With a name like the Blackthorn, you may think this sloe gin cocktail is named after the blackthorn tree which produces sloe berries. However, several versions of the Blackthorn cocktail exist throughout history, some with whiskey, others with sloe gin.
The Blackthorn cocktail first appeared in Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual (1900). His recipe called for 2 dashes Angostura, 3 dashes Absinthe, 1/2 Irish whiskey, 1/2 French vermouth, shaken and strained. In Cocktails: How to Mix Them (1922), author Robert Vermeire refers to the Blackthorn as “a very old cocktail made in two different ways”. The first, as in Harry Johnson’s recipe, the second, a recipe by “Cocktail Boothby” of San Francisco which calls for 1 dash of orange bitters, 1 dash of Angostura bitters. 1/2 gill of sloe gin, 1/2 gill of French vermouth and 1/2 gill of Italian vermouth – where a gill is an old measure equivalent to a quarter of a pint.
The Blackthorn cocktail is also featured in in A.S. Crockett’s The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book (1935 reprint) as 2 dashes of orange bitters, one third Italian vermouth, and two third sloe gin. The PDT Cocktail Book makes a clearer distinction by attributing an origin, Black Thorn (Irish) with Irish whiskey, and Blackthorn (English) with sloe gin based on a recipe in The Cocktail Book a Sideboard Manual for Gentlemen.
The Blackthorn cocktail recipe below is an adaptation from The PDT Cocktail Book. It’s sweet and tart, and uses both sloe gin and dry gin. For the Blackthorn Cocktail (Irish) recipe, refer to the Flask Cocktails article.
The Blackthorn Cocktail Recipe
Adapted from the Blackthorn (English) recipe in the PDT cocktail book
Ingredients
- 50 ml dry gin
- 20 ml sloe gin
- 20 ml sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Glassware: coupette
Garnish: orange twist
Method
Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled coupette and garnish with orange twist.
You may also like: Sloe Gin Cocktails, How to Make Sloe Gin
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