It's been busy in the market in the last few weeks before Christmas with Damson Gin in particular flying off the shelves. Only a few bottles left until next month's decanting. It looks like a bottle of my good good stuff is going to end up in a few stockings. In between the mincepies I think I'll spend much of it behind a wheel barrow, I have 3 tonnes of bark mulch arriving next week for the orchard and about a tonne of manure arriving on the allotment. I shall steel myself to the task fortified by roast potatos and Christmas pudding. And just to limber up and get in the party season Mother's Ruin is going out Morris dancing round Hampstead tonight, starting at the Holly Bush at 7.30 and moving on to the flask at about 8ish.

Mother's Ruin has a tiny film made by Film Direction who run the Walthamstow Film Festival and also while away the hours by creating witty viral marketing shorts...
It depicts just one of the medicinal uses of sloe gin





http://youtu.be/XTPV0BcWdVs

Scaping ice off the van window on a thin Cumbrian morning we headed early up the M6 North towards Carlisle and Tarn Rd nurseries. After a minor scuffle with the sat nav we arrived to find the nursery starting its day. Fires were being lit in the wood buring stoves, and a large golden longhaired hound had already bagged the warmest spot. Nursery owner John Treeby had got my order ready so we were back on the road shortly with high quality healthy looking plants.

Victoria, Glaskins Perpetual, Invicta, Ben Lomond, Ben Tirran, Glen Ample and Autumn Bliss.  - wonderful old names for the rhubarb crowns, blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes, and raspberry canes.

Whilst the rest of the country was under driving rain and flooding, we had cold and grey but dry day and got all the plants in. A small crowd gathered to mark the development of Mother's Ruin's Cumbrian arm to loud cheers.

It's definately deep into autumn if not drifting towards winter now.. Plenty of leaf kicking opportunities all over Walthamstow! It's been a full on week bottling and labelling in preparation for busier Saturdays in the market at Wood St, and the E17Designer Fair at Orford Rd on the 1st of December. One day the gin business will be wealthy enough to buy a machine to put the lids on bottles, in the meantime I'm developing lid twisting callouses.

Heading North this weekend to plant the soft fruit orchard and allow for the coming winter and spring rains to help it settle in. Here's hoping for clement weather or at least not torrential rain!

Mother's Ruin is back from her last minute hols to the Canary Islands where she sampled some of the local liqueur Ron Miel, Honey Rum, mmm very tasy. To remind me of the Spain I have used the Seville oranges that have been soaking in rum for a year to make a spicy and delicious Christmas mincemeat. It'll be on sale from Thursday at the Gin Palace, so you can stock up your Christmas larders.

A beautiful late autumn afternoon for digging, sky blue sunshine still warm. We turned the turf, and covered the whole area up with plastic last December on Boxing day - 10months later - perfect digging, beautiful rich soil! Blackcurrant, gooseberry, raspberry and rhubarb will all be going in next month to boost stocks of delicius home grown fruit.
Once back indoors, I have been making Christmas mincemeat using the Seville oranges that have been soaking in rum for a year. Think it's going to be great, but I may need to make some test pies...

 

So near so Spar, the Spar shop on Orford Rd is stocking both my damson and sloe gin, thanks to manager James for giving it a punt!
And also hurrah for the dark and inky wonder of blackcurant and vanilla vodka! It's finally ready and I have spent the evening bottling and labelling ready to stock the shop tomorrow.