Presented by Cooks’ World and  Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

The December holiday season, in my ancestral land of England and elsewhere around the Old World, is also sloe gin time, when we celebrate by macerating berries of the humble blackthorn tree—a/k/a “sloe”—in gin and sweetening the infusion with sugar for purposes of toasting the holidays. Sugar is required to tone down the tartness of the sloe berries, and adding it makes a liqueur, but (believe me) there’s plenty of gin in it. The Sipsmith Sloe Gin I use is 29 percent alcohol by volume, with a silky mouthfeel and noticeable acidity. The flavors hint at sour cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, and plum. 

Some families still enjoy making their sloe gin. Still, thanks to enterprising gin distillers, it’s pretty easy to find excellent commercially bottled versions of it, including at Pinnacle Wine & Liquor (of course!).

This week, we present two delicious cocktails—one based on sloe gin and the other incorporating sloe gin with other seasonal flavors into a Christmas Negroni. 

For more seasonal recipes using sloe gin, see my previous posts here and here and here.

HOLIDAY TANGO
The revered Harry Craddock (all bow!) included this simple recipe in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, calling it “Savoy Tango.” I’m taking literary license to call it “Holiday Tango” because of the sloe gin tradition and because the December holidays are upon us. It adds apple to the dark fruit and spice of sloe gin to make a delightfully fruity but boozy drink perfect for the season.

Recipe:
1½ oz Calvados or Laird’s Applejack Brandy
1½ oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin

Pre-chill a small cocktail coupe, and prepare a garnish of a thin, red-skinned apple slice to float in the drink (the size of your glass may dictate some trimming). Dehydrated apple slices work nicely if you don’t mind making them yourself or buying them. Or, hell, just skip the garnish!

Combine the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice, stir until well chilled, and fine strain (to remove ice chips) into the chilled coupe. Garnish with the apple slice…if you must. 

CHRISTMAS NEGRONI
While the Holiday Tango is as simple as it can be, this drink goes to an extreme of indulgence with six (SIX!) ingredients, but Christmas is a time for overindulgence! We reduce the Campari and layer in notes of clove, cinnamon, allspice and other Christmassy baking spices with the St. Elizabeth and Velvet Falernum.

Recipe:
1 oz Gin (preferably Sipsmith VJOP)
1 oz Sweet vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica Formula)
½ oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
⅓ oz Campari
⅓ oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin
⅓ oz John D. Taylor Velvet Falernum

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice until it is at least half full. Stir for 15-20 seconds to chill well, then strain the mix into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of clear ice). Garnish with a thin wheel slice of orange slid into the glass.

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.

Shout out to the official supplier of elegant clear ice to the Libation Lounge: My friend Ralph DiTucci of Cristallino Premium Ice and Grace & Disgrace.