The holidays are upon us, and too often this is a season of excess, so if you’re interested in beverages you can sip all evening without shooting holes in your liver and brain, I have two words for you:

Sloe. Gin.

“Sloe Gin? I’ve heard of that—what is it, anyway?”
Sloe gin isn’t quite gin; it’s a gin-based liqueur—an infusion of blackthorn berries (a/k/a “sloe berries”) in gin, sweetened with sugar. It’s a traditional British Christmas and New Year beverage that emerged in concert with gin’s popularity and was usually homemade. Today there are a number of fine distillers who produce it using their gins; it’s a very useful ingredient for flavoring cocktails and as a base ingredient for low-alcohol cocktails—a great way to enjoy your holiday gatherings (or take refuge from them, for that matter).

Preferences may vary, but my very favorite among the commercially produced sloe gins is Sipsmith’s. It fairly bursts with flavor (think cassis and cherry) and is very enjoyable all by itself, over ice or with a little soda and a twist of lemon peel. 

But wait—there’s more! So. Much. More. Here are some easy sloe gin cocktail recipes that perfect for the holiday season, throughout the winter, and some even during the heat of summer. And there are plenty more where these came from.

The Blackthorn
If you search Difford’s Guide or Google for “Blackthorn cocktail,” you’ll find a half-dozen or more variations on this one, but they fall roughly into two groups: those based on gin and those based on whiskey. I happen to love gin, so this is where we begin.

2 oz Sipsmith VJOP Gin
2 oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin
½ oz Dolin or Vya Dry vermouth
½ oz Dolin Sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange zest.

The Sloe Gin Cocktail
If you enjoy the flavor of sloe gin on its own, this cocktail mildly reduces the liqueur’s sweetness with a dash of orange bitters and a little dry vermouth. 

2 oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin
¼ oz Dolin or Vya Dry vermouth
1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters

In a mixing glass, combine the ingredients and stir with plenty of ice for about 15 seconds, then strain the mix into a chilled Nick & Nora or small Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange zest after expressing oils from the peel over the cocktail. This recipe doubles easily, although I prefer it in small servings so every sip is cold. 

Saison l’Hiver
This one is a huge hit with Nancy (Mrs. Libation Lounge) and our friends.

1 dried clove
⅓ oz Honey syrup (3 parts honey to 1 water)
½ oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin
½ oz Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sparkling rosé wine (well chilled) to top off the drink

Muddle the clove in the base of a shaker, add the honey syrup, sloe gin, and lemon juice. Shake with ice, then fine-strain (e.g., tea strainer) the mix into a chilled Champagne flute. Top with sparkling rosé. Garnish with a seasonal berry on the rim of the flute.

Sipsmith Sloe Royale
Add 1½ ounces Sipsmith Sloe Gin to a chilled Champagne flute and top with your favorite dry sparkling wine. Garnish with a curl of lemon peel.

Sloe Gin Fizz
You didn’t think a person who came of age in the 1970s would omit this one, did you?

2 oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin
1 oz Lemon juice
½ oz Simple syrup or 1 barspoon of powdered sugar
Chilled dry Champagne, cremant, prosecco, or cava of choice

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled small highball or Collins glass (without ice), through a fine-mesh strainer to remove ice chards. Top with your sparkling wine. Note that it’s important for all of the ingredients and the serving glass to be cold; no one likes warm bubbly.

Winter Gin and Tonic
In an ice-filled highball or Collins glass, add equal parts of Sipsmith VJOP Gin and Sipsmith Sloe Gin; an ounce of each is a good place to start. Top with a quality tonic (I prefer Fever Tree or Q), stir gently once or twice, and garnish with a curl of lemon peel.

HOT SLOE GIN DRINKS
They mull wine, don’t they? So why not sloe gin? Spice up your holiday gatherings with one of these!

Hot Sloe Berry Whisky
This recipe will scale up easily to the limits of your saucepan…or spaghetti pot. Amounts shown are per serving.

2 ounces Sipsmith Sloe Gin
½ oz Whisky of choice
½ oz Hot water
½ oz Simple syrup or 1-2 tsp sugar (to taste)

Combine, heat, and stir all ingredients gently in a saucepan or pot; don’t boil it (alcohol evaporates at 173^oF). If you have a candy thermometer, aim for 150-155 degrees. When heated well, ladle servings into a thick glass or mug and garnish with a twist of orange zest.

Hot Mulled Sloe Gin
Apple cider to mull—4 oz per serving
Assorted spices of choice for mulling (e.g., cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods)
Vanilla pod (cut down the middle)
2 oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin (per serving)
1 Cinnamon stick for garnish (per serving)
½ Orange slice for garnish (per serving)

Put the spices and vanilla pod in a saucepan, add cider, and heat the cider to boiling. Once heated, simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly and allowing the spices to do their work. Ladle servings of the mulled cider into coffee mugs or Irish coffee mugs, leaving room to top each serving with two ounces of sloe gin. Garnish each serving with a half orange slice and/or a cinnamon stick.