With all the fancy botanicals that find their way into gin, you had better be pretty special to get your own signature drink. Fruity, sweet, plum-diddlyumptious Sloe made the cut. You’ve probably heard of sloe gin fizz, which is definitely sloe gin’s most famous concoction, but a creative bartender knows that its blend of sweetness and acidity is a candidate for tons of cocktails. We think you and sloe gin will be fast friends.

Sloe is a stone fruit, like plums or cherries. It grows natively in England, a land fond of both gin and curious spellings. Producers start with a nice gin base, which contains bright juniper berries, of course. The gin is then infused with fresh sloe, which adds acidity, rosy color and some wonderful natural flavors. Sloe expresses itself with notes of berry, citrus, and plum. A touch of sugar helps balance the acidity. In a great sloe gin, you’ll find the sloe balancing and complementing classic gin flavors to create even greater complexity and drinkability. Alcohol can vary from brand to brand, but the Europeans expect at least 25% ABV in order for it to be called “sloe gin”.

Something about sloe gin cocktails feels fancy. Its famous cocktail, the sloe gin fizz, is a blend of sloe gin, lemon juice, egg white, simple syrup and (ideally) champagne. If that doesn’t add a touch of 1920’s speakeasy class, we don’t know what will. The even simpler “sloe gin royale” is just sloe gin topped off with sparkling wine. A lemon wedge to garnish isn’t a bad idea, either. Lots of other citrusy, sweet permutations are out there, so do some research or try your own interpretations! Just make sure you try it straight first so you have a better idea of the flavor profile and how it will play in your cocktail.

Even though those speakeasies were undeniably cool, sloe gin is a spirit that will make you glad Prohibition didn’t last. You don’t need to know a code word to get some, either; just have Drizly bring some over. Shop Drizly by clicking on these links to search for Drizly in your city and look for liquor stores on Drizly near you.