Sloe Gin Fizzes were the first cocktail I mastered, but it’s been years since I’ve had one. No reason why, really. Sloe gin, a liqueur flavored with sloe berries, the fruit of the blackthorn tree, has hardly seen the renaissance that other spirits have in recent years. There hasn’t exactly been a clamoring for the stuff in the market.

Well, Plymouth (which I’m on record as stating, unequivocally, makes the best gin on the market) is trying to change that by introducing a premium sloe gin, perhaps the first of its kind. Plymouth threw a swanky party for its new bottling last night at Bourbon & Branch here in San Francisco, and I was fortunate enough to try the spirit along with a number of cocktails made with it.

First, a bit more about sloe gin: It’s made by steeping sloe berries in gin (Plymouth gin, of course), and watered down to 52 proof. 26 percent alcohol makes it a pretty standard liqueur rather than a true gin, so plan accordingly. Served straight, it’s quite tart, really too sour to enjoy on its own, but in cocktails it really shines.

Sloe gin’s natural habitat is the Sloe Gin Fizz, and in its preparation here (with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, fresh egg white, and a splash of club soda) it was a real delight, creamy, with a good mix of sweet and sour. In a good cocktail, sloe gin tastes a lot like cranberry, and in The Wibble (recipe below), you get the essence of sloe gin at its best. This concoction, which includes grapefruit juice and blackberry liqueur, is like a Cosmo on steroids. Really good.

Amazingly, the addition of sloe gin to gin and Campari made the “Sloegronie” impressively drinkable, still quite bitter, but much better than a real Negroni. Finally, I finished up the night with Plymouth’s Southside (pictured, because it was so cool looking), which actually didn’t include sloe gin at all. Essentially a Mojito with gin instead of rum, I was impressed with how much more interesting this now-tired drink could be. Sub in lemon for lime and add a shot of sloe gin and you’ve got a Sloe Gin Genie (pictured at top, next to the bottle). I’ll give it a try when I get a bottle of my own to play with.

Plymouth Sloe Gin isn’t quite yet available in the U.S. yet, but keep an eye out for it. (If it’s sold at the same price here as it is in Britain, it’ll run about $35 a bottle.)

The Wibble
1 oz. Plymouth Gin
1 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
1 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 oz. simple syrup
1/8 oz. Wild Blackberry Liqueur (Creme de Mure)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The name may sound like a gangsta rapper, but this premium gin isn’t something you’ll want to be mixing with OJ.

Made in France and distilled from grapes, this is not your father’s Tanqueray. The juniper flavor, a requirement of all gins, is there, but it’s substantially mellowed in G’Vine. In fact it’s lemon peel that is the strongest flavor in this gin, with orange peel following. Juniper, I’d say, brings up the rear. You can get the other botanicals (G’Vine claims nine total, none of which are lemon or orange) with extended sipping: G’Vine makes for a great martini or mixing with other citrusy cocktails. The overall taste is very fresh, with a clean finish.

At $33, G’Vine is expensive next to similarly flavored Plymouth and even Bombay Sapphire, but if you’re a true gin lover, you’ll probably find it worth the price.

A- / $33 / g-vine.com

My wife was having heartburn so I mixed up this as a curative: Ginger ale, bitters, and aromatics are all good for the stomach. The other stuff just tastes good.

The (Indian) Summer Tonic
1 oz. gin
3/4 oz. creme de cassis
1/2 oz. melon liquer (or Midori)
2 dashes orange bitters
ginger ale

Add the first four ingredients to a tall highball glass over ice, fill with ginger ale. Stir to blend or leave it separated for a nifty color effect. Garnish with an orange wedge or wheel. (I used a Grand Marnier-soaked orange slice.)

Use ginger beer for a stronger spice kick.

The drink is exceptionally light and is perfect for afternoons and hotter days. It’s also great for your less tipsy friends who don’t want something too alcoholic, but it’s also not super sweet like so many “girly” drinks. Don’t be afraid of the Midori, people.

As part of my blueberry kick, and largely by happenstance, the good folks at Beefeater sent along some recipes for what they’re trying to kick off as “sharp’ners,” defined as “a London term for a quick, social drink that allows friends to connect without committing an entire evening.” The idea is that “getting a drink” has come to mean having four or five drinks and getting smashed out of your gourd. With a sharp’ner, you’re meant to have just one and then split for the door, because you have a life apart from your drunk friends.

This one caught my eye and I tried it out for you:

The B.B.C. (Beefeater, Blueberi, Cranberry)
2 parts Beefeater Gin
1 part Stoli Blueberi
3 parts Cranberry Juice

Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

I had no limes and no Beefeater (I used Plymouth), and used a cranberry-pomegranate juice blend, but the whole affair came together nicely. It’s fairly sweet but not too sweet, and indeed you really feel like you’ve had “enough” after one. Though I do not mean that in a bad way at all. It’s sharp!

You can add your name to Beefeater’s petition to have dictionaries recognize the new term if you’d care to at www.houseofbeefeater.com.

Long one of my favorite drinks, you’ll be lucky if you visit a bar that can make a proper Casino. A full three of the ingredients are uncommon to rare in all but the swankiest of establishments… but if you find one on the specialty menu of that fancy restaurant you’re dining at, try one. You won’t be sorry.

The Casino is a lot of gin with some subtle but crucial flavorings. Maraschino (cherry liqueur, mainly from Croatia) gives it a well, cherry bite. Lemon juice makes it tart, cutting the alcohol very well. Orange bitters add a little je ne sais quoi, and a brandied cherry provides the perfect way to polish the thing off.

The Casino
2 oz. gin (I prefer Plymouth or Bombay Sapphire)
1/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
4 dashes orange bitters

Shake all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry (a maraschino cherry will work in a pinch, but it’s not the same). (Add a tiny bit of the brandy liquid from the cherry jar into the drink to give it a nifty pinkish tone.)

You can find Maraschino in most liquor stores and orange bitters are becoming more common these days. Fee Brothers can tell you where to get their fine product in your area if you email them. I found brandied cherries at my local upscale market, in the preserves aisle, but you can even order them from Amazon.

Some notes: This cocktail is also called an Aviation, typically without the bitters or the cherry. You’ll also see the proportions vary wildly: Many online recipes will say you should put 1/4 teaspoon each of lemon juice and Maraschino in the drink, but that’s way too little to counter a full 2 ounces of gin. 1/4 ounce (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) is far more appropriate and makes a much tastier drink.

I’ve also tried this drink with lemon-infused vodka, but it doesn’t taste as good. The aromatics in the gin really make the Casino sing. Use a gin that doesn’t have too much juniper in it: Tanqueray is awful in a Casino.