Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail

Slow Down and Drink Up

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Despite its name, sloe gin is not a gin. It is a red liqueur made by soaking sloes—blue-black berries that look like a cross between a plum and a blueberry—in gin or vodka. The sloe gin fizz is a popular fruit cooler and a perfect introductory cocktail to the sweet-tart taste of a great sloe gin, which has seen a revival in recent years and is used in a number of retro and classic cocktails.

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for a sloe gin fizz, as you can adjust the sweetener or soda, or even split the liqueur with a London dry gin. It's fun to taste all of the variations to discover which you enjoy most. Easy to mix up, this is a great cocktail for spring and summer days on the patio.

What Exactly Is a Sloe?

The sloe, or blackthorn, is plentiful in the hedgerows of England, and British sloe gin is considered the best there is. It's integral to many local sweet and savory preparations. The sloe has a very tart taste and it's not recommended to eat them raw. Instead, they are best enjoyed as an ingredient alongside a sweetener to contrast the tartness. For that reason, they're found most often in jams, preserves, and, of course, sloe gin.

How to Choose a Good Sloe Gin

A renewed worldwide interest in sloe gin has made a significant difference in the quality of commercially produced sloe gins. Plymouth Gin revived a traditional recipe using real sloes; this brand is one of the best and most readily available sloe gins to be found today. 

More distillers have caught on to the trend and brands like Hayman's, Bramley & Gage, Gordon's, and Sipsmith have very impressive sloe gins as well. You might want to steer clear of cheaper brands of sloe gin as many don't use natural ingredients.

As you experiment with different sloe gins, you also might find that some of these work better than others. You will find that some sloe gins note "creamy topped" on the label. When shaken, there will be a creamy head on top of these sloe gins. The effect is similar to the foam of an egg cocktail and that's why the sloe gin fizz doesn't necessarily require the egg found in the popular gin fizz.

More Delicious Sloe Gin Cocktails

Now that you have a bottle of sloe gin, there's no better time to sample it in a variety of cocktails. In addition to a classic sloe gin fizz, enjoy the liqueur in the following drinks:

Sloe Gin Fizz

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

"Sloe Gin is an underused and nearly forgotten gin-based liqueur that is the most sensual red berry fruit flavor attributed to a cocktail. This recipe is the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and spirit, and the perfect starting point to investigate Sloe Gin and let it become a new staple in your drink making." —Sean Johnson

Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for a Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail
    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios
  2. Pour the sloe gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

    Mixing a Sloe Gin Fizz
    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios
  3. Shake well.

    Shaking a Sloe Gin Fizz
    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios
  4. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.

    Straining a Sloe Gin Fizz
    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios
  5. Top with soda.

    Topping a Sloe Gin Fizz With Soda
    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios
  6. Serve and enjoy.

    Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail
    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Recipe Variations

Here are some excellent variations recommended by our experts:

  • Pour 1 ounce each of gin and sloe gin. This mix is best when you have a syrupy-sweet sloe gin.
  • Adjust the simple syrup amount to fit your taste and the sloe gin you're using.
  • Use a sour mix instead of lemon juice and simple syrup.
  • Split the soda, filling halfway with plain soda and the rest with lemon-lime soda.
  • Skip the sweetener altogether, replacing it with maple syrup, or use 1 teaspoon superfine sugar rather than simple syrup.
  • Add an egg white for a foamy top. When doing so, dry shake the ingredients without ice, then fill the shaker with ice and shake for a full 30 seconds before straining.

How Strong Is the Sloe Gin Fizz?

Even with all of the variables, the sloe gin fizz is a rather casual cocktail, which is why it was once a favorite morning drink. The strength will vary depending on how much soda you pour and if you include gin, though it's almost always in the 10 percent ABV (20 proof) range.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
157 Calories
0g Fat
8g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 157
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 18mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 32mg 2%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 28mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)