Pick about 800gm of sloes. Decant one bottle of 40% ABV Gin into a measuring jug. Put about 280g of Demerara sugar into the empty gin bottle. Fill the bottle ¾ full with sloes pricking each one a few times with a cocktail stick or something similar before placing it in the bottle. Now pour back as much gin as you can get into the bottle leaving about 2cm air gap in the neck of the bottle. Screw on the cap invert the bottle about 20 times to dissolve the sugar. Dispose of the surplus gin in the time honoured fashion in a G&T or Martini or two.

For the next month invert the bottle a couple of times each morning and then once a week for the next three months (or longer). When you can wait no more filter the liqueur through a coffee filter or fine tea strainer and re-bottle. You will have produced a tincture of pure autumn to gladden the heart on a cold winter's night.