We were so excited when Buckingham Palace launched its own gin last June, especially as we know that one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite cocktails is Dubonnet & Gin. Made with botanicals from the Buckingham Palace garden, it truly is a gin fit for royalty. That same delicious craft gin is now a key ingredient in the palace’s newest ginny venture, Buckingham Palace Sloe Gin.

Image: The Royal Collection

With summer just around the corner, the timing of this fruity craft gin’s arrival could not be more perfect. At just 26% ABV and with a humble price tag of just £30 on the Royal Collection Trust’s website (that’s right, you don’t need to break the Bank of England to enjoy this royal treat), it’s perfect for sipping in the sun. What’s more, its eye-catching ruby colour will certainly turn some heads and get some mouth’s watering.

How is The Queen’s sloe gin actually made? It’s simple enough - although, we hope that we aren’t spoiling any of the illusion by telling you that Lizzie doesn’t actually make the gin herself.

Like Buckingham Palace Gin, this sloe gin is actually made by the Royal Collection Trust, a charity dedicated to the protection of the Royal Collection - one of the world’s most important art collections - and proceeds from the sale of the sloe gin will go towards helping them continue to maintain and preserve the works of art in their collection.

The team there macerate handpicked sloe berries in their original Buckingham Palace Gin, which is itself made from a collection of 12 botanicals foraged from the palace gardens, including bay leaves, lemon verbena, Hawthorne berries and mulberry leaves.

Image: The Royal Collection

Of course, the all-important question is…what does The Queen’s sloe gin taste like? According to Royal Collection Trust’s website, this gin is full of rich and succulent plum, spice and berry flavours and it finds a delectable balance between sweet and bitter tones. Within its flavour profile, you can also find notes of stone fruits, almond and citrus fruits, with touches of ginger and that quintessential juniper coming through to round everything off wonderfully.

We don’t yet know how The Queen likes to enjoy Buckingham Palace Sloe Gin, but the Royal Collection Trust recommends trying it with some sparkling wine in a Sloe Royale cocktail - you can find their recipe by clicking this link.

Once you have tried that, we would also recommend giving Buckingham Palace Sloe Gin a go in one of these fabulous sloe gin cocktail recipes…