Damson gin

A glass jar of dark red gin with damsons at the bottom, on a garden table
Damsons steeping in gin

Damson gin is a liqueur, usually homemade, made by steeping damson plums in gin with sugar for eight weeks or more, then straining it. Vodka is sometimes used in place of the gin.

Damson gin is especially popular in Britain. Depending on the variety, damsons are picked from August to late September. The liqueur can be used as a Christmas treat.

Averell Damson Gin is produced by the American Gin Co. and is an American take on the beverage. Rather than steeping the damson plums in gin, Averell is made by combining the fresh juice of the fruit with gin and sugar.

History

Damsons were used to make "damson brandy" in the 18th century. Recipes for damson gin appear in British household cookery books by the early 20th century, including S. Beaty-Pownall's Pickles and Preserves, one of the "Queen" Cookery Books (1902) and Mrs C. S. Peel's Still Room Cookery (1905). The 1902 book says that sloe gin "is made in precisely the same way as damson gin". The Café Royal Cocktail Book (1937) describes damson gin as "an English liqueur, dark red colour".

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Beaty-Pownall, S. (1902). Pickles and Preserves. The "Queen" Cookery Books. London: Horace Cox. pp. 62–63.
  2. ↑ "Damson, Blue Violet". National Fruit Collection. Retrieved 1 November 2026. Picking time: Early-Mid August
  3. ↑ "Damson, Merryweather". National Fruit Collection. Retrieved 1 November 2026. Picking time: Late September
  4. ↑ Teacher, Matthew (2014). The spirit of gin: a stirring miscellany of the new gin revival. Kennebunnkport, Maine: Cider Mill Press Book Publishers. p. 98. ISBN 9781604334623.
  5. ↑ Rolt, Richard (1756). "Damsin, or Damson". A New Dictionary of Trade and Commerce. London: T. Osborne and J. Shipton.
  6. ↑ Peel, C. S. (1905). Still Room Cookery: Recipes Old and New. London: Archibald Constable. p. 55.
  7. ↑ Tarling, W. J. (1937). Café Royal Cocktail Book. London: Pall Mall. Glossary, "Damson Gin".