Elephant Sloe Gin: A Splendidly Tart Alternative to Sugary Pink Spirits
Most sloe gins have a weakness for sugar. What begins as a splendid marriage of wild fruit and gin can easily end up resembling a sticky berry liqueur, with the juniper buried beneath syrup. Elephant Sloe Gin takes a more spirited approach. At 35% alcohol, with a comparatively restrained dose of sugar, this German interpretation has considerably more bite than the average sloe gin.
Its deep ruby colour is seductive, but the real attraction lies in the contrast between ripe, dark fruit and the sharp, slightly astringent character of sloes. There is sweetness, certainly, yet it never entirely tames the fruit’s wild acidity or the dry, resinous character inherited from Elephant London Dry Gin.
It is a handsome, rather assertive drink, equally comfortable in a glass on its own or as the foundation of a serious cocktail.
The Basics
- Producer: Elephant Gin
- Product: Elephant Sloe Gin
- Country: Germany
- Category: Sloe gin
- Base spirit: Elephant London Dry Gin
- Main ingredient: Wild sloe berries (Prunus spinosa)
- Production: Several months of sloe maceration in gin
- Alcohol: 35% ABV
- Style: Fruity, tart, moderately sweet and botanical
- Colour: Deep ruby red
- Bottle size: 500 ml
- Serving temperature: Slightly chilled or over ice
The Producer: African Inspiration, German Distilling
Elephant Gin was founded by Robin and Tessa Gerlach in 2013, inspired by their travels through Africa and their interest in elephant conservation. The spirits themselves are produced in Germany, where the company combines traditional gin-making techniques with an unusually eclectic selection of botanicals.
The original Elephant London Dry Gin contains fourteen botanicals, including African ingredients and fresh apples. It is a substantial, aromatic spirit bottled at 45% alcohol, with juniper providing the familiar resinous foundation.
The Sloe Gin takes that recipe in a different direction, introducing the dark, tart fruit of blackthorn.
Sloes are small, blue-black fruits belonging to the same botanical family as plums. Fresh from the bush, they can be fiercely astringent. Maceration in alcohol, followed by the addition of sugar, transforms them into something altogether more inviting, preserving their characteristic acidity and slightly bitter, almond-like nuances.
Elephant Gin also incorporates its conservation mission into the product. The company states that 15% of its bottle profits support elephant conservation projects. The colourful glass beads around the bottle’s neck are handmade by Maasai artisans in Kenya.
The packaging is distinctive, but fortunately the liquid has an identity of its own.
How Elephant Sloe Gin Is Made
Unlike a conventional dry gin, sloe gin is produced by steeping sloe berries in an existing gin, allowing their colour, flavours and tannins to migrate into the alcohol.
Elephant uses its London Dry Gin as the base, macerating fresh sloes for several months. The berries gradually release their deep red pigments, tart fruit flavours and characteristic bitterness.
Sugar is added to soften the fruit’s formidable astringency, although Elephant deliberately uses less than many traditional producers.
This decision gives the finished spirit a more assertive character. At 35% ABV, it also retains considerably more alcoholic strength than numerous sweeter sloe gins.
The distinction is important. Elephant Sloe Gin is still a sweetened, fruit-infused spirit rather than a conventional London Dry, but it preserves enough botanical tension to remain interesting after the first sip.
Its vivid fruit character makes it an appealing alternative to ordinary gin in a Gin Fizz, although the additional sweetness requires a lighter hand with syrup.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep ruby red with garnet reflections, brilliantly clear and inviting.
Bouquet: An intense opening of wild plum, black cherry and sloe berries, followed by a distinctive almond-like note and a touch of warm spice. Juniper emerges beneath the fruit, bringing a resinous, woodland quality that prevents the bouquet from becoming excessively sweet. There is an attractive suggestion of dried orange peel and a faint, almost vinous depth.
Palate: Round and initially generous, but considerably sharper than the colour and aroma might suggest. Ripe dark berries provide the first impression, followed by the tart, mouthwatering character of sloes. The sugar softens the edges without smothering them. Juniper, herbal bitterness and a delicate almond-like astringency gradually take control, giving the spirit a surprisingly dry, firm conclusion. At 35% alcohol, it has enough warmth to feel substantial, although the fruit keeps the texture supple.
Finish: Persistent, tart and gently spicy. Dark fruit gradually retreats, leaving sloe skin, bitter almond and a dry botanical echo. The slight astringency is particularly attractive: it gives the spirit character rather than allowing it to dissolve into sweetness.
Our Verdict
Elephant Sloe Gin is a strikingly good example of the style. Its greatest virtue is restraint: the fruit is rich and expressive, but the sugar never turns it into confectionery. The higher alcoholic strength gives the botanicals room to breathe, while the sloes contribute a tart, slightly ferocious personality.
It is considerably more serious than the usual sweet berry gin, although its €42.50 price for half a litre is undeniably ambitious. For enthusiasts who enjoy the tension between fruit, bitterness and juniper, however, this is a compelling bottle.
Serve it with a dry tonic and orange peel, as the producer suggests, or try it in a variation on the White Negroni, reducing the sweet component to account for the sloes. Anyone accustomed to the sweeter, fruitier approach of a strawberry Gin Fizz will find a darker, more tannic character here.
Price
€42.50 for a 500 ml bottle.
Food Pairings
Paella, vitello tonnato, chicken curry, pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
