Patient Wolf Blackthorn Sloe Gin

Handpicked sloe berries from Northern Tasmania are shipped across Bass Strait to Patient Wolf in Melbourne for Blackthorn 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. The berries are lightly pressed to split their skins, then steeped in the distillery's Melbourne 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 for up to four months. The result is bottled at 35% ABV, stronger than a traditional sloe gin, which usually sits around 25%.

Dry · Spicy · Fruity

Sweetness is the other difference. Patient Wolf adds just 1 g of sugar per 100 ml, about a tenth of what traditional sloe gins use, and sums the idea up as low sugar, big flavour. The Melbourne Dry Gin base brings juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary, coriander seed, aniseed myrtle, orris rootOrris rootIris rhizome dried for years, then ground. Powdery and violet-like, it mainly works as a fixative that binds and lengthens the other aromas.Glossary, angelica rootAngelicaThe root of a tall umbellifer, earthy and musky. After juniper and coriander it is the most common botanical: it binds the aromas and holds the finish.Glossary, cardamom, cubeb pepper and tonka bean. Rich layers of sloe, juniper and spice fill the palate, with a subtle floral note, and the touch of sugar balances the sloes' natural tartness rather than masking it. A long, dry finish follows, with cubeb and cardamom lingering. Tonka bean adds a soft vanilla and almond note that rounds the fruit.

Sloe gin dates back to 17th-century England, where it was traditionally made with plenty of sugar; Blackthorn is a modern Australian take, drier and more aromatic. Patient Wolf serves it neat, on ice, or with tonic or soda, and prints a Blackthorn and BrambleBrambleA cocktail created in London in the 1980s: gin, lemon and sugar over crushed ice, drizzled with blackberry liqueur.Glossary Punch recipe on the bottle. Its tartness also suits a Sloe Gin Fizz or a winter NegroniNegroniAn Italian cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter (Campari), served over ice with orange peel. Born in Florence in 1919.Glossary.

For a long drink, pour 4 cl of Blackthorn Sloe Gin over ice, add 10 cl of chilled Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water and stir gently. Garnish with a few sloe berries and a lemon twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary. The elderflower tonic picks up the floral note, and the lemon sharpens the fruit.