🥃 Sloe gin
Sloe gin is a liqueur of blackthorn berries steeped in gin: in the EU and UK at least 25% ABV, natural flavourings only; sloe juice may be added. In the US it is a type of liqueur.
Sloe gin is a liqueur made by macerating blackthorn (sloe) berries in gin; sloe juice may also be added. In the EU it is its own category 35 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/787: minimum strength 25% vol., and only natural flavouring substances and flavouring preparations may be used.
The base is gin, meaning agricultural ethyl alcohol with a predominant juniper taste, so sloe gin belongs to two families at once: liqueurs and juniper-flavoured spirit drinks. Unlike many other liqueurs, synthetic flavourings are banned here; the taste has to come from the sloes (Prunus spinosa) themselves.
A similar drink stands beside it: sloe-flavoured spirit drink, or pacharán (category 32). It is also made by macerating sloes, but in ethyl alcohol with anise: at least 125 g of berries per litre, 80-250 g/l of sugar, and from 25% vol. The name "pacharán" as the main name is allowed only for a product from Spain.
In the United Kingdom sloe gin is defined in the same way in the UK version of Regulation (EC) 110/2008 (category 37), with the same 25% vol. minimum. In the US, "sloe gin" is a type of liqueur whose main flavour comes from sloe berries (27 CFR § 5.150).
Why it matters to you. The words "sloe gin" in the EU and UK guarantee a gin base and a flavour from sloes without synthetic flavourings. At 25% vol. it is weaker than gin (37.5%), but still a strong drink. The word "gin" in the name does not make it a gin: it is a liqueur. WHO: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | 35 (Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 25% vol. |
| Raw material | blackthorn berries (Prunus spinosa), gin; sloe juice optional |
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, cat. 35; 27 CFR § 5.150(b)(1) (US) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Sloe gin → kind of → 🍸 Gin and juniper spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Previous step
- 🥃 Infusion
- Packed in
- 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- 🍸 Gin
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British, 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs, 🍸 Gin and juniper spirits
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Crème de… liqueur, 🌿 Sambuca, 🥃 Maraschino, 🥃 Sárrét blackthorn pálinka (Sárréti kökénypálinka), 🥃 Plymouth Gin, 🥃 Pacharán navarro, 🥃 Pacharán
Frequently asked questions
Is the minimum strength of sloe gin the same in the UK as in the EU?
Yes. Under the UK version of the retained spirit drinks regulation, sloe gin is category 37 with a minimum of 25% vol., the same as in the EU.
How does the US treat sloe gin?
In the United States it is not a gin but a type of liqueur whose main flavour comes from sloe berries, defined in 27 CFR § 5.150.
Is sloe gin a gin or a liqueur?
A liqueur. It is made on a gin base, but the minimum is 25% vol., whereas gin itself starts at 37.5% vol.
Which sloe gin brands might I meet in the UK?
Sipsmith and Plymouth are two gin makers that sell a sloe gin, according to their own ranges. Still, the label rules are the same for every maker.
How is sloe gin usually served?
In small measures, neat or over ice, or added to mixed drinks.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🍸 Gin — Gin is a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. In the EU it is at least 37.5% ABV and juniper must dominate; in the US it is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more. “Dry” means up to 0.1 g/l of sugar.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
Similar
🥃 Amaretto · 🥃 Nocino · 🥃 Limoncello · 🥃 Coffee liqueur · 🥃 Maraschino · 🥃 Ginjinha
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I, category 35 (Sloe gin) and category 32 (Sloe-aromatised spirit drink or pacharán)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II as retained in Great Britain (legislation.gov.uk)
- 27 CFR § 5.150 Cordials and liqueurs (USA, TTB standard of identity), text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)