins, jars and bottles for this recipe.
Everything you need to make Damson gin
Best gins for making damson gin
The slight perfumed taste of the Bombay Sapphire gin mixes very well with the fruity flavours of the damson and the sugar.
The herbal tones of the Boodles Gin pairs quite well with any fruitier or citrus flavours - so it will infuse really well with the damsons.
With a mixture of juniper, aromatic angelica and sweet liquorice flavours, this gin also pairs quite well with damsons and sweeter notes.
Best jars to store your Damson gin
As this is a 0.5l jar, you'll need just two of these to store your Damson gin.
Best budget jar for damson gin
Don't want the hassle of having to buy two different jars? Kilner also has 1 litre jars, so you'd just have to buy the one!
Best bottles for Damson gin
Best value for price
When it comes to bottling the gin, you want to ensure that the bottle is completely sealed, which is why this product, with its ceramic, airtight swing stopper is such a great choice.
Best for storing damson gin
The great thing about this product is that it's a twin pack, so if you're making more than a litre of Damson gin - this would be an excellent option for you. It's also dishwasher safe which is a handy bonus.
If you're looking for a slightly different bottle, then this Bormioli Rocco could just be the one for you. It's got a beautifully intricate glass pattern, and the bottle itself is stained blue.
What does damson gin taste like?
If you've never made Damson gin before, or you're not sure if you'd like it, we're happy to report that you can swap out the gin in the recipe for vodka too!
Damson gin is quite sweet but not overbearingly so, as you can get with most liqueurs, it does have an ever so slight bitterness to it, and is very similar to a port. The damson's natural fruit flavours are quite strong, giving it a delicious and naturally sweet taste.
How do I serve Damson gin?
A single measure of the drink would be 25ml, with a double being 50ml. You can drink it neat, or with ice, you can also warm it up. If you do warm it up, we suggest pairing it with some apple juice and cinnamon sticks.
You could also make a damson gin cocktail, simply add a double measure of prosecco or Champagne. Another popular concoction is the Damson in Distress cocktail. You'll need 50ml of Damson gin, 15ml of Amaretto Liqueur and 7ml of lemon juice, simply add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, shake it and serve over ice.
And if you don't fancy going through all of the steps and making it, you could always buy ready made damson gin.