Sipsmith Sloe Gin
Sipsmith · Sipsmith Distillery
Sipsmith's sloe gin proves that this traditional British style deserves a place alongside serious spirits. The key is restraint — enough sugar to round the sloe's natural astringency, but not so much that you lose the juniper backbone of the base gin. This is a bottle that bridges the gap between aperitif and after-dinner pour.
Nose
Ripe sloe berries and almond-edged marzipan dominate, with juniper still present beneath. A bright citrus note — lemon peel — lifts the darker fruit, and a gentle warmth of cassia bark lingers in the background.
Palate
Rich but not cloying, with tart berry fruit balanced by the underlying juniper and a thread of bittersweet almond. The London Dry base asserts itself through warming spice and a delicate floral quality that keeps the sweetness honest.
Finish
Medium, with lingering berry tartness and a gentle almond fade.
- Style
- Sloe Gin (London Dry base)
- Botanicals
- Sloe berries, juniper, coriander, angelica root, cassia bark, lemon peel, orris root, liquorice, almond
- Base Spirit
- Neutral grain spirit
- Distillation
- Base gin distilled in small copper pot stills; sloe berries macerated post-distillation
Cocktail Suggestion
Sloe Negroni — 1.5 oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin · 1 oz Campari · 1 oz sweet vermouth · Stir with ice, strain into rocks glass over a large cube, garnish with orange twist.
Food Pairing
The gin's tart berry fruit and almond undertone complement the richness of duck liver pâté, while its acidity mirrors the snap of cornichons.
Macerated for several months in Sipsmith's award-winning London Dry base, the sloe berries are hand-picked and pricked before steeping, following a centuries-old English tradition revived when the distillery launched in Hammersmith in 2009.
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