One of our house specialities in Dwyers Restaurant in Waterford was Sloe Gin which we made up every year as a house liqueur and it was amazingly popular.

Since then I have developed a bit of a passion for making liqueurs and have tried my hand at several other fruit and alcohol combinations.

The French produce a flavourless alcohol especially for this purpose which is freely available in supermarkets and which makes experimentation very easy.

If you look at this picture, next to my new bottling jar (about which more later) you will see a jar of Apricots so conserved since last summer (delicate flavour)
and on the dresser top some more trials, White Cherries (delicious very almondy), White Peaches (frankly dull) and I have also has a success with Seville Oranges and Plums.

But back to the new bottling jar.

I immediatly fell for it when I saw it on a stall in the Vide Grenier in St Genies on Sunday because on it was written;

Fruits Benoit Serres
Grande Specialiste de la Fruits A La Liqueuer
Valence d’Agen

And I could clearly see from the bubbles in the glass that it had been hand blown.
I gave Madame behind the €7 she asked without quibble (to Síles surprise)

There was no denying it I had bought a bottling jar specifically designed for that function.

A little light Googling revealed that Benoit Serres are still in business, and have been since 1841. (which was about the time I reckon they got the bottle I have made)
The firm is, as is normal in France, still in the same family, now into its fifth generation.

Now all I have to do is find a lid or cork for it and decide what fruits I will next preserve.