How to serve
a sloe gin in
Pick the sloes after the first frost, or put them in the freezer overnight. The frost splits the skin, allowing the plum to release its juice more quickly.
Prick each plum several times with a clean needle, or gently crush them. That's the evening's work, and it determines how much color and flavor you'll get from them later.
Put the plums and sugar in the bottle, pour in the gin and seal it. Shake it briefly every day during the first week, then every few days, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Store the bottle in a dark, cool place and leave it for at least two to three months. Then strain it through a fine sieve lined with a cloth and store the clear drink in a clean bottle.
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The story
The blackthorn is a thorny shrub found in hedges and along woodland edges, and the fruit it bears is too tart to eat as it is. Steeping it in alcohol with sugar is the way to make something from it, and that is exactly what sloe gin is. The sloes infuse the gin with color and acidity for months, along with a light almond note that many people recognize, while the sugar smooths out the sharpest edges. Because a lot of sugar is added and the gin is diluted with fruit juice, the alcohol content drops to around a quarter. That is why sloe gin is listed with the liqueurs rather than the gins.
The right glass
Sloe gin is sweet and full-bodied, and you drink it in small servings. A stemmed liqueur glass of around 8 cl is the right size for it: you pour 4 cl, the bowl shows off its deep color, and the stem keeps your hand away from the drink. The Bormioli Rocco America'20S Cordinal glass is one such stemmed glass; the description mentions the faceted detail that makes a liqueur's color glow, and with this drink, that's half the pleasure. For the fizz with lemon and sparkling water, use a straight glass from the longdrink glasses.
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Cordial Liqueur Glass 8 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Longdrink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 36,40.
The right tools
For a sloe gin, besides the glass, you use a jigger to measure 4 cl and a citrus juicer for the juice of half a lemon in the fizz. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 46,35.
Variations & twists
The sloe gin fizz is the best-known serve: 5 cl sloe gin, the juice of half a lemon, a teaspoon of sugar syrup, shake briefly and top up with sparkling water over ice. Using prosecco instead of sparkling water makes it more festive, as the sweet-and-sour fruit works well with the bubbles. If you prefer it drier, mix it half and half with dry gin: you keep the colour and fruit without letting the sweetness dominate. Want to read more? See all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
In winter, serve it neat, at room temperature or straight from the fridge, in a small stemmed glass. For a more festive option, put a glass in the freezer for ten minutes, then pour in 3 cl sloe gin and 10 cl chilled prosecco. Don't throw away the plums left after straining: you can spoon them over ice cream or yoghurt.
Good to know
Why sloe gin isn't gin
Gin is a distilled drink flavoured with juniper and containing little or no added sugar. Sloe gin, by contrast, contains a lot of sugar and has an alcohol content of around 25%. This makes it a liqueur. You can usually see this on the label, as sloe gin liqueur or gin liqueur.
What are sloes?
The fruit of the blackthorn, a thorny shrub commonly found in hedges and along woodland edges. The plums are small and blue-black with a blue bloom, and so tart that you wouldn't eat them out of hand. They become delicious when steeped in alcohol with sugar.
Why after the first frost?
Frost causes the skin to split, which makes the plum release its juice more quickly. If you pick them earlier in the season, you can achieve the same effect by putting the plums in the freezer overnight. Many people now do this as standard, regardless of the weather.
How long should it steep?
Two to three months is the minimum; after six months, the flavor is rounder and the color deeper. Do strain it afterward, though, because if the plums remain in much longer, the stone will have a stronger influence. In a tightly sealed bottle, the strained drink will then keep for a long time.
How much sugar goes in?
The usual ratio is about half the fruit's weight: 500 grams of plums to 250 grams of sugar. If you want it drier, use 150 or 200 grams. You can always add sugar after straining; removing it is no longer possible.
What percentage alcohol does sloe gin contain?
Usually between 20 and 30 percent, depending on the gin you start with and how much sugar and fruit juice are added. If you start with a gin of around 40 percent, homemade sloe gin often comes out at around 25 percent. On a purchased bottle, the exact figure is on the label.
Frequently asked questions
Is sloe gin a gin or a liqueur?
A liqueur. So much sugar is added and the percentage drops so far, to around a quarter, that it no longer qualifies as gin. The name remains because gin is the starting point.
How do you make sloe gin yourself?
With 500 grams of sloes, 250 grams of sugar and a liter of gin. Prick the sloes or freeze them overnight, put everything in a clean bottle, shake until the sugar has dissolved and leave it in a dark, cool place for at least two to three months. Then strain it through a cloth.
How do you drink sloe gin?
Drink it neat in a small stemmed glass, or as a sloe gin fizz with lemon juice and sparkling water over ice. It also works in a chilled glass with prosecco, and then you do not need to add anything else.
How long does sloe gin keep?
Strained and stored in a tightly sealed bottle, it will keep for years; the alcohol and sugar do their work. If you leave the plums in, strain it after six months anyway, otherwise the stone will start to determine the flavor.
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