🥃 Sloe gin
Liqueur from blackthorn berries steeped in gin: in the EU 25% vol. minimum, natural flavourings only; sloe juice may be added.
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
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
What is sloe gin made from?
From blackthorn berries (Prunus spinosa) steeped in gin; sloe juice may be added (Regulation (EU) 2019/787, category 35).
Is it true that sloe gin is a kind of gin?
No. Under EU rules it is a gin-based liqueur: the minimum strength is 25% vol., whereas for gin it is 37.5% vol.
What is the minimum strength of sloe gin?
25% vol., both in the EU and under UK rules (category 37 of Regulation 110/2008 as it applies in the UK).
How does sloe gin differ from pacharán?
Pacharán (category 32) is steeped in ethyl alcohol with anise, using at least 125 g of sloes per litre and 80-250 g/l of sugar. Sloe gin is steeped in gin, and anise is not required.
Can flavourings be added to sloe gin?
Only natural flavouring substances and flavouring preparations; synthetic flavourings are banned for this category.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
- 🍸 Gin — A spirit flavoured with juniper berries: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., juniper must dominate, and “dry” means up to 0.1 g/l of sugar.
- 🍇 Crème de… liqueur — Crème de… (EU category 34): at least 250 g/l of sugar, from 15% vol., no milk products; crème de cassis — over 400 g/l.
Similar
🥃 Amaretto · 🥃 Limoncello · 🥃 Maraschino · 🥃 Nocino · 🍇 Crème de… liqueur · 🥃 Egg liqueur (advocaat)
⚠️ 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)