Boatrocker Sloe Gin

Sloe berries steep in Boatrocker's Original Gin for three months to make Boatrocker Sloe GinSloe ginA liqueur made by steeping sloe berries in gin, then sweetening it. It is usually bottled between 25% and 30% ABV.GlossarySee Sloe gin gins. A small amount of cane sugar syrup balances the fruit's natural acidity, and the finished gin liqueurGin liqueurGin sweetened and often fruit-flavoured, at 15% ABV or more. Sweeter and lighter than a gin.Glossary is bottled at 25% ABV. The method gives the berries time to colour and flavour the gin, while the original juniper base remains part of the taste.

Fruity · Herbal

The aroma is led by dark, tart berries and their characteristic kernel-like note. Beneath the fruit, the distillery's gin base brings juniper and a measured botanical warmth. The sweetness is present to soften the sloes' sharpness, not to erase it. This balance keeps the nose recognisably berry-driven while avoiding the simple impression of a sweet fruit cordialCordialA concentrated syrup of fruit (often lime) and sugar, made to be topped up.Glossary.

On the palate, the berries arrive full and concentrated, with acidity keeping the sweetness in check. The original gin lends depth and a light herbal edge, while the 25% strength gives the liqueur a softer weight than a standard gin. The finish remains fruit-led, with a trace of tartness and the warming complexity of the base spirit. It is rich in flavour, but its acidity gives it enough definition to drink without mixing.

The three-month steeping is the defining part of the recipe. Sloe berriesSloeA small wild plum from the blackthorn, very astringent raw: it is what makes sloe gin.Glossary steep in the Original Gin, with a little cane sugar syrup to balance their acidity. Sloe gin is therefore best understood here as a berry liqueur built on the house gin, not as a standard-strength dry ginDry ginGin with no perceptible sweetness: in the European Union, the word "dry" allows at most 0.1 g of sugar per litre.GlossarySee Dry gin gins. Serve it neat over ice or with a dash of a mixer.

For a simple serve, pour 5 cl over one large clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary cube in a short rocks glass and express a strip of orange peel over the drink. Place a few dark sloes and another strip of orange beside the glass. No tonic is needed for this neat serve; the ice gradually softens the fruit and reveals more of the gin beneath it. For a longer drink, follow the producer's suggestion and add only a small dash of a favourite mixer, tasting as you go so the berry character stays distinct.