Sloe & Easy Cocktail Recipes from Spirit Works Distillery

Husband and wife Timo and Ashby Marshall are the duo behind Spirit Works Distillery, the award winning distillery they co-founded in Sebastopol in 2012. Their all-female production staff, led by Head Distiller Lauren Patz, creates grain-to-glass Vodka, Gin, Barrel Gin, Sloe Gin, Barrel Strength Sloe Gin, Wheat Whiskey and Rye Whiskey using sustainable production practices.

Timo is from Thurlestone, a small village on the southwestern coast of England, and Ashby is California bred. Their backgrounds infuse the spirit of the distillery – a blend of British tradition and California innovation.

Nothing reflects this spirit more than their Sloe Gin, the initial inspiration for their craft distillery. Sloe berries grow on the Blackthorn Bush and are a tiny relative of the plum. For generations Timo’s family has picked the wild berries along the coastal hills and steeped them in gin to make sloe gin.

A 2018 winner of the Good Food Award in the spirits category, Spirit Works Distillery’s Sloe Gin is currently the only spirit made with actual sloe berries in the US. The ruby red liqueur brings bright citrus, spicy juniper, and a tart berry finish.

Sloe Gin is traditionally served after a meal as a digestif. But it also combines wonderfully with a wide variety of spirits and sparkling wine to create cocktails that are delicious and easy to make.

Here are two recipes that are perfect for holiday entertaining, whether an intimate cocktail party or a larger gathering:

SLOE RIDER
The classic Manhattan is enhanced by the substitution of Sloe Gin for Sweet Vermouth.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Spirit Works Distillery Straight Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Spirit Works Distillery Sloe Gin
2 – 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Instructions:
Combine ingredients in mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until very cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry.

SLOE ROYALE
Substitute Sloe Gin for Crème de Cassis for a fresh twist on the Kir Royale classic French sparkling cocktail.

Ingredients:
1 oz. Spirit Works Distillery Sloe Gin
Dry Sparkling Wine
Juice of a fresh lime wedge

Instructions:
Pour Sloe Gin into champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Squeeze juice of lime wedge into glass and discard wedge. Garnish with lime wheel.

Click here for more cocktail recipes from Spirit Works Distillery, and here to watch a short video and learn more about Sloe Gin.

Visit the Spirit Works Distillery profile.
www.spiritworksdistillery.com

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