The infused drink kept in the speaker's pantry is the sole focus of the poem, going so far as to give the poem its name. Traditionally, sloe gin is made by infusing sloes, the berries of the blackthorn tree, into clear unflavoured gin. The process is simple and low maintenance, but represents an intrinsic connection to the landscape and local tradition. In England and Ireland, sloe gin competitions are still held to this day. Here, the sloe gin represents the speaker’s connection to the past and their own family heritage. By tasting it, they are able to summon forth the sensations of the natural world as well as the person who made it. Notably, the blackthorn tree is brimming with superstition and significance in Irish mythology; Heaney kept a blackthorn walking stick, which now rests in his permanent exhibition in Dublin, Ireland.