Choosing fragrant berries
To begin with, you can find out which berries you can infuse vodka with to get a tasty, aromatic drink.
Grape drinks have a strict taste and delicate aroma. The most suitable varieties for liqueur are sweet and aromatic. The drink with good color and taste is obtained from fresh natural grape juice.
Cherry - cherry alcoholic drinks do not require aging; they lighten well on their own.
The best varieties of cherries for winemaking are sour, dark-colored ones. Sweet and pink varieties make drinks tasteless and unstable. Drinks are not made from cherries, but you can add them to cherries.
What else can you infuse vodka with at home to get a drink with an original taste and color?
Blackberry alcoholic drinks are pleasant to the taste, aromatic, slightly tart, intensely colored.
Sweet and strong wines made from this berry are especially good. The best varieties of blackberries for winemaking are all large-fruited and high-yielding ones, as well as simple forest blackberries. Garden strawberries and strawberries are suitable for sweet drinks - liqueurs, liqueurs.
They turn out to be aromatic, with a delicate taste, and of very high quality. Brightly colored varieties are excellent for winemaking.
Cranberries for winemaking are best picked after frost (snow), this berry contains more sugar and less acids and has a more delicate taste than autumn ones. The berry keeps well frozen, which makes it suitable for winemaking throughout the winter. Cranberry drinks clarify well and are quick to prepare.
If you have not yet decided what to infuse your vodka with, try making the drink with.
When choosing gooseberry varieties for preparing alcoholic beverages, it is better to give preference to varieties with red and yellow berries rather than varieties with green or white berries. Gooseberries should only be of high quality, ripe, preferably slightly unripe. Overripe berries spoil the taste and aroma of the finished drink, which can quickly become moldy or sour.
Tasty and healthy fruits, which have huge reserves of various vitamins and useful elements, are suitable not only for making preserves, jellies, compotes and jelly. From this colorful variety you can choose an original component for infusing vodka. Which berries are considered the most suitable?
Grape
Vodka infused with grape raw materials has a subtle original aroma and a rather austere taste. To achieve a particularly rich color of this infusion, it is better to use natural grape juice.
Lemon tincture recipe
Alcohol-cherry liqueurs are quick to prepare, they do not require long aging and are very smooth to drink. Experts advise using sour berries, which are distinguished by their rich dark color, to make infusions. It is better not to use sweet, pink and white cherries - drinks made from them are tasteless.
Sweet cherries are not used to prepare alcoholic infusions; this berry can only be used in combination with dark cherries.
Blackberry
The vodka drink obtained from such a berry will have a memorable, slightly tart aroma and have a bright, attractive color. By the way, it is blackberries that make excellent homemade wine. The best varieties are large-fruited blackberries, but wild berries can also be successfully used.
Cranberry
Experienced home winemakers advise using this vitamin-rich product, collected immediately after frost. This type of cranberry is called “snow cranberry” and is characterized by increased reserves of sucrose and vitamins. By the way, it also has a more delicate, pleasant taste.
Gooseberry
To select these garden berries, preference should be given to yellow and red gooseberry varieties. It is necessary to choose only a high-quality and ripe product (slight immaturity is allowed). If you use fruits that are already overripe and too soft, the vodka infusion will sour too quickly. You need to know how to properly prepare this product for infusion:
- the collected gooseberries are sorted and the most suitable one is selected;
- the berries are crushed to a porridge-like mass (this is done to obtain more juice);
- The berry puree is left in a cold room for 2–3 days, then it is thoroughly squeezed out, thus obtaining a lot of juice, which is used for infusion.
Raspberries
An excellent berry, on the basis of which you can make an excellent sweet homemade wine or a healing tincture (it is especially good for colds). By the way, if you use raspberries to make homemade vodka infusions, it is better to add other fruits and berries to them (especially gooseberries and currants).
If you use wild raspberries when making vodka liqueur, the final drink will be the most aromatic and sweet.
Rowan
Also a widely used raw material for preparing homemade liqueurs and alcohol tinctures. But in this case, it is better not to take wild rowan - the tincture will be too bitter. Chokeberry is ideal for making vodka infusions; the drink will be especially tasty if you mix rowan with red or white currant juice.
The use of additional ingredients when making rowan tincture will remove the overly cloying and specific taste, which not everyone likes.
Currant
Another common ingredient for making vodka liqueurs. These small berries give the drink transparency and a particularly attractive color. To highlight the richness of the color, you can additionally add cherry juice to the ingredients. It is better to pick berries for home winemaking from sunny areas; grown in semi-darkness will spoil the taste of the product and its aroma will be lost.
Recipe for Monastic liqueur
Blueberries and blueberries
Experts advise using this northern berry to create a vodka liqueur, which will have a particularly soft perception and an unusual, pleasant taste. For variety and special sourness, juice from any sour berries is also included in the composition.
Recipes
A huge number of recipes for homemade infusions allows you to choose the simplest and most delicious. Today you can find a huge number of ways to diversify a recipe by combining your favorite flavors. There are also quick preparation methods - they will come in handy if you urgently need a drink for a holiday or a visit from guests.
For lovers of healthy alcohol tinctures prepared with their own hands, there are several options:
- herbal drinks - they are also used for medicinal purposes;
- berry liqueurs are sweet and aromatic, they can even be made from jam;
- Fruit liqueurs are a great way to put your bountiful harvest of apples, pears and other fruits to good use.
The best recipes for alcohol tinctures are worth keeping in your reference cookbook. They can be varied to suit your taste. Any homemade liqueurs perfectly combine sweet fruits and berries, honey and spices, and refreshing herbs.
Cedar tincture with alcohol
For cedar alcohol tincture you will need 4 tablespoons of unshelled nuts and 500 ml of vodka or alcohol. For taste and aroma, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and vanillin, as well as currant leaf and grated lemon zest. Preparation takes place in several stages:
- pour boiling water over the nuts in a separate container, drain the water, repeat the procedure three times - this way the finished liqueur will not taste bitter;
- place all the ingredients in a glass bottle, fill with alcohol and leave in a warm place for 10 days;
- strain the tincture, pour into a bottle for storage;
- After another 4 days it is ready for consumption.
The recipe for pine tincture is simple, but you will need high-quality nuts. They must have a strong shell, without an unpleasant odor or signs of spoilage. Before cooking, nuts must be sorted and cleaned of impurities.
Cranberry tincture with alcohol
The cranberry tincture is thick and rich, with a bright aroma of spices. For 2 liters of alcohol or vodka you will need 400 g of fresh berries, a few tablespoons of honey and lemon zest to taste. Lovers of sweet liqueurs can additionally add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar.
- rinse the berries and mash them to a puree, leave in a warm place for 2 days;
- add 1 liter of alcohol and leave to infuse for a week;
- strain the tincture, pour the liquid into a separate container and leave, and pour the remaining alcohol over the berries;
- after a week, strain the liqueur, combine the liquid from two bottles, add the mixture and spices;
- leave for another week, then strain and serve.
In winter, such a liqueur can be prepared from frozen berries. They do not differ in taste and retain all their beneficial properties. However, after defrosting, the aroma may become less intense, so it is recommended to increase their dosage to 450-500 g per 2 liters of alcohol.
Chokeberry tincture with alcohol
Rowan berry tincture is not only a tasty alcohol, but also a well-known medicine. In winter, it improves immunity and helps cope with colds. For 1 liter of vodka or alcohol you will need 1-1.5 kg of ripe berries, 500 g of sugar and a few tablespoons of dry cloves. The liqueur is prepared according to the following recipe:
- wash and sort the berries, crush them to a paste and leave in a warm place for several days;
- add sugar and spices, add alcohol and leave in a dark room for 2 months;
- strain the liquid, pour into a storage container and serve.
Rowan berries have a characteristic sour taste, so a tincture of them is prepared with the addition of a large amount of sugar. Rowan also goes well with other red berries: cherries or currants.
Viburnum tincture with alcohol
Viburnum is an excellent protection against colds and viral infections, so you should definitely stock up on this drink for the winter. For 1 liter of alcohol you will need 1 kg of viburnum berries and a few tablespoons of sugar. The cooking process is simple:
- wash the berries and crush them to a paste;
- add sugar and alcohol, leave in a glass container in a dark room;
- After 3 weeks, strain the tincture - it is ready for use.
Recipes for alcohol tincture at home may vary. So, you can easily replace sugar with honey, add cinnamon and cloves. Spices go well with the bitter taste of berries, and honey is also considered an effective medicine.
Lingonberry tincture with alcohol
Lingonberry liqueur has a bright ruby hue, a fresh aroma and a bitter taste. This berry is a valuable source of vitamin C, which is preserved after infusion and is present in the tincture. For 500 ml of vodka or alcohol, take 6 full spoons of berries and start preparing:
- sort and wash the berries, grind to a paste;
- pour alcohol, add a few tablespoons of sugar if desired;
- leave for 3 weeks, then strain and serve.
A really tasty tincture is made from a mixture of berries. It is recommended to combine lingonberries with raspberries and rose hips in equal proportions. If you add honey instead of sugar, the liqueur will be thicker and more aromatic.
Apple tincture with alcohol
Apple tincture with alcohol at home is light and refreshing. It is best prepared in the fall, during the fruit picking season. You can use any variety of apples, but it is better to choose sweet varieties - the tincture will be richer and will cook faster. Also suitable are fruits that have fallen from the branches and have spoiled a little. The main thing is to clean them so that there is no damage, parasites or signs of rot left on them.
For 1 liter of alcohol you need to take 1 kg of fresh apples, a few tablespoons of honey and half a spoon of cinnamon powder. The tincture is prepared as follows:
- wash and peel the apples, remove the core and seeds, cut the fruit into thin slices;
- add honey and spices, add alcohol and leave warm under the lid, stirring occasionally;
- After 10 days, strain and pour into a container for long-term storage.
The apple tincture is ready. It can be drunk either cold or heated over a fire with spices. With the addition of honey, its consistency becomes thicker and its color more saturated. Using the same recipe, you can prepare a tasty and healthy apple liqueur with cognac.
Redcurrant tincture with alcohol
Homemade tincture made with alcohol and currants has a bright ruby hue. The berries contain a huge amount of vitamins and microelements, thanks to which you can protect yourself from infection in the off-season and strengthen your immune system. For the classic liqueur recipe you will need 1 liter of vodka and 500g of ripe berries, you can also add honey or sugar to taste.
The best recipe for herbal tincture with alcohol
I am sure that many are familiar with the amazing taste and bright aroma of anise liqueur.
I offer you one of its variations, which will captivate even the most strict and fastidious tasters, revealing a wonderful flavor bouquet that brings together the perfect interweaving of mint and anise shades with a slight note of astringency characteristic of walnuts.
This fragrant mint-anise tincture amazingly stimulates the nervous system and gives the consumer peace and tranquility.
components | proportions |
fresh mint leaves | 50 g |
anise | 50 g |
walnut kernels | 50 g |
diluted alcohol 43-45% strength | 1 l |
fresh honey | 20 g |
- We thoroughly rinse the mint leaves and anise with running water, then place them on a paper towel and dry them.
- Place the walnut kernels in a mortar and crush into small pieces using a pestle.
- Alternately add mint leaves, anise and crushed nuts into a sterilized two-liter jar.
- Pour in the alcohol base, stir everything lightly and seal the vessel tightly.
- We send the infusion to a dark place with a temperature not lower than 18°C.
- Infuse the drink for 14 days, shaking it daily for one minute.
- After the specified period, strain the tincture through gauze and then cotton wool. If necessary, repeat the filtration procedure several times until you obtain a transparent, crystal-clear alcohol. The remaining grounds can be reused by reducing the portion of alcohol to 500 ml and keeping the infusion warm for one month.
- We give the finished alcohol the opportunity to “rest” in a cool place for 3-4 days.
Pepper tincture on moonshine with propolis
Compound:
- moonshine - 2 l;
- red hot pepper - 4 pieces;
- black peppercorns - 10 pieces;
- lemon zest - 5 grams;
- 5 spoons of honey;
- ground cinnamon - 3 grams;
- ground paprika - 5 g;
- vanilla sugar - half a sachet;
- 2 grams of propolis.
Cut the pepper pods lengthwise, crush the peas with a knife, heat the honey in a water bath until liquid.
Place all components in a glass container, pour in vodka and mix everything thoroughly so that the honey is completely dissolved.
Infuse the pepper under a closed lid in a warm place for a week, shaking the jar daily.
On the third day, you can taste the tincture; if it is already hot, it is better to remove the pepper and let it steep further.
After a week, the pepper must be strained and poured into smaller containers.
Source: nastoechki.ru
General rules for making tinctures
When choosing what to infuse moonshine with so that it tastes good, you should be guided by personal preferences and follow simple rules:
- Adding fresh and frozen berries and fruits reduces the strength of the drink. Therefore, for such tinctures, undiluted alcohol is used, diluting it to the desired strength after infusion.
- Some ingredients, for example, oak chips, cannot be kept in moonshine; the taste of the drink may deteriorate if kept too long.
- The best results can be achieved by infusing the most purified product. Low quality moonshine is not suitable for making tinctures.
- The dishes must be made of glass. Plastic and stainless steel will give the drink an off-flavor.
The infusion process should take place in a dark room, out of reach of children. It would be a good idea to put stickers on the containers indicating the date of manufacture and a list of ingredients used.
Classification of tinctures
Homemade alcohol tinctures are classified as follows:
- Bitter. Such drinks are infused with seeds, peels, herbs and unsweetened berries. The strength of the finished product is from 30 to 60 degrees.
- Spicy. The basis of such drinks are spices. To achieve a bright aroma, filtration or rectification is used. Strength – from 30 to 60 degrees.
- Sweet. This type of tincture is distinguished by its low strength - from 18 to 25 degrees and a high sugar content. The raw materials for preparation are usually fruits and sweet berries. Be sure to add pure sugar.
Interesting! There are little tricks that will help make the taste of homemade tincture brighter. If the basis of the drink is fresh fruits or berries, then they must be placed in the freezer for a short time. Ice crystals disrupt the structure of cells and thus the fruit or berry releases more juice. And so that the finished tincture has a light caramel taste, the fruit can be fried a little.
Traditionally, the preparation of the future drink is infused in a place protected from sunlight. But there is nothing wrong if you leave the container in a bright room. This will have a slight effect on the taste and color of the drink; it will acquire faint notes of smoke and become a little lighter.
It is very important that the temperature of the room where the tincture will be ready is not below 20 degrees. Higher temperatures can speed up the infusion process. To prevent excess oxygen and harmful bacteria from getting into the container with the preparation, it is not recommended to open it until the tincture is completely ready.
Helpful advice! The finished tincture should be stored in a dark glass bottle. This way it will retain its taste and color qualities longer.
The best recipe for alcohol tincture from dried fruits
Among the many different versions of dried fruit tincture, I chose the recipe with prunes.
You can talk about the beneficial properties of dried plums for hours, and using it to prepare an alcohol tincture, you will get not only a luxurious alcoholic drink, but also an excellent antiseptic against toothache and minor colds.
The presented recipe for tincture with alcohol belongs to the category of the best and fastest, which can be easily implemented at home.
Winter
This instant tincture recipe is an excellent way to warm up after skiing in the woods, downhill skiing, ice fishing, and for preventing colds:
- alcohol 40°C strength or vodka - 2l,
- burnt sugar - 1 tbsp. l.,
- grated fresh ginger - 1 tsp,
- cloves - 2 buds,
- allspice - 2 peas,
- cinnamon - a small piece,
- vanilla sugar - a few grains.
Read also: Alcohol prices in Vietnam
Add all ingredients to alcohol diluted to 40°C and carefully heat to 60°C. For the container with the drink, make a fur coat from a warm blanket, let it cool slowly, and strain. Can be consumed the next day, but it is better to keep it in bottles for 4-6 days.
From this general educational article you will learn how to prepare tinctures at home using alcohol or vodka. It will only cover the principles of creating tinctures, so it will be less substantial in terms of letters, but no less meaningful in terms of usefulness.
Some methods for preparing homemade drinks will be complemented by interesting recipes that will help you create a tasty tincture in your kitchen, much tastier than store-bought tincture.
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In one of our articles you learned how to dilute alcohol at home, so if you find a way to a respectable bootlegger, then your life will become much easier. If there are none in the area, you can use vodka, but this is not the best idea. Alcohol is a very good solvent, therefore, the more of it contained in the water-alcohol mixture, the better.
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Vodka, as you know, has a strength of 40% - this is not enough, the optimal alcohol level for tinctures is 45 and above . You can raise the temperature of vodka in a simple way: pour in a couple of bottles of pharmaceutical ethyl alcohol 96% - per 1 liter of vodka. We will get a water-alcohol solution with an approximate strength of just over 50% (if you don’t have an alcohol meter, use our calculator for diluting alcohol with water).
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Useful tips and tricks
Before you start preparing the tincture, make sure that you have no contraindications to their use. The world of traditional medicine using alcohol is so diverse that you will definitely find the drink that is ideal for your health. And if you’re lucky, then for the pleasure of tasty and healthy alcohol. And be sure to follow our advice:
- Select your raw materials carefully. The best will be those grown by yourself or collected away from highways, landfills and environmentally unfavorable areas. You can also use pharmaceutical medicinal plants, there is hope that they will be tested.
- Vodka must be of exceptional quality. If it is a store-bought product, then it was purchased from a reliable outlet. And even better - homemade moonshine.
- Follow the recipes, but also be creative. Sometimes this helps to create an incomparably tasty product, the recipe for which everyone who tries your masterpiece will ask you for the recipe.
Have you found the information you need and are you going to use the recipes given? Share in the comments. We are waiting for your likes.
Rowan tincture with vodka
The tincture has a pleasant copper color, rich taste and incredible berry aroma.
You will need (based on 10 liters of tincture): 6 kg of rowan berries, 0.5 kg of sugar, vodka.
Preparation. Rinse the rowan berries, remove the stems, dry them a little and pour them into jars (or bottles) 2/3 full, sprinkling with sugar. Pour vodka over the covered berries so as to completely cover them. Leave to infuse at room temperature, adding vodka periodically as the berries absorb the liquid. Infuse the rowan for 4 weeks, then drain the resulting liquid into a clean, airtight container and pour a new portion of vodka over the berries. Insist for another 6 weeks. Then drain the infusion and mix it with the first. Let the drink “rest” for at least a week. The longer the tincture sits, the tastier it will be.
The best recipe for berry tincture with alcohol
Homemade tincture made with alcohol and black currant, the composition of which is supplemented with fresh leaves of this bush, has a rich dark burgundy color, as well as a dominant smell and characteristic taste of the raw materials used.
Frozen fruits, as well as a unique assortment of red, white and black currants, are perfect for preparing this tincture.
The strength of the finished strong drink varies from 35 to 40 revolutions. The blackberry tincture will be just as incomparable in taste and amazing in aroma.
Homemade tincture recipes
Below I will give one recipe for all types of tinctures described above. To prepare them, first look at the above recommendations, and only then at the recipe itself.
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Bitter cherry tincture
. Dry 1.5-2 kg of cherries a little in the oven over low heat; add water if necessary; Fill the cherry up to the neck with alcohol or vodka. Infuse for 1.5-3 months, shaking the infusion periodically. Cherry pits contain hydrocyanic acid, which becomes harmful only after prolonged tincture (more than 6 months). Therefore, if the drink is filtered during the process, then you don’t have to take out the seeds - they will give the drink a more noble taste. If you poured the tincture with alcohol, after infusion, simply dilute the drink to the desired strength with water.
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Spicy cinnamon tincture
. For 1 liter of alcohol or vodka, add 3-4 tbsp. spoons of dried blueberries, 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed almond kernels, 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon (ground, or preferably whole) and ground citrus zest, 1 teaspoon each of cloves and star anise. Infuse the drink according to the basic recipe for 1-2 weeks.
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The process of preparing lemon vodka or Limoncello, depending on the addition of sugar at the final stage.
Voronets, sweet tincture
. For 1 liter of alcohol or vodka, add: 150-250 g of honey or sugar syrup, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of cardamom, ¼ teaspoon each of nutmeg and cloves. Place the mixture in the oven in a tightly sealed container for 5-6 hours at a temperature of 50-60 o C. Afterwards, strain the drink and leave to settle in a dark, cool place.
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Using these recommendations, you can prepare almost any tincture - this process still requires an experimental approach. Even when you do everything according to a strict recipe, the drink can turn out disgusting or, on the contrary, tastier than expected. Use it, experiment, share your experience.
To prepare delicious vodka liqueurs at home, recipes must be selected quite carefully. Basic rules and little secrets will help you get a quality homemade drink.
Many people prefer homemade drinks prepared with their own hands to ready-made store-bought drinks. Tinctures and liqueurs made with natural ingredients are significantly superior to those purchased in the supermarket.
Strong sweetness
Tinctures are prepared not only to obtain an effective medicine. Many recipes make it possible to “compose” a pleasant addition to the holiday table. So, raisin tincture is good. To prepare it, take:
- white raisins (300 g);
- vodka (half a liter).
To make the taste sweet, add sugar syrup. The syrup is boiled from water and sugar, and the quantity is chosen at your discretion - some people like it sweeter, others only like a slight taste of sweetness.
The future raisin drink is kept in a dark room for about a week so that the raisins have time to “give up” their beneficial qualities.
Drink a teaspoon three times a day. This method of consumption allows you to cope with ovarian cysts and speed up the regeneration processes during colds.
And you can drink a whole glass if guests come.
Chokeberry
It’s easy to prepare a chokeberry tincture with vodka, and the drink turns out to be quite tasty and relatively inexpensive. We take a three-liter jar into which we pour rowan berries so that its layer is 3 cm.
Pour vodka to the neck of the jar and sugar syrup. The syrup is prepared first from water and granulated sugar, taking approximately 300 g. The amount of sugar can be varied. We place the jar in a dark room. Once every 4-5 days we remember about it and shake it properly.
After 10 days, filter the drink. Some people add cloves to the tincture to improve the taste.
It is allowed to include one more component - honey.
The tincture removes “bad” cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure. Its use in small doses makes blood vessels elastic, which protects a person from circulatory diseases.
Prunes with vodka
You can make prune tincture with vodka at home.
We take dried fruits with seeds. Weight of raw materials – 400 g. You will also need:
- sugar (300 g);
- vodka (2 l).
Place the ingredients in a jar and place it in a dark place. Exposure time – 10 days.
If you decide to change the composition a little, you can take pitted prunes, honey and a pinch of vanillin.
Important! You cannot keep the drink unopened (if dried fruits have kernels) for more than 20 days! Prune seeds contain poison, which over time “migrates” into the tincture. .
Using berries for tinctures
Juicy berries - strawberries, raspberries, black currants and the like - are placed in layers in a jar and sprinkled with sugar, which should completely cover the entire berry harvest. After filling, the vessel is shaken to compact the raw material. This jar is then exposed to the sun. After a couple of days, the berries will give juice, which is drained, and sugar is added to the remaining berries. This procedure is repeated three times. Add a glass of vodka to the selected juice for each liter of juice. Sugar and berries are taken in equal weight proportions. The name of the tincture has not been determined.
The best recipe for spicy tincture with alcohol
Homemade tincture with alcohol and cumin has many different variations in its manufacture, as it has been known since very ancient times.
The presented recipe is interesting because it completely eliminates the infusion process, and you have the opportunity to taste the strong drink on the day of preparation.
If you want to add a hint of sweetness to the drink, then mix the already prepared strong drink with sugar syrup and allow the alcohol to mature in a cool room for one week.
In addition to being an excellent treat on any holiday table, you will prepare an effective healing potion against various colds.
Spicy tea
A simple recipe for a spicy aromatic tincture, the preparation time of which is reduced due to the temperature conditions of aging:
- alcohol 45°C or vodka - 2 l,
- cinnamon - a piece of 0.7-1 cm,
- cloves - 2 buds,
- good black loose leaf tea - 2 tsp,
- roasted coffee beans - 2 tsp,
- cumin - 1 tsp,
- sugar - 1 tbsp. l.,
- vanillin, citric acid - on the tip of a knife.
Infusion is carried out in a closed glass container near the battery. Shake the container 2 times a day. After 7 days, strain and stand for another 3 days.
Quick homemade alcohol recipes
Unlike tinctures, cordials are much more difficult to find on supermarket shelves. There are many types of liqueur on the market - a later variation on the theme of this drink, which has more richness, sweetness and thickness. But the liqueurs themselves are a product almost exclusively homemade, which became widespread and popular in the 17th century, when it became fashionable to keep the first bars in homes, demonstrating the host’s hospitality.
Homemade liqueurs are prepared, as a rule, based on berries and fruits, juices and ready-made infusions, often using herbs and spices as seasonings - cinnamon, cloves, cardamom or vanilla. As a basis, you can take any alcohol with a strength of more than 40% - vodka, alcohol or moonshine.
Traditional berries for making liqueurs in central Russia are cherries, currants, plums and rowan. Siberia and the Far East are famous for the excellent quality of their signature lingonberry liqueurs. Drinks made from strawberries have an unforgettable taste and aroma, and drinks made from cloudberries and dogwoods are a bit exotic.
The liqueur is prepared in two stages - first, berries or fruits sprinkled with a large amount of sugar impart flavor and aroma to the liquid. And then the settled and strained mixture is exposed to the sun, which brings the drink to the desired condition.
The production time for the liqueur varies in each case - from a couple of weeks to six months. This is largely due to the shelf life of the selected raw materials. For example, perishable strawberries or raspberries are suitable for making early-ripening liqueurs. But if you're willing to exercise your willpower while waiting for the finished product, you can choose pears or apples.
Whatever “filler” you like, it is worth remembering that berries and fruits do not need to be cleared of seeds and skins - they contain tannins and flavoring substances, which are largely responsible for the results of your work.
By analogy with liqueurs, thicker, richer and sweeter drinks - liqueurs - are prepared. They are based on alcohol with a strength of more than 50 degrees. Liqueurs tend to have more complex and funky flavors. And literally everything is suitable for making them: from bird cherry and rhubarb to blueberries, sea buckthorn, persimmons and tangerines.
Check out interesting recipes for instant liqueurs and please your loved ones with unusual, but at the same time simple alcohol.
One of the simplest drink options is cranberry liqueur. You can cook it
in 12–15 hours. The drink is easy to drink, its taste is soft and sour. For the tincture you will need:
- vodka – 0.5 l.;
- cranberries – 150–200 gr.;
- sugar or honey - optional.
Cranberries must first be doused with boiling water. To do this, put it in a container, fill it with hot water and keep it in it for about 3 minutes. When the berries are ready, the liquid is drained from them, ground with a wooden mortar, and then poured with alcohol.
After 12 hours, the tincture is passed through a filter, sugar or honey is added to it, stirred thoroughly and placed in a saucepan over low heat. The solution is brought to a boil, removed from the stove, cooled and served.
According to reviews of people who made this drink, the optimal amount of sugar is 2 tbsp. l.
A flavorful moonshine drink can be prepared in 2–3 days. You only need 1 liter of alcohol and 2 dessert spoons of dry mint. The grass is poured with moonshine and infused for a couple of days in a dark place. The resulting liquid must be carefully filtered (first through gauze and then through cotton wool). If desired, you can add a little honey, mix well and wait another day.
The quick mint moonshine is easy to drink, and the spicy herb in the composition causes an unusual chill in the stomach after consumption.
Among vodka liqueurs, alcohol infused with citrus fruits takes pride of place.
The drink turns out to be invigorating, tasty and incredibly aromatic. Vodka tincture will require the following ingredients:
- vodka – 3 l.;
- lemon zest from 6 fruits;
- sugar – 0.8 kg;
- water – 1.5 l.
Carefully remove the skin from the lemons, cut it into thin strips or grate it, and pour it with vodka for a day. After this, sugar syrup is prepared. Pour water into a saucepan, add sweetener, place on low heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. The foam formed on the syrup is removed. It is better to boil the solution twice and then cool to room temperature.
After this, both liquids (syrup and infusion of zest) are combined in an enamel or glass container, mixed thoroughly, and allowed to settle a little. The drink is bottled and kept cool for long-term storage.
Don’t worry if the lemon juice is a little cloudy immediately after cooking. In just a couple of days, all the sediment will disappear, and you will get aromatic, transparent alcohol with a yellowish tint.
You can prepare cognac according to the original recipe in just 2 weeks. For a drink
you will need:
- vodka or diluted alcohol – 3 l.;
- cloves – 6–8 inflorescences;
- granulated sugar – 7 tsp;
- nutmeg and cinnamon (powder) - ½ tsp each;
- vanilla – ¼ tsp;
- coffee (preferably instant) – 1 tbsp. l.;
- citric acid – 1 tsp.
Alcohol is poured into a glass container, the remaining ingredients are added to it, everything is thoroughly mixed, covered with a lid and left for 2 weeks out of reach of sunlight. After time, the cognac tincture with alcohol is filtered and bottled. The drink goes well with both main courses and sweets.
Fans of spicy strong drinks can be advised to prepare horseradish. For the tincture you will need:
- horseradish - 5 roots;
- red pepper (dried) – 10 pcs.;
- honey – 2–3 tbsp. l.;
- vodka – 3 l.
It is better to choose medium-sized peppers, otherwise the drink will be too spicy.
Pepper and horseradish are cut into small pieces, placed in a bottle, honey is added and poured with vodka. Infuse the mixture for 7 days in a cool place. Shake the container periodically. When the drink is ready, it is filtered, bottled and put in the refrigerator. Before using, you should cool the horseradish a little.
How to make vodka from alcohol, moonshine: a recipe at home
If you follow certain rules, then it is quite possible to make vodka at home from both alcohol and moonshine. For those who do not want to purchase equipment and brew their own strong alcoholic drinks from natural raw materials, the option of vodka from alcohol is suitable. From the list of ingredients that need to be taken care of in advance, the following stand out:
- Alcohol;
- Water;
- Flavoring additives.
Simply diluting alcohol in water is not enough; you should do it correctly, and also improve the taste with the help of special additives.
Alcohol requirement
To start the whole process, you need to purchase or obtain high-quality alcohol, since its dubious composition will certainly affect the vodka; it will not differ from “samopal”. Good vodka can only be made from food alcohol, or, in extreme cases, medicinal alcohol. It has a certain classification, according to which alcohols are divided according to the degree of purification. The highest grades Alpha and Lux are considered the best option, but it is also acceptable to use Extra and Basis. Some people also use highly purified alcohol, but if you are preparing the drink for yourself, then it is better not to save money and make tasty and safe alcohol. If Alpha is made exclusively from grains, then for other types additionally potatoes, which will slightly affect the taste and overall quality of the future vodka, although many of these differences will not be noticed.
There is a recipe for vodka with medical alcohol; it is practically no different from the methods of mixing the drink with other strong solutions. The only thing is that medical alcohol can be purchased through friends who work in this field, since it is impossible to find it in retail. If, however, such a seller is found, then such a product must be double-checked several times for authenticity and compliance with the expiration date.
There are some secrets for checking the quality of alcohol, they are additional, since it is initially important to study the composition and information about the manufacturer:
- The presence of life-threatening methanol can be determined using potatoes, which practically do not change color in ethyl alcohol, but turn pink in methyl alcohol. You can simply set fire to the liquid and a green tint will indicate methanol, blue – ethyl alcohol;
- The presence of impurities is detected through a mirror. You need to take it, wash it and, without drying it, treat it with soda. Wait for the surface to dry, do not speed up the process, add a few drops of alcohol. If there are no streaks left from the alcohol, then the impurity content is minimal. It will help to set fire to a small amount of liquid and if the flame is yellow, then there are impurities, and blue fire is characteristic of a pure alcohol solution.
These are not the only ways to determine the composition of an ethyl solution, but the most important condition is that you should not purchase such goods from unauthorized persons. In case of minor deviations, as well as for personal peace of mind, you can further purify the alcohol at home, but only if the solution initially meets the quality, but you just want to improve it. Carbon filters, including industrial ones, manganese solution, as well as other methods used as a recipe for purifying moonshine, are suitable for these purposes.
Requirements for water used for future vodka
An important step is the selection of water; it should not be a distillate, but at the same time, a high content of microelements has a negative effect on the composition. You should give preference to spring or bottled water, having previously studied the composition. It is not recommended to boil water.
Flavoring additives for vodka
You can choose the recipe for the future drink according to your taste, and there are quite a lot of such options. This can be a certain ratio of glucose, sugar, some soften with lemon juice. At home, it is possible to make vodka from alcohol to taste no different from well-known brands. To do this, you can purchase special concentrated flavors with ready-made flavor shades, adding which to the solution you can get an original alcoholic product. This may be vodka, identical to drinks called “Wheat”, “Cranberry”, “Anise” and other common brands.
For adherents of classical methods, you can find a recipe that contains mainly natural ingredients, but it will take some time to saturate the solution to the taste of classic good vodka.
Stages of preparing vodka using alcohol
The technology includes simple tasks, by performing which you can provide yourself with high-quality vodka made at home. This process can be represented sequentially as follows:
- Diluting alcohol with water. It is important to add alcohol to water, and not vice versa. It is important to understand that mixing occurs not only by volume, but also by mass fraction. Therefore, to obtain a solution with a strength of 40%, you need to use a recipe such as combining a liter of 96% high-quality alcohol with clean water until the total volume is 2.4 liters. An alcohol meter and a special table will help, helping to obtain the desired alcohol strength with the greatest accuracy;
- Adding flavoring and softening additives. It doesn’t matter what recipe is used to improve the taste, what is important is that the resulting drink becomes more enjoyable to drink. Very often glucose is added, glycerin, sugar or a concentrate of a certain flavor is added to soften it. A simple solution of alcohol and water will not become vodka; it requires a little work to convert it;
- Soaking. Sometimes filtration is carried out before this stage, but if the alcohol, water and other components were initially selected to be of high quality, then this stage can be neglected. It is recommended to let the solution sit for some time so that it is completely mixed at the molecular level; periodic shaking will speed up this process.
If concentrated flavors or other ingredients are used to enhance the taste, it is better to leave the solution in a cool place for several days. Vodka can also be refined with additives used for tinctures, but the proportions, aging time and the recipe itself, according to which the preparation will take place, are important. Even in the absence of special aromatic compounds, time must pass after mixing alcohol and water.
Making vodka yourself is quite a profitable option, since you can choose the recipe you like and experiment with flavor tones, but if you buy alcohol at specialized retail outlets, the material investment will be greater compared to brewing moonshine. It is also very important to purchase a truly high-quality product, since this type of product is one of the most in demand on the alcohol market. There is no need to give preference to attractive price tags; you should first check the composition of the alcohol, make sure there are no methyl compounds, and verify the authenticity of the manufacturer. All activities for choosing real food alcohol can only be successful when making purchases from professional distributors.
If you plan to produce alcoholic beverages periodically, you can acquire special equipment for the production of homemade alcohol or moonshine.
Vodka from moonshine
Well prepared and purified in several stages, it is an excellent base not only for vodka, but also for many other alcoholic drinks. If desired, you can achieve a fairly high quality distillate with a minimum amount of impurities and the absence of foreign odors. The step-by-step recipe for making vodka from moonshine is similar to using alcohol, only important points are added:
- The recipe and the choice of ingredients for the mash, if initially there is a desire to get not only a strong, but also a tasty product, you need to pay attention to the raw materials, give preference to grain crops, and use special alcoholic yeast. The use of potatoes and legumes will speed up the preparation of the mash, and there will be a good yield, but such a distillate must be distilled more than once to remove odors and tastes;
- Obtaining distillate or moonshine. The equipment must be professional, then the moonshine will be of high quality, and the product yield itself will be high. An excellent option would be a device with a distillation column, which allows you to obtain fairly pure alcohol with a strength of about 95% and slightly higher already at the first output;
- Cleansing. One of the disadvantages of moonshine is the presence of fusel oils and other related compounds, although this can be easily corrected by repeated distillation and additional purification. For better results, it is better to use several options at once. This will be more reliable, and it will be possible to increase the strength of the solution. Purification methods include filtration through activated carbon, special industrial filters, milk, manganese and other numerous methods;
- Be careful with diluting the moonshine. Not everyone will get a solution that exactly matches the strength of alcohol, then the recipe needs to be adjusted. Armed with an alcohol meter, you need to gradually bring the solution to the required strength. Closer to 96%, liquids are obtained if the equipment has a distillation column, the distillate is re-distilled through the apparatus.
By using moonshine instead of alcohol, you become more confident that vodka does not contain various chemical compounds that negatively affect not only the quality of alcohol, but also further health. This method also allows for significant savings, since the costs of raw materials are compensated several times after the first batch of mash. As for equipment, it may differ in functionality, cost and practicality, but choosing the optimal model that meets the priority parameter is very simple. For novice alcohol cooks, the price of equipment may seem relatively high, but if you compare the possible investments in alcoholic beverages, the equipment will pay for itself after just a few uses.
Moonshine is actively used not only for vodka and liqueurs, but also for preparing drinks similar to elite alcohol. This can be a whole range of varieties of vodka, cognac, whiskey, absinthe, liqueurs, and for all this it is enough to add a concentrate of food flavorings and glucose. It is possible to purchase a set at once, in which several types of alcohol are presented at once and from them you can choose the flavor you like, including vodka.
Whether the base in the form of moonshine will be used for vodka or whether you plan to try a recipe when the alcohol is diluted - this is not as important as choosing only high-quality components. There is no need to skimp on ingredients, as this will lead to negative consequences regarding health, and not just to the dubious result in the form of an unpleasant-tasting alcoholic drink.
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The best recipe for an exotic tincture with alcohol
Pineapple spirit infusion is a most aromatic and delicious alcoholic drink that will become an exotic highlight of any feast.
Moreover, this intoxicating drink is used in moderate doses for weight loss, since the tropical fruit used is very rich in acids and vitamins that promote the breakdown of fatty tissue.
Canned pineapple is completely unacceptable for use when preparing tincture, as it is not able to convey the rich color and fantastic taste of the fresh fruit.
The finished alcoholic drink has 38-40 revolutions, and is very easy to drink, but quickly intoxicates. The shelf life of this alcohol reaches five years, but must be stored in a cold room.
Classification of homemade alcoholic drinks
Alcohol tinctures at home are very popular, but in fact you can make them with other alcoholic drinks. The main ingredient may be:
If you prepare homemade tinctures using ingredients such as cognac or gin, the task becomes a little more complicated. It is necessary to fight the initial smell and taste of such alcohol or find a combination of aromas, as well as correctly select fruits and berries that, together with the main ingredient, will create the desired taste picture.
Alcohol tincture at home
It is best to prepare tincture liqueurs at home using alcohol. It is the best solvent, and the larger its proportion in the solution, the richer and stronger the drink will be. The alcohol tincture should have a temperature of at least 45, the most optimal value is 60. At this level of alcohol, the drink will be prepared much faster, and the taste will be more intense.
No need to worry about the alcohol strength. After the cooking process is completed, it can be diluted to the desired degree. If you decide to start your own production, you need to be patient. The preparation period can take from 2 weeks to 6 months, depending on the ingredients used and the desired result.
Classification of homemade alcoholic drinks
Homemade alcohol tinctures can be divided into:
- Bitters - this drink has a strength of 40 to 60% and is most often prepared on the basis of herbs, leaves, roots, seeds or berries. Spices and ground nuts are also often added to enhance the aftertaste;
- Sweet ones - their strength is reduced to 20-30%, and they are infused with apples or pears, or berries: currants and rowan berries. When preparing them, a large amount of sugar is used;
- Spicy - the number of degrees ranges from 40 to 60%. Various spices are used for infusion, and the drink itself is prepared for further distillation in a moonshine still.
Spicy tincture with alcohol
Sweet alcoholic liqueurs, in turn, are classified depending on the amount of sugar in their composition:
- If up to 0.3 kg of sugar is used per 1 liter of drink, it is a tincture;
- When you add 0.3-0.4 kg of granulated sugar, you get a liqueur;
- If the amount exceeds 0.5 kg per 1 liter of drink, it is liqueur.
How to properly dilute alcohol at home
Before making a tincture from alcohol, it is necessary to determine the category of the future drink. Pure medical 96% alcohol is used only in a few recipes; in all other cases it must be properly diluted with water to the desired degree.
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What to do if you don’t have an alcohol meter at home? The calculation scheme is quite simple. If you have 1 liter of 96% alcohol, this means that 1000 ml of liquid contains 960 ml of pure 100% alcohol. Let's say to prepare the liqueur you need to use 50% vodka, that is, 1 liter of liquid should contain 500 ml of pure alcohol. To correctly calculate the amount of water required, the initial volume (1 liter) should be multiplied by the initial degree (96) and divided by the desired one (50). Thus, we get the total amount of liquid: (1x96): 50 = 1.92 liters.
It turns out that to 1 liter of medical alcohol (96%) you need to add 920 ml of water to get a solution with a strength of 50%. It is important to carry out the procedure itself correctly. When mixing, it is necessary to pour alcohol into the water, and not vice versa, and it is better to use the liquid chilled. When mixed with warm water, alcohol may become cloudy and acquire an unpleasant odor and taste.
Cherry tincture with vodka
Cherry tincture is perhaps the most common, classic version of homemade tincture.
You will need: 2-3 kg of cherries, 250-500 g of sugar, 1 liter of vodka.
Preparation. Rinse the cherries and dry well. Pour the berries into a three-liter jar to fill 2/3 of the volume, fill with vodka to completely cover the berries. Cover with a lid and place in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. Then pour the infused liquid into a clean three-liter jar. Add fresh berries to the infused cherries, add sugar, stir and place again in a dark, cool place. After 4 days, squeeze the berries through cheesecloth, strain the resulting juice and mix everything with the previously poured tincture.
Walnut tincture with vodka
This tincture should be prepared from not yet ripened nuts with soft green skin. And such fruits need to be collected right before processing so that they do not lose their beneficial qualities.
You will need: 30-40 green walnuts, 500-800 g of sugar and 1 liter of vodka.
Preparation. Wash the nuts, chop them and put them in a jar. Add sugar and vodka. Place the jar in a dark place to infuse for 2 weeks. Then strain the liquid and bottle it.