Wild-Fermented Sloe Soda (non-alcoholic gin & tonic)
A naturally fermented, botanical soda made with seasonal sloes, juniper, rosemary and lemon. Tart, refreshing and lightly sparkling, it’s a lovely way to make the most of wild sloes when they’re in season. Fermentation does the magic here, creating a naturally fizzy drink with a delicious depth of flavour.
Takes 3 days 10 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1.8 litres 7½ cups filtered or spring water
- 200 g 1½ cups fresh sloe berries, pricked all over with a needle or lightly crushed
- 120 g ½ cup + 1 tbsp unrefined sugar or raw honey
- 15 g 2 tbsp dried juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 3 g 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Peel and juice of 2 organic unwashed lemons
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Add 1 litre (4 cups) of the water to a large saucepan along with the sloe berries, juniper berries, coriander seeds, rosemary and sugar.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir through the sea salt and add the remaining 800ml (3⅓ cups) cold water. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Once completely cool, strain the liquid through a sieve into a clean glass jar or demijohn. Make sure the liquid is below 25°C before adding the lemon, as higher temperatures can kill the wild yeast.
- Add the fresh lemon juice and strips of lemon peel. Stir vigorously for about 1 minute to incorporate some oxygen.
- Cover the jar with a clean cloth or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Leave somewhere warm, ideally around 20–24°C, for 24–48 hours, stirring twice a day.
- Once you see small bubbles forming around the edges and hear a gentle fizzing sound, the fermentation is active. Strain out the lemon peel and pour the soda into clean, airtight swing-top bottles, leaving around 2.5cm (1 inch) of headspace.
- Leave the sealed bottles at room temperature for a further 24–36 hours to build carbonation. If using plastic bottles, they should feel firm when carbonated. If using glass bottles, open one carefully to check the level of fizz.
- Once nicely carbonated, transfer the bottles straight to the fridge and chill for at least 12 hours before serving.
- Serve ice cold over ice with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a twist of lemon peel or a sprig of rosemary.
