Sloe gin is a vintage spirit made by infusing gin with sloe berries and adding just a touch of sweetness. In the fall, dark blue and purple clusters of sloe berries grow on thorny blackthorn trees common in hedgerows across Europe. Sloes are highly astringent but when macerated in gin, they lend warming bitter sweetness and fresh acidity to the resulting liqueur.

Happily, four ingredients are all that is needed to make sloe gin: sloe berries, gin, sugar and patience! We start by distilling gin, then infuse it with wild sloe berries. Adding sugar helps to release the sloe berries’ entire flavor spectrum and vibrant hues into the gin. The result is a mahogany colored spirit that combines ripe sweetness with fresh acidity and notes of black tea. Delicious, dark and warming, sloe gin was traditionally enjoyed in the depths of winter, but its unique color and flavor also combine wonderfully with a wide variety of spirits to make spectacular cocktails. Try as a sloe gin & tonic!

Tasting notes: Mahogany color. Aromas of plum, blackberries and black tea and notes of gin in the background. Restrained sweetness. Light bodied silky texture. Elegant style.