Sloe Gin Fizz | Greedy Gourmet

Q: What are sloes?

Sloes – pronounced 'slows' – are tiny blue/black berries that typically grow on blackthorn bushes in the UK. The word 'sloe' comes from a mixture of old European words for plum. Sloes grow between August and November and the later in the season they are, the better. Sloe gin makers usually wait until the first frost – this is because the berries freeze, leaving a split along the side. This allows the berries to infuse a lot more flavor into the gin.

Question 1

What are sloes?

Accepted Answer

Sloes – pronounced 'slows' – are tiny blue/black berries that typically grow on blackthorn bushes in the UK. The word 'sloe' comes from a mixture of old European words for plum. Sloes grow between August and November and the later in the season they are, the better.

Sloe gin makers usually wait until the first frost – this is because the berries freeze, leaving a split along the side. This allows the berries to infuse a lot more flavor into the gin.

Question 2

What is sloe gin?

Accepted Answer

Sloe gin is a gin based liqueur made by steeping sloe berries in gin. Basically, this involves leaving the tiny berries in the gin for months, until you're left with a wonderfully tart, fruity infusion.

Sloe gins have a delicious deep flavour, perfect for making a refreshing cocktail like this sloe gin fizz!

Question 3

Do I need to use fresh lemon juice?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While technically you can use lemon juice from a bottle, fresh is best. There's nothing quite like the fragrance and flavor of fresh lemon juice to complement your sloe gin fizz!

Of course, you could give it a twist and use fresh lime juice.

Question 4

What is sugar syrup?

Accepted Answer

Sugar syrup, or simple syrup, is used for sweetening cocktails. It's made from one part water to two parts sugar and comes pre-mixed in bottles you can buy from most supermarkets.

Question 5

How do you make simple syrup?

Accepted Answer

Making simple syrup is easy! All you need to do is dissolve two parts sugar to one part water (e.g. 300g caster sugar in 150ml water) in a saucepan over a low heat. Once the sugar has fully dissolved, allow it to cool completely.

You can even make a big batch and store your sugar syrup in the fridge, ready to add to your favorite cocktails.

Question 6

How strong is this sloe gin fizz?

Accepted Answer

It's not too strong! However, it's easily adaptable – you can add an extra shot of sloe gin for a suitable kick or add extra sparkling water for a milder version.

Question 7

Can this recipe be scaled?

Accepted Answer

Not really. Of course, you could double or triple the amounts below to make a large batch, but the point of a sloe gin fizz is to keep that fizz. So, only make as much as you need – you can always shake up a few more to keep the party going!

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