"is that a UK practive/tradition that never made it across the pond?"

I guess it depends whether you have sloes round your way or not...I never knew anyone who made their own booze in America, but I know loads of people who do in the UK. Maybe it's because the UK countryside is a bit more accessible, with so many footpaths and such...people think nothing of going and picking blackberries or other hedgerow fruit if it's on a footpath, whereas in America you'd either be scared you'd die intstantly from eating anything you picked off a bush in the forest, like they always warned us in Girl Scouts, or scared the landowner would shoot you for nicking his berries.

The coffee bean thing is definitely my next project. Ta for that.