Sloe Gin Rickey

Ladies who lunch have been sipping this for decades throughout the Deep South, where the bright red, very sweet drink matches the flushed faces that usually follow the first glass. Sloe gin is made from sloes, the fruit of the wild blackthorn bush, which are steeped in gin. The resulting liquor is then aged in wooden barrels. Cassis adds a touch of black currant and is a slight twist popular in Natchez. This is certainly a togetherness drink, to be served in your finest crystal pitcher.