Sloe Gin Cocktail
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.6% ABV ∙
A spirit-forward stirred cocktail of sloe gin, dry vermouth, and orange bitters, served up with an orange twist. Silky and cool from the stir, with a plush, faintly tart berry weight that lingers, brightened by a fragrant citrus snap at the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Sloe gin 60 mlDry vermouth 10 mlOrange bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining so the drink doesn't lose its edge the moment it's poured.
- Stir for about 30 seconds over ice — sloe gin is already low-proof, so over-diluting flattens its fruit character.
- Express the orange twist directly over the glass before discarding or dropping it in — the oils carry more aroma than the peel alone.
History
The Sloe Gin Cocktail is a simple stirred variation on the dry Martini template, built from sloe gin, dry vermouth, and orange bitters instead of London dry gin. Sloe gin itself is an English liqueur made by infusing gin with sloe berries, the fruit of the blackthorn bush, a tradition documented in Britain since the 17th and 18th centuries, long before any specific cocktail bearing its name was recorded.
This particular stirred formula is generally traced to Stan Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Bar Guide, which paired sloe gin with dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters in the proportions still used today. Similar sloe gin, vermouth, and bitters combinations appear earlier under other names, including a version associated with a Shanghai social club active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, showing that bartenders were mixing sloe gin with vermouth and orange bitters well before the later guide fixed this particular recipe.
FAQ
Is sloe gin stronger than regular gin?
No, sloe gin is weaker than regular gin. It is a liqueur made by steeping sloe berries in gin and sweetening the result, typically landing around 15-30% ABV versus 37.5%+ for standard London dry gin; this cocktail itself comes in at about 22.6% ABV once stirred and diluted.
What pairs well with sloe gin?
Dry, bitter, and citrus notes pair well with sloe gin, balancing its fruity sweetness. This cocktail leans on dry vermouth for backbone and orange bitters for a bittersweet citrus edge, rather than a mixer-forward approach.
