Editing Sloe gin (section)

{{Short description|Red liqueur made from gin and blackthorn drupes}}
{{For|the album by Joe Bonamassa|Sloe Gin (album)}}
[[File:Hand Made Sloe Gin.jpg|alt=Sloe gin|thumb|Home-made sloe gin]]
[[File:Sloe berry.jpg|thumb|right|Sloe]]
[[File:Sloe Gin.jpg|thumb|right|Homemade sloe gin in preparation]]

'''Sloe gin''' is a British red [[liqueur]] made with [[gin]] and [[Prunus spinosa|blackthorn]] fruits (sloes), which are the [[drupe]] fruit of the ''Prunus spinosa'' tree, which is a relative of the [[plum]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thekitchn.com/history-of-drink-what-exactly-154148|title=History of Drink: What Exactly is Sloe Gin, Anyway?|website=Kitchn|language=en|access-date=2019-12-22}}</ref> As an alcoholic drink, sloe gin contains between 15 per cent and 30 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV); however, [[European Union]] regulations established 25 per cent ABV as the minimal alcoholic content for the blackthorn beverage to be a ''sloe gin''. Historically, despite being a [[liqueur]] based upon [[gin]], the EU included the colloquial name ''sloe gin'' to the legal definitions; thus, sloe gin is the only alcoholic beverage that legally uses the term ''gin'' without appending the ''liqueur'' suffix.<ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:039:0016:0054:EN:PDF EU spirits regulation(PDF)] Regulation(EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89, Appendix II No. 37, Retrieved 2014-01-31.</ref>

The traditional method of preparation of sloe gin is to soak the blackthorns (sloes) in gin with some sugar, and the mixture sweetens when the blackthorn fruit mature in the alcohol. Commercial sloe gin is made by flavouring an inexpensive [[neutral grain spirit]]. US distilleries use close fruits related to the blackthorn, such as the [[Prunus maritima|beach plum]] and the [[Aronia|Aronia berry]], to produce American versions of the British sloe gin.<ref>{{cite web|title=News: Green Hat Gin|url=http://greenhatgin.com/#p756|website=New Columbia Distillers|access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Martineau|first1=Chantal|title=America's Answer to Sloe Gin|url=http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/07/19/americas-answer-to-sloe-gin/|website=Food Republic|date=19 July 2012 |access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref>