Sloes are the small, astringent fruit of the blackthorn bush, and steeped in gin they give a deep ruby liqueur with a plum-like tartness. Stirred with sweet vermouth and bitters, that fruit turns into something closer to a Manhattan than a fruit drink. Lower in alcohol than most stirred classics.
2 oz
sloe gine.g. Sipsmith · Plymouth · Hayman's · Gordon's
1 oz
sweet vermouthe.g. Martini · Cinzano · Carpano · Cocchi · Punt e Mes
1 dash
Angostura bittersBuy on Amazon →
1 dash
orange bitters (optional)e.g. Angostura · Regans' Orange Bitters · Fee Brothers · The Bitter Truth
Garnish: Lemon twist · Ice: Served up, no ice
Blackthorn
Tart plum and cherry fruit from the sloe gin, rounded by the herbal sweetness of vermouth, with a light bitter finish. Medium-bodied and fairly low in alcohol.
Several quite different drinks have carried the name Blackthorn since the early twentieth century: one family pairs sloe gin with sweet vermouth, another uses Irish whiskey with dry vermouth and absinthe. The sloe gin version shown here is named after the blackthorn bush itself, whose berries are used to make the liqueur.
Sloe gin is traditionally made in England by steeping sloes in gin with sugar, often picked after the first frost. For decades it was hard to find a good commercial one outside Britain, and many bottles were artificially flavoured. The return of quality sloe gins in recent years has made this simple, stirred drink worth revisiting.
A liqueur made by steeping sloe berries, the fruit of the blackthorn, in gin with sugar. It is usually red and 25 to 30 % ABV.
Moderately. Because sloe gin is weaker than gin, the drink is lighter than a Manhattan or Martini.
Yes. Strain it over a large ice cube in a rocks glass if you prefer a slower, cooler drink.
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