Sloe Gin
Sloe gin is made by steeping sloe berries — a small, tart wild plum — in gin along with sugar, producing a deep red liqueur with a fruity, slightly almond-like sweetness beneath gin's botanical backbone. Despite its name it is a liqueur rather than a true gin. It is a classic British ingredient, traditionally made at home each autumn.
Common uses
- base or modifier in fruity gin-based cocktails
- sipped neat as a British digestif
Buying & storage
Keeps more or less indefinitely: Alcohol is preserving it. An open bottle keeps for a very long time, though aromatics do fade slowly.
Storage: keeps well once opened, store upright away from light
In depth
Understanding sloe gin
How it is made, where it comes from, what it pairs with, and how it behaves in an alcohol-free drink.
Origin
A traditional British liqueur made by steeping wild sloe berries, historically a home-made autumn preserve.
Recipes
Cocktails containing this ingredient
Swap it
Possible substitutions
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