Juicy, sweet damson plums are at their luscious, ripe best between August, September and October in the UK.

Whether you’re picking your own or buying the best local fruits you can find, this easy, three-step homemade damson gin recipe is what we’d humbly consider the perfect way to use up all of your late-summer, early autumn damsons!

With just three ingredients, gin, damsons and sugar, it’s fun, easy and cheap to do at home - and, of course, provides you with a stunning crimson damson gin to savour as the nights draw in, to share or give as a little gift. Here’s how to give it a go!

What does damson gin taste like?

Damson gin has a wonderful mix of sweet-tart stone fruit flavours akin to plum and sloe gin. With that rich juniper base and complex, autumnal fruit profile, it’s absolutely delicious.

How alcoholic is damson gin?

Damson gin is usually between around 37.5% ABV and 40% ABV depending on the gin used as a base. We recommend using a London dry for our damson gin recipe, which should have an ABV of at least 37.5%.

What to do with damsons after making damson gin?

There are lots of things you can do with the damsons left after making your gin. One of our favourite things to do is cook the mushy damsons down to a jam-like consistency and serve them with roast pork as a sauce or glaze a ham with them! Yum.

How long can you keep damson gin?

As long as the damson gin is left in a cool, dark place in a clean container, you should be able to keep it for a year.

The perfect homemade damson gin recipe:

70cl London dry gin
350g fresh damsons, halved and de-pipped
175g sugar

1. Place the damsons in the freezer overnight. Bash the frozen damsons with a rolling pin a few times to begin breaking them up. Add them to a large Kilner jar with the sugar and gin.

2. Shake until the sugar has fully dissolved and then place in a dark, cool place for up to three months. Start tasting after two months, to see if it has reached your desired flavour profile. Be sure to shake the jar from time to time over the three months.

3. Strain the damson gin through muslin or coffee filter paper into a clean jug and then use a funnel to pour the gin into a clean bottle. Seal, label and enjoy straight away or keep sealed for six months to let the flavours mature and improve over time - the gin should keep for at least a year.

How do you drink damson gin?

Damson gin is great sipped on its own, simply poured over ice. We also enjoy it in a damson gin and tonic, mixing the gin with a premium tonic water and garnishing with a slice of fresh orange.

For us, the perfect damson gin cocktail has to be Craft Gin Club’s Damson Gin Royale though. Find the full recipe here!