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Plymouth Sloe Gin

What is Plymouth Sloe Gin? Plymouth Sloe Gin liqueur is made by gently steeping the finest sloes in Plymouth Gin and soft pure Dartmouth water. The process is carefully monitored and never hurried, until the perfect liqueur flavour is achieved.

Sloe berries are usely picked after the first frost of the winter in October or November, although now spring comes earlier in the UK they are sometimes ripe and ready to pick in September.

In the production process a wide-necked jar that can be sealed is needed. Each berry is pricked, and the wide necked jar is filled half way with the pricked berries. For each pint (0.5 litre) of sloes, 4oz (100g) of sugar is used, then the jar is filled with gin, adding a few cloves and a small stick of cinnamon, as well as the almond essence. The jar is sealed and turned several times to mix, then 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 be a deep ruby red. The liqueur is then poured off and the spices and berries discarded.The liqueur can be filtered, but it is best decanted back into clean containers and left to stand for another week. Careful decanting can then ensure that almost all sediment is eliminated, leaving a clear liqueur. Made in this way, the alcohol extracts an almond-like essence from the sloes, avoiding the need to add almond essence.

Sloe gin is a favourite of mine and is a brilliant product to use in the creation of fantastic tasting cocktails. Its not a product which receives a lot of press and is not used enough in my opinion, hence why I am educating  you the readers about it and appreciating the product by featuring it in some of my recipes.


You can purchase Plymouth Sloe Gin in most supermarkets, it normally retails at around the £17 mark.