My friend and canal boat dweller, Caroline passed on some sloes found on the Lea Navigation tow path. To celebrate the start of autumn and one of my favourite fishing seasons, sloe gin has been produced at The Tuesday Swim.

The recipe is easy.

Two bottles of cheap London Gin (Lidl is recommended).

About half a pound of sloes.

300 grams of caster sugar.

Wash the sloes, dry them, prick them and then add to the gin. Some gin will have to be removed to take the sloes, so a final G&T or three can be had to say farewell  to the summer. Then add the sugar, you can always add more sugar later on, to taste. Shake the bottle every few days to distribute the flavour and breakdown the sloes.

In three months time after a cold days piking, a glass of slow gin will be the perfect warming remedy.