There aren’t nearly enough cocktail recipes these days that feature sloe gin—it’s probably because (until recently) there weren’t many palatable sloe gins on the market. Traditionally made in England by macerating blackthorn (often called “sloe”) berries in gin, sloe gin is a product you could rarely find stateside in any form that resembled true sloeberry gin. Fortunately that changed with the introduction of products from the likes of Plymouth and The Bitter Truth, both of which are now readily available and quite delicious.
The Blackthorn from Esquire’s Handbook for Hosts uses sloe gin to great advantage, subtly underlining the natural sweetness of the liquor without turning it into a gin-berry punch. It’s important to use a good quality sweet vermouth here; you’ll be using a whole ounce, and that much bad vermouth can sink the drink. My preferred sweet vermouth is Carpano Antica, though Dolin Rouge or Punt e Mes would also both be good choices.
This cocktail is tasty and intriguing, at turns sweet, savory, and spicy, with hints of cloves and cinnamon. It’s something like a cold mulled wine, which is perfect for the holidays. As a bonus, it’s dead simple to make. The recipe makes one three-ounce cocktail, but I like to split it into small cordial glasses and serve as an aperitif.
Blackthorn Cocktail Recipe
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2 ounce sloe gin
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1 ounce sweet vermouth
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Dash Angostura bitters
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Lemon peel for garnish
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Fill a mixing glass or shaker tin with ice and add the sloe gin, vermouth, and bitters.
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Stir well until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or two cordial glasses.
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Squeeze a lemon peel over the top and drop the peel into the drink. Serve.
Special equipment
Mixing glass or shaker tin, cocktail or cordial glass
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 89 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 2g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 1 to 2 |
|
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 89 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 2mg | 0% |
| 2g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| 0g | |
| Vitamin C 1mg | 3% |
| Calcium 2mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 15mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
There aren’t nearly enough cocktail recipes these days that feature sloe gin—it’s probably because (until recently) there weren’t many palatable sloe gins on the market. Traditionally made in England by macerating blackthorn (often called “sloe”) berries in gin, sloe gin is a product you could rarely find stateside in any form that resembled true sloeberry gin. Fortunately that changed with the introduction of products from the likes of Plymouth and The Bitter Truth, both of which are now readily available and quite delicious. The Blackthorn from Esquire’s Handbook for Hosts uses sloe gin to great advantage, subtly underlining the natural sweetness of the liquor without turning it into a gin-berry punch. It’s important to use a good quality sweet vermouth here; you’ll be using a whole ounce, and that much bad vermouth can sink the drink. My preferred sweet vermouth is Carpano Antica, though Dolin Rouge or Punt e Mes would also both be good choices. This cocktail is tasty and intriguing, at turns sweet, savory, and spicy, with hints of cloves and cinnamon. It’s something like a cold mulled wine, which is perfect for the holidays. As a bonus, it’s dead simple to make. The recipe makes one three-ounce cocktail, but I like to split it into small cordial glasses and serve as an aperitif. Blackthorn Cocktail Recipe 2 ounce sloe gin 1 ounce sweet vermouth Dash Angostura bitters Lemon peel for garnish Fill a mixing glass or shaker tin with ice and add the sloe gin, vermouth, and bitters. Stir well until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or two cordial glasses. Squeeze a lemon peel over the top and drop the peel into the drink. Serve. Special equipment Mixing glass or shaker tin, cocktail or cordial glass Nutrition Facts (per serving) 89 Calories 0g Fat 2g Carbs 0g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label × Nutrition Facts Servings: 1 to 2 Amount per serving Calories 89 % Daily Value* 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% 0mg 0% 2mg 0% 2g 1% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Total Sugars 1g 0g Vitamin C 1mg 3% Calcium 2mg 0% Iron 0mg 0% Potassium 15mg 0% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. (Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Blackthorn Cocktail Recipe
