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Sloe Gin Fizz cocktail is the way to go if you're looking for a refreshing drink to sip on this summer! This classic cocktail is easy to make and tastes delicious. It has a tart and sweet taste that's reminiscent of lemonade with an herbal twist.
Sloe Gin Fizz is a cocktail with a long history. The earliest recipe we know of for it came from 1869 when an Englishman named Henry William Herbert published his "Drinks of All Kinds."
Once we Americans got our hands on sloe gin, we added some citrus and club soda. Thus, the sloe gin fizz was born.
Now, don't feel left out if you've never heard of sloe gin. I have recently been introduced to it myself, and it's my preferred gin.
Key Ingredients:
To make this amazing sloe gin fizz cocktail, you will need the following key ingredients:
Sloe Gin
Sloe gin is not a "gin" but a liqueur made from blackthorn berries (sloe berries), giving its unique dark purple hue.
Lemon Juice
Only use fresh lemon juice. Even if you purchase it from a store, you can taste the difference.
Raw Cane Sugar
Classic recipes call for superfine sugar, but I find using raw cane sugar melts and adds a great flavor that pairs well with the sloe gin.
Topo Chico
Traditionally, gin fizz is top with club soda, but I've decided to use Topo Chico, which is carbonated mineral water that comes in three different flavors.
How to make a sloe gin fizz cocktail
Making a sloe gin fizz cocktail is easy, but you must make sure you have a shaker and strainer.
Step 1: Add the lemon juice, sloe gin, and sugar to a cocktail shaker and shake forcefully 8 to 10 times.
Step 2: Fill each highball glass with ice. Strain the cocktail shaker into both glasses. Top each highball glass off with 2 oz. of Topo Chico and stir until combined.
Step 3: Garnish each glass fold lemon slice in half and pierce with toothpick, add maraschino cherry sit on top of glass and add a mint sprig.
Sloe Gin Fizz Recipe Tips & Tricks:
Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you make this cocktail:
- Shaking the cocktail vigorously will give your sloe gin fizz its signature foam.
- Gin fizz traditionally uses egg whites, but this homemade recipe is much simpler.
- The best sloe gins are made in England. Here are the top-shelf brands to consider when buying sole gins: Hayman's, Plymouth, and Sipsmith.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about making a recipe for sloe gin fizz:
Sloes are small, plum-sized wild fruit that has been used for centuries in Britain as an ingredient in preserves and desserts, but they also make fabulous sloe gin.
Sloes have an astringent and tart flavor that doesn't make them the top berries for eating raw, but they create magic when soaked in gin.
Sloe gin fizz is a traditional lemon juice, sloe gin, sugar, and club soda. The cocktail's name comes from sloe berries, which are often steeped in spirit to create a liqueur.
Sloe imparts an almond flavor similar to amaretto or almond extract without the bitter almond aftertaste.
The difference between gin and sloe gin is that gin is made the berry used to make the alcohol.
Gin is made from distilling juniper berries. In America, to be considered gin, it has to be 40% proof.
Sloe gin is a gin-based liqueur made in England from an infusion of sloes and sugar (or alcohol) with spices like cinnamon or nutmeg added for flavor. Soaking the sloes in gin creates a liqueur rather than a spirit. It typically has an alcohol content of about 20%-25%.
Regardless if you use regular gin or sloe gin, they both produce a quality gin fizz cocktail.
What type of alcohol is sloe gin?
Sloe gin is a British favorite that's generally consumed as a warm winter drink. The sloe berries are soaked in gin, and sloe gin is then made by distilling sloes with sugar to create a liqueur.
Latest Recipe Video:
How do you drink Sloe Gin?
Sloe gin has a great sweet, tart, and refreshing flavor. That makes it great to drink neat, chilled over ice, or as suggested with this delicious sloe gin fizz cocktail recipe.
Common One to One Substitutions:
Don’t have everything you need? No worries. Here are some of the most common substitutions for this dish:
- If you don’t have topo chico, you can use seltzer water or club soda. Just make sure it’s carbonated.
- Feel free to swap out the raw cane sugar for granulated sugar.
- If you cannot find sloe gin, swap it out for your favorite gin.
Can I make it ahead?
Storage
Sloe Gin Fizz: You can make your sloe gin fizz an hour in advance. Make it according to the recipe but do not add the Topo Chico and garnish until you serve the cocktail.
More Cocktail Ideas:
- Blackberry Mint Sangria
- Classic Margarita
- Prickly Pear Margaritas
- Watermelon Limeade Daiquiri
- Hibiscus Rum Punch
- Strawberry Ginger Lemonade
I hope you enjoy this drink recipe and are inspired to make your own sloe gin fizz cocktail! If you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram with a photo of the finished product. You can also leave a comment below to chat about what went well or didn't go as planned in the kitchen. Pour up!
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Recipe:
📖 Recipe
Sloe Gin Fizz
Ingredients
- 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 6 oz. sloe gin
- 2 teaspoons raw cane sugar
- 6-8 ice cubes
- 4 oz. Topo Chico
- 2 8 oz. chilled highball glasses
- ½ lemon sliced garnish
- 2 maraschino cherries
- 2 mint sprigs
Instructions
- Add the lemon juice, sloe gin, and sugar to a cocktail shaker and shake forcefully 8 to 10 times.
- Fill each highball glass with ice. Strain the cocktail shaker into both glasses. Top each highball glass off with 2 oz. of Topo Chico and stir until combined.
Louise says
We were drinking SLO Gin Fizzes at the bars in the '70's in Ohio. I have never made one though.
Kenneth says
Time to make one for old times sake.