Plymouth Sloe Gin appears on local shelves.

Sloe gin is a red liqueur flavored with sloe berries, which is the fruit of the blackthorn- a relative of the plum.  Traditionally, sloe gin was made my infusing real sloe berries in gin.  Sloe berries, while intensely flavored are also very sour, so sugar was often added to sweeten the result.
Today, it is more common to find commercially-available sloe gins made by adding artificial coloring and flavoring to neutral grain spirits in order to produce an inexpensive, almost cloyingly sweet cordial.  And over time, these over-sweetened liqueurs were delegated to colorings in fruity concoctions like the Alabama Slammer or Sloe Comfortable Screw.

But appreciating Sloe Gin just became easier a few weeks ago, when Plymouth Sloe Gin — a bona fide sloe gin from the English producers of Plymouth gin, and distilled from an 1883 recipe — arrived at Premier Liquor in Orchard Park.
Made with only fresh sloe berries, Plymouth Gin, water, and a minimal amount of sugar, this deep ruby red spirit strikes a perfect balance between sweet, tart, and bitter.
Plymouth is only exporting about 1,000 cases to the United States, primarily due to demand from “the new experimental bartenders looking back to old cocktails,” so this is admittedly a hard-to-come-by commodity.

Sloe gin can be enjoyed 'straight', as an aperitif, or warming after dinner drink in front of the fire.  It is also an fabulous ingredient in many cocktails, due to its rich and intense flavor.




















Here are some cocktails using real Plymouth Sloe Gin. Don't try these with a cheaper brand, or you'll be disappointed with the results!

San Francisco
3/4 oz Plymouth sloe gin
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz dry vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
Shake in iced cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cherry.

Blackthorn
2 oz Plymouth sloe gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Real Sloe Gin Fizz
1½ oz Plymouth sloe gin
½ oz gin
¾ oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 egg white
1 teaspoon sugar
Shake all ingredients hard, in a shaker, first without ice, then with ice. Strain into a tall glass and top off with soda water.

Creme Yvette to Return to Store Shelves After Fifty Year Hiatus

Three years after introducing St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Cooper Spirits Company is reintroducing the violet liqueur Crème Yvette in the U.S.

Nearly all mid-century bartending guides suggest that Creme Yvette was part of any well-stocked bar, and it was essential in classic cocktails such as the Blue Moon or Affinity.  But in 1969, it disappeared.

Cooper's family business, the Philadelphia-based Charles Jacquin et Cie, has owned the recipe for decades but discontinued the product in 1969.  But after the success of St Germain, and increasing nagging from cocktail experts and writers David Wondrich and Dale DeGroff, Cooper began to look into resurrecting the unique cordial.

Crème Yvette is a blend of dried violet petals from Provence, a fresh berry maceration of blackberries, red raspberries, wild strawberries and blackcurrant from Burgundy, and a spice blend of honey, orange peel and vanilla.
If you are a fan of berry liqueurs like Chambord, Creme de Cassis, Pama, or Sloe Gin, this is one liqueur you are going to want to try.  Creme Yvette sounds like the perfect ingredient for adding fruity and floral character to a drink.

Already, to be totally  predictable, the folks at MarthaStewartLivingOnmiMedia suggest's mixing Creme Yvette with sparkling wine.  (Is there anything the editors of ML Living don't mix with sparkling wine for a "quick and easy festive drink?)"

Although initial distribution is extremely limited, (the liqueur was unveiled at New York’s Astor Wines and Spirits and sold out instantly,) Cooper Spirits has more on it's way to NYC and Los Angeles, with distribution to expand to Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts by May.

So, when will it arrive in smaller markets like Buffalo?  It's hard to tell, but if you have an interest in a taste or bottle, it would be wise to start asking your favorite bartender or liquor store manager about it now, so that they can start nagging their distributor about it.