Growing up in the Cotswolds, where Blackthorn bushes grow in abundance, Sloe gin was always homemade. Dad spent hours scouring for the dark berries and then a few more hours shoving them into half full Gordon’s bottles and adding a little sugar. The bottles were carefully stored for Dad to bring out each Christmas. It smelt like cough mixture to me, but as the years went by I learned to appreciate the product of his patience.
Plymouth Sloe Gin is made to an original 1883 recipe combining Plymouth Gin, sloe berries, Dartmoor water and a small amount of sugar and allowed to steep for four months.
The result is a juicy berry-flavoured gin liqueur. The initial aroma of fruit is followed by almonds. On the tongue you get a burst of cherry and a hint of bitterness which counteracts the sweetness nicely.
There are few things more comforting on a cold winter’s night than a nip of Plymouth Sloe Gin, but it also makes a versatile gin cocktail ingredient.
The Noble Experiment in Melbourne features Plymouth Sloe Gin in its “Nearly a Negroni” and it also makes a delicious gin fizz.
Country of Origin: Plymouth, UK
ABV: 26%
Price: Medium
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