Post #164592 by JaredB on Wed, Jun 8, 2005 6:57 PM

I haven't had any luck in the U.S. with Plymouth Navy either. I plan to get some on my next trip to the U.K. (or plead with a friend who's heading over there). I hate mailordering from overseas because you pay more for the shipping than for the bottle.

As for Sloe Gin, I'm a fan and here's what I've learned (in order of preference):

Plymouth Sloe Gin - you'll never find it in the U.S.. It's even hard to find in the U.K., but worth it. It's one of the only 'real' sloe gins left and tastes nothing like modern imitation products.

Bols Sloe Gin - A decent sloe gin which will work just fine for most cocktails. Sporadically available in the U.S..

Dekuyper Sloe Gin - Another decent sloe gin you'll find around in the U.S. It's a tossup between this and the Bols.

Arrow Sloe Gin - Not as good as Bols or Dekuypers. But use it if it's all you've got.

Hiram Walker Sloe Gin - Not worth using, even if it's all you've got. It's half the proof of other sloe gins and tastes like watered down cough syrup mixed with Rose's grenadine. It won't give you even an approximation of what the cocktail you're trying to make should taste like.

So that's my review of all of the above (which I own). The one I haven't tried is called Mohawk Sloe Gin (which Dr. Cocktail recommends as the best U.S. make). It is only available in a few states (NY, MA and LA for example) and I'm still tracking it down.