A mix of plum gin and coffee amaro makes for a nice twist to the sloe gin cocktail this Christmas

There's something about sloe gin that makes us think of Christmas - perhaps it is the colour or maybe it is because it is traditionally made in the lead up to the festive season. This Christmas, why not try an Australian alternative? We've paired together two new brilliant spirits to create a quintessential Australian twist - the Brookies Slow Gin from Cape Byron Distillery and the Mr Black Coffee Amaro from Distillery Botanica.

Unlike traditional sloe gins, the Brookies Slow Gin (deliberately spelt this way) is not as viscous or sweet as some of the commercial ones available. Made by infusing its core gin with native Davidson plums, it hints at some of the tartness of the plums whilst still maintaining a refreshing finish. 

The Mr Black Coffee Amaro also breaks new ground by combining its core caffeine base with 14 different botanicals, including the Illawarra plum and citrus grown on the distillery gardens. Redolent of a Terrys coffee infused chocolate orange, this is amazing neat (as was the Brookies) but combined with the Slow Gin, was just plum-tastic.

Ingredients

• 60ml Brookies Slow Gin

• 20ml Mr Black Coffee Amaro

• 2-3 drops of chocolate bitters

Stir over ice and strain into chilled glass. Great to sip!

For a long drink, stir the ingredients over ice in the glass then top up with the Sydney made PS Wattle Cola (about 60ml) - the roasted wattleseed used in the cola imparts a certain nuttiness that complements the coffee notes beautifully.

For a bit of fun, top the glass with orange slice and sprig of mint. Stick a straw through the orange and as you lean in to drink, you'll get a whiff of the citrus, which is also used in the amaro.