The sloe gin fizz is a classic cocktail that is perfect for parties and gatherings, it’s a light drink ( not heavy in alcohol content) and an exciting sipper!

Sloe Gin Fizz

The Sloe Gin Fizz

So the other day, Karlynn and I drove across Edmonton (oh, I almost forgot Sherwood Park as well) to try to find Sloe Gin. Apparently, there are quite a few hipsters in our fine city because this stuff, this stuff was HARD TO FIND people. And when I say hard to find, I mean we literally hit 3 different Wine and Beyond stores (those huge stores you see that rival Costco) in order to find this stuff. We finally found it, and when we did, I bought four bottles.

Why Sloe Gin?

Good question! First, here’s what it looks like:

a bottle of Hayman's Sloe Gin on wood — Hayman’s Sloe Gin

What is Sloe Gin?

Sloe gin is a sweeter, reddish-colored liqueur made from the blue-blacked-colored sloe berry, also known as a blackthorn bush. The berries are too sour to eat raw, so they are made into a liqueur, which is a much better way of using them, in my opinion! The alcohol content ranges from 15% to 30%, depending on the brand.

While planning for our next cocktail party (a follow-up to our Mad Men party) we started planning which cocktails I’d make. The famous 70’s cocktail, the Sloe Gin Fizz, made the cut that required… Sloe Gin. Go figure! Is it weird that I originally thought Sloe Gin was spelled Slow Gin? I know what a great cocktail blogger I am. Oh well, at least I don’t pretend to be a bartender, right?

Ingredients in a Sloe Gin Fizz

Once you actually find the sloe gin, it’s really easy to make a sloe gin fizz! All you need is:

sloe gin
lemon juice
lime juice
simple syrup
club soda

close up glass of Sloe Gin Fizz garnish with a slice of lemon

How to Make a Sloe Gin Fizz

To make a sloe gin fizz the way they did in the 50s:

2 oz Sloe Gin
One tablespoon of simple syrup
3/4 oz of lemon juice
3/4 oz of lime juice
Add to Boston Shaker with Ice
Shake well.
Pour into a glass top with club soda, and serve.

It’s simple, delicious, and way too easy to drink, which makes it perfect (or should I say terrible) for our party. In my estimate, it will be the equivalent of our widely successful ginventory-reducing (oooh, new word!) Gin Gimlet recipe. Oh well, that’s why I bought four bottles.

By the way, have you tried a Brass Monkey? If not, it’s a no-brainer and should definitely be your next taste-tester!

Happy cocktailing!

Mike