Summary

A woman pours gin into a jar with sloe berries. As autumn turns to winter, the gin grows darker as it absorbs flavor from the sloes. Later, the speaker opens the jar and releases a wave of scent into the room. It reminds them of the blackthorn from which the berries came. They pour a glass of the sloe gin; when they sample it, it tastes clear and bright. The speaker acknowledges the gin-maker in a toast. The gin is cloudy and still contains the sloe berries, which are both wild and dependable year after year.

Analysis

“Sloe Gin” opens with a play on words: “The clear weather of juniper / darkened into winter” (Lines 1-2). The word “juniper” is reminiscent of “june.” Although the words — perhaps surprisingly — do not share a common etymology, they create a subtle subconscious effect in the ear. Here, the...