Spirit Works Sloe Gin

About Spirit Works Sloe Gin

Spirit Works Distillery was founded by Timo and Ashby Marshall who, after a decade of working together for environment non-profits, decided to leverage their family heritage — Timo’s family, who hails from a small village in England, has been perfecting its sloe gin recipe for generations — as well as their unique environmental background to create a West Coast distillery that truly embraces the “grain to glass” philosophy.

Beginning with whole grains, Spirit Works mills those grains to remove the hard husks, then mixes the resulting flour with hot water to create the mash. Once the mash has been fermented, it is distilled through Spirit Works’ custom-made, 800-liter pot still. This unique pot still was manufactured by the CARL company, Germany’s oldest still producer (the company, formed in 1869, is still family-run to this day), and is truly a “hybrid” device — the shape and components of the still make it well-suited to craft many different types of spirits, from vodkas and gins to whiskies and even brandies.

Spirit Works Sloe Gin is crafted using Spirit Works Gin, which provides the base of the spirit and includes fresh California botanicals such as orris and angelica root. The gin is then macerated with sloe berries until the fruit’s flavor and color have been delightfully imparted unto the spirit. The resulting liqueur has a bright, berry and citrus nose, which continues on the palate along with additional cinnamon and cardamom. The finish is rich with plums, orange peel and a pleasant acidity.

In the UK, foraging for wild berries, steeping them in gin and crafting the liqueur has been a rural family tradition for generations. Try a novel, West Coast twist on this delicious classic today!