Rivo Sloe Gin (500 ml)

Rivo Sloe Gin originates from Lombardy in northern Italy, a region better known for Franciacorta sparkling wines than for gin production—yet this expression represents a deliberate pivot toward Alpine fruit liqueurs rooted in centuries of Italian digestivo tradition.

The production centers on wild sloe berries (Prunus spinosa), foraged from the limestone-rich hillsides of Lombardy's pre-Alpine terrain. These small, astringent drupes are macerated whole in neutral grain spirit, allowing extended contact between fruit skin, pit, and alcohol to extract both pigment and the characteristic bitter-almond backbone that defines authentic sloe gin. The maceration period and final ABV remain proprietary, though the deep garnet color and viscous mouthfeel suggest extended steeping and possible fortification.

What distinguishes Rivo from British sloe gin conventions is its Italian terroir signature: the limestone soils of Lombardy impart a mineral dryness absent in UK versions, while the Alpine microclimate produces sloes with higher acidity and more pronounced stone-fruit complexity. The result drinks less as a dessert liqueur and more as a digestivo-aperitivo hybrid—bitter enough to stimulate appetite, fruit-forward enough to sip neat over ice.

Drinking window: immediate to 5+ years. Serve at 12–15°C or over a single large ice cube.