My drinks cupboard at home for years was made up of vodka, rum and bottles of whiskey I seemed to get from clients as a "thank you" but one product I had never envisaged myself ever having was a bottle of sloe gin. It made me think of a great aunt of mine who drank a small glass whenever I saw her but after receiving a bottle at a bonfire night party a few years ago I was soon hooked when given it mixed with tonic water and was none the wiser.

My Sloe Gin of choice is by Gordon's. We are all well aware that they make the famous green bottled gin but they have been making their sloe gin for over 100 years. I have tried other sloe gins over the past few years but have always reverted to Gordon's Sloe Gin as I find the overall taste and flavour really quite nice and actually quite easy to drink!

============
What is Sloe Gin
============

Sloe Gin is a relatively easy product to make and Gordon's are quite happy to share their secret with you. Sloe Gin is basically made up of sloe berries, sugar and water. Pretty simple but the reason behind why it tastes so good is that it is left for a decent period of time (around a month) and the outcome should be a warming flavour.

=======
Packaging
=======

Gordon's Sloe Gin comes in a tall glass bottle the exact same shape as the normal gin - a flat backed bottle with a rounded front. The glass bottle is completely clear and you can easily see the deep purple liquid inside. The front label is relatively simple in keeping with the white and purple theme the scrolled Gordon's logo is printed together with the product name and an image of sloe berries. The back of the bottle has a small label which features the ingredients, warnings i.e. under age drinking as well as information on the product.

=========
The Product
=========

Gordon's Sloe Gin is a gorgeous, rich deep purple colour and has a consistency which is ever so slightly thicker than water but not by much and as soon as you open the bottle and pour a small amount into a glass you do get a rich berry like fragrance which is rounded off with the typical Gordon's gin smell. It has an incredibly warming aroma without being too heavy.

To taste you get that wonderful warming sensation from the first mouthful. That warming of the stomach type feeling which is especially nice on a cold winter's day. You can clearly tell that this is a gin based product but it isn't sharp to the taste instead it has been teamed with a lovely berry taste which although isn't sickly sweet it is perfectly palatable and does have a soft taste one that won't make your lips curl as if you've eaten a lemon.

I generally either drink mine on it's own should I want a lovely warming drink which tastes delicious and isn't heavy or I tend to have it with tonic water and a slice of lemon and it is lovely and refreshing making it a more suitable spring/summer drink. I think there are many ways of drinking it having slowly been introduced to having it as a cocktail I find it to be quite a versatile drink.

=====
Recipe
=====

Taken from the Gordon's website but used several times for various occasions by me throughout the year.

Gordon's Sloe Gin Sparkle

20ml Gordon's Sloe gin
Pomegranate seeds
20ml pomegranate juice or cranberry
75ml champagne

Simply place the pomegranate seeds in a champagne (or wine) glass them add the sloe gin, pomegranate juice and top up with champagne. Simple yet definitely divine!

=====
Overall
=====

A wonderful drink which can be quite versatile to drink throughout the year but I must admit I really do like sloe gin on a cold winters evening as it really does warm you up nicely. Definitely a drink that I overlooked and wish I hadn't as it really has a lovely, unique taste to it. A drink I can easily recommend. 5 stars from me.

=============
Useful Information
=============

Brand: Gordon's
Availability: Supermarkets, off licences
Price: From £17.00
Size: 700ml