The Hedgerow Drinks Cabinet: How To Make Your Own Damson Gin

Since the dawn of man we have been a group of foragers, living off what we could find, pick, or kill in nature. It was a long time before we settled down to grow our food.

Today, rich or poor, we have access to pre-packaged and pre-prepared food and drinks in our grocery stores and we simply don’t have to go and forage in the hedgerows for sustenance.

But at the same time there are plenty of people around the world who enjoy foraging and having that primal connection with the land and our ancestors.

Whether it’s the simple joy of a few sun-ripened blackberries, a shiny windfall apple, or the big bonus of a delicious earthy truffle, it is a pastime that is exciting, satisfying, and ancient.

Long before any of us were born, our predecessors knew how to take these raw foods from the earth and the trees and turn them into delicious treats.

These skills included making a variety of drinks that were used for health and for times of feasting.

Ancient art of alcoholic drinks

Our ancient ancestors would have accidentally found out about the making of alcoholic beverages when the ambient, wild yeasts on the fruits they picked began to get lively.

The ancient civilizations of the Greeks and Romans were well known for their wine, which they further flavored with herbs, spices, and honey. Their knowledge passed with time to the medieval and early modern periods, where making wine and brewing ale was a serious business.

Monasteries became centers of expertise when it came to brewing drinks. For example the method used to make champagne was developed in the 16th century by the monks of St Hilaire in South-West France.

Housewives in this period, aristocratic as well as the lower members of society, were extremely proud of their ale-brewing skills and could sometimes sell it as a little extra income. The trendy microbreweries of today run by bearded hipsters had nothing on these women.

Celebration and ritual

The brewing of alcoholic drinks has long links to celebrations and ritual.

People have used wine and ale as a drink that strengthens community ties during feasts and holidays for centuries. Even today we don’t think twice about raising as glass in merry cheer to our guests while chirping out a hearty ‘cheers’, ‘chin-chin’, ‘santé’,  ‘skoll’ — or whatever word you use to wish good health and cheer in your part of the world.

Wine is a potent symbol used in Christianity representing the blood of Christ during the Eucharist. It also has a part to play during Jewish rituals, such as the Kiddush blessing and the Passover Seder.

Cider also has a role in the ancient tradition of the Wassail. This drinking ritual has its roots in Anglo-Danish Britain and had its feet firmly under the table by the 12th century. The spiced cider drink, originally mead with added baked apples, is shared by community members while cheering “Wassail” with hopes of a healthy apple crop the following year.

Foraging revival

As time went on and the mass production of food became the norm, you were more likely to find housewives with baskets of shopping rather than baskets of foraged goodies. However, two successive world wars changed that and shortages sparked a revival in foraging.

For example this except from The Times in 1941 says: "A national week for the collection of rose hips to be converted into syrup will open next Sunday. The Ministry of Health and the Department of Health for Scotland state that these fruits, which in the past have been allowed to go to waste, are 20 times as rich in Vitamin C as oranges.

The collecting is being organized chiefly through schools, boy scouts, and girl guides, the women's institutes, and the Scottish womens' rural institutions."

Sloe gin was a popular tipple available to those who had access to the hedgerow fruit, gin, and had saved up some of their sugar rations. Yuletide would have been just that little bit more merry in such times of austerity and worry.

Nature’s variety

Hedgerow-based drinks are numerous and not only can you make alcoholic beverages, you can make cordials and syrups that will pep up your cocktails, mocktails, and desserts. Some of them are even known for their health benefits.

You can make delicious syrups from both rosehips and elderberries. These can be taken as cold remedies or as a general health-boosting tonic due to their high vitamin content levels. You can add to drinks as you see fit and even use them in your cooking as sweeteners in baking or as drizzles on pancakes and ice creams.

The fragrant flowers of the elder tree can be turned into a cordial drink that tastes of summer and if you want to go further, a cheeky pinch of champagne yeast at the bottling stage could result in a light and bubbly elderflower champagne.

One of the best uses of the hedgerow fruits is to steep them in gin like they did in WWII and leave yourself with a fruity liquor that can be enjoyed like a port at Christmas or as part of longer, more refreshing drinks all year round. You can do this with almost all soft fruits, but a really good one to start off with is damsons…

DAMSON GIN

There are no specific weights here, as it all depends on how much fruit you pick and how much you want to make, but a basic rule of thumb is to use around 500g of fruit per liter of spirit and 250g of sugar to that 500g of fruit. 

Ingredients

Damsons (or raspberries etc)

White sugar

Gin (it doesn’t have to be the pricey stuff)

Recipe

Wash your fruit, prick holes in them if using damsons, and freeze overnight (this helps to release the juices)

In a scrupulously clean airtight vessel place your sugar, damsons, and gin. Close the lid and give it a good shake, before storing it in a cool dark cupboard.

Shake every day until the sugar has dissolved then forget about it.

After around two months you can strain the gloriously colored liquid through a coffee filter or a muslin cloth into sterilized bottles with airtight lids. 

If you can wait it will be a beautiful Yuletide drink as it only gets better with age. 

Just remember to forage carefully and respectfully. Always ask the land owner’s permission, do no harm, and never taste something if you’re not confident with its identification.