Sloe gin

Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and blackthorn fruits (sloes), which are the drupe fruit of the Prunus spinosa tree, which is a relative of the plum. ^[1] As an alcoholic drink, sloe gin contains between 15 per cent and 30 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV); however, European Union regulations established 25 per cent ABV as the minimal alcoholic content for the blackthorn beverage to be a sloe gin. Historically, despite being a liqueur based upon gin, the EU included the colloquial name sloe gin to the legal definitions; thus, sloe gin is the only alcoholic beverage that legally uses the term gin without appending the liqueur suffix. ^[2]

Contents

• Manufacture
• UK competitions
• Related liqueurs
• See also
• References

The traditional method of preparation of sloe gin is to soak the blackthorns (sloes) in gin with some sugar, and the mixture sweetens when the blackthorn fruit mature in the alcohol. Commercial sloe gin is made by flavouring an inexpensive neutral grain spirit. US distilleries use close fruits related to the blackthorn, such as the beach plum and the Aronia berry, to produce American versions of the British sloe gin. ^{[3] [4]}

Manufacture

Sloe gin is made from ripe sloes, which are traditionally picked after the first frost of winter (late October to early November in the northern hemisphere). Each sloe is pricked, traditionally with a thorn taken from the blackthorn bush on which they grow. An alternative folktale says that one should not prick the sloes with a metal fork unless it is made of silver. A modern variation is to pick the sloes earlier and freeze them overnight, to mimic the effects of frost.

A wide-necked jar is filled half way with pricked sloes, and four ounces (110 g) of sugar is added for each imperial pint (570 ml) of sloes. The jar is then filled with gin, sealed, turned several times to mix and stored in a cool, dark place. It is turned every day for the first two weeks, then each week, until at least three months have passed.

The gin will now have a deep ruby red colour. The liqueur is poured off and the sloes discarded, or infused in white wine or cider, made into jam, or used as a basis for a chutney or a filling for liqueur chocolates. ^[5] The liqueur can be filtered or decanted back into clean containers and left to stand for another week. Careful decanting can eliminate almost all sediment, leaving a red liqueur that is not cloudy.

Recipes for sloe gin vary depending on the maker's taste. The sweetness can be adjusted to taste at the end of the process, although sufficient sugar is required while the fruit is steeped to ensure full extraction of flavour. When made sufficiently slowly, the alcohol extracts an almond-like essence from the sloes' stones, giving sloe gin a particular aromatic flavour. However, some recipes use a shorter steeping time and include a small amount of almond essence. Another common variation is the addition of a few cloves and a small stick of cinnamon.

In North Yorkshire, Masons Gin distills the sloe berries in the gin as opposed to the traditional infusing the berries in the gin after distillation. ^[6]

UK competitions

A sloe gin competition is held each January in The Pandy Inn, Dorstone, Herefordshire, ^[7] with the winner crowned the "Grand Master of the Sloes". ^[8] There were 30 Sloe Gins entered in the 2015 competition. They were sampled and scored on colour, clarity, taste and quality by more than 50 judges.

There are also the Sloe Gin Awards in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, ^[9] which are held annually and include gold, silver and bronze awards.

The George Inn in Frant, East Sussex, near Royal Tunbridge Wells, plays host to the annual Sloe Gin World Championships in December. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

Related liqueurs

In Germany and other German-speaking countries, Schlehenlikör (de) is made by soaking sloes, sugar, and possibly some spices in vodka, gin or rum. The most popular commercial brand, Schlehenfeuer, based on white rum, is made by Mast-Jägermeister SE , ^[13] better known for its product Jägermeister .

In Spain, patxaran is made by soaking sloes in an anise-flavoured spirit, resulting in a light reddish-brown, sweet liquid, around 25–30% alcohol by volume.

In Italy, bargnolino is made by soaking sloes with sugar and spices in spirit alcohol (recipe varies locally), resulting a reddish, sweet liquor, around 40–45% alcohol by volume; it is often chilled before serving.

In Poland, tarninówka is an infusion ( nalewka ) of sloes in vodka or rectified spirit.

Slider is still cider in which the sloes used to make sloe gin have been steeped; it is a tradition of Devonshire in the UK. Sloe whisky and sloe brandy are variants on the tradition, and are often mixed with ginger beer or ginger ale. ^[14]

See also

• Damson gin
• Patxaran
• Prunus spinosa
• Sloe Gin Fizz
• Umeshu
• Vodka infusion
• Sloe Gin, a song on Tim Curry's 1978 album Read My Lips, later covered by Joe Bonamassa

Related Research Articles

Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandaria wine, and the aromatised wine vermouth.

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.

A liqueur is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged, beyond a resting period during production, when necessary, for their flavors to mingle.

Schnapps or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain spirits.

Prunus spinosa, called blackthorn or sloe, is an Old World species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is locally naturalized in parts of the New World.

Jägermeister is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35%. The recipe has not changed since its creation and continues to be served in its signature green glass bottle. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, Germany.

Horilka is a Ukrainian alcoholic beverage.

Pimm's is an English brand of gin-based fruit cup but may also be considered a liqueur or the basis of a sling or punch. It was first produced in 1823 by James Pimm and has been owned by Diageo since 1997. Its most popular product is Pimm's No. 1 Cup, commonly used for the Pimm's cup cocktail.

Aguardente (Portuguese) or aguardiente (Spanish) is a type of distilled alcoholic spirit that contains between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). It is a somewhat generic term that can refer to liquors made from various foods. It originates from and is typically consumed on the Iberian Peninsula and in Iberian America.

Liquor or distilled beverages are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include spirit, spirituous liquor or hard liquor. While the word liquor ordinarily refers to distilled alcoholic spirits rather than beverages produced by fermentation alone, it can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to any alcoholic beverage.

Patxaran is a sloe-flavoured liqueur commonly drunk in Navarre, as well as in the Basque Country. It is usually served as a digestif either chilled or on ice.

Gordon's is a brand of London dry gin first produced in 1769. The top markets for Gordon's are the United Kingdom, the United States and Greece. It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo. It is the world's best-selling London dry gin. Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century. A 40% ABV version for the North American market is distilled in Canada.

Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countries, denatured alcohol or denatured rectified spirit may commonly be available as "rectified spirit", because in some countries the retail sale of rectified alcohol in its non-denatured form is prohibited.

Flavored liquors are liquors that have added flavoring and, in some cases, a small amount of added sugar. They are distinct from liqueurs in that liqueurs have a high sugar content and may also contain glycerine.

A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice and carbonated water. It typically includes gin or rum as its alcoholic ingredient.

Korn, also known as Kornbrand or Kornbranntwein, is a German colorless distilled beverage produced from fermented cereal grain seed. The production of Korn uses only five grains: most of the production is based on rye or wheat; barley is mainly used to obtain the required malt for the brewing process; oats and buckwheat are rarely used. The addition of food colorings, flavorings, or sweeteners is not permitted. Korn is distilled to lower alcoholic proofs and less rigorously filtered than vodka, which leaves more of the cereal grain flavor in the finished spirit.

Bargnolino is an Italian variation of sloe gin, made by soaking sloe fruits from the blackthorn plant, Prunus spinosa, with sugar and spices in spirit alcohol. This results in a reddish, sweet liquor, around 40-45% alcohol by volume, although results vary by recipe used. Bargnolino is often chilled before serving.

Geist is a distilled beverage obtained by maceration of unfermented fruit or other raw materials in neutral spirits, followed by distillation. This differs from fruit brandy, where the alcohol comes from fermenting the fruit's naturally occurring sugars. As such, geist can be made from a much wider range of materials, as it is not limited to fruits with sufficient fermentable sugars.

References