Recommend me a home Hooch project for 2013

[The_Doc]

I've joined a new pheasant shoot up here in Cumbria, and in addition to the initiation ceremony (insert carrot joke here) I need to come up with a homebrew hooch for next season.

They cliche is Sloe Gin for a shooting party, but in late January when I came along there was a variety of elderflower schnaps, cherry brandy, apple brandy on offer from all and sundry. Very nice some of them were too.

So.........

I've got 6 months at least until the season gets underway, what can I brew/distill/mull/ferment/swirl/etc in my garage/airing cupboard/etc ?

I'd love to turn up with a knockout DIY liquor.......

Edited by The_Doc on Sunday 10th March 10:38

[randlemarcus]

Got to be blackberry whisky for a shoot.

[poprock]

Liqueur making is dead simple, and if sloe gin is enough to satisfy the requirements then so is this.

DIY ginger liqueur

[Wadeski]

I bought a book on home-made liqueurs and cordials, they would appear to be bloody easy.

sugar + fruit + spice + hooch.

[Mobile Chicane]

Highly seasonal:

Beech leaf noyau.

No-one will have ever heard of it, and it's delicious. No need to buy expensive spirit - the tannins in the beech leaves will soften the roughest, cheapest gin.

[Slink]

MC, is that your blog as I remember you posting it on another thread somewhere?

if so, you have one of my fave cars, one I would have in my fantasy 5 car garage and will own one when I get some NCD under my belt, and you also live where there are the best country roads around 150 miles from where I live.

[Bill]

Mobile Chicane said:

Highly seasonal:

Beech leaf noyau.

No-one will have ever heard of it, and it's delicious. No need to buy expensive spirit - the tannins in the beech leaves will soften the roughest, cheapest gin.

Very interesting. I'll be trying this, thanks.

Blackberry vodka is my ridiculously easy suggestion for the OP.

[The_Doc]

Thanks everyone, there are some great suggestions here and I'm off to research methods and materials.

I'll let you know what I choose and how it 'matures'

[The_Doc]

poprock said:

Liqueur making is dead simple, and if sloe gin is enough to satisfy the requirements then so is this.

DIY ginger liqueur

Made this last night.

The syrup is sugar, ginger, vanilla and water. After 20 mins of boiling I was hard pressed not to throw some ice in it and down it in one, forget the base spirit!

Anyhow. Added to brandy base and steeping nicely now.

I think Beech leaf noyau will be next. Just need the beech trees to put out some leaves.

Bring on spring.

[The_Doc]

Day 4 update: the ginger brandy is really, really good.

It's now 20% by volume as the brandy base makes up half.
The ginger flavour is really soft and complimentary, I've tried filtering it to get it crystal clear but nothing gets the cloudiness out. Never mind, my stomach doesn't complain.

Fun. and I've filled a hip flask for skiing next week. (Couldn't wait until the glorious twelfth !)

[poprock]

That sounds like a grand success. Think I’ll try it myself when I eventually run out of The King’s Ginger.

[Mobile Chicane]

The_Doc said:

Day 4 update: the ginger brandy is really, really good.

It's now 20% by volume as the brandy base makes up half.
The ginger flavour is really soft and complimentary, I've tried filtering it to get it crystal clear but nothing gets the cloudiness out. Never mind, my stomach doesn't complain.

Fun. and I've filled a hip flask for skiing next week. (Couldn't wait until the glorious twelfth !)

Not even a coffee filter?

[The_Doc]

Mobile Chicane said:

The_Doc said:

Day 4 update: the ginger brandy is really, really good.

It's now 20% by volume as the brandy base makes up half.
The ginger flavour is really soft and complimentary, I've tried filtering it to get it crystal clear but nothing gets the cloudiness out. Never mind, my stomach doesn't complain.

Fun. and I've filled a hip flask for skiing next week. (Couldn't wait until the glorious twelfth !)

Not even a coffee filter?

Nope, not even a coffee filter with a full load poured in. Left it for 20 mins and the intially promising drips slowed to nothing. I'm guessing industrial filtering is done with specific filter porosity and pressure.

cloudy's fine for me

[Mobile Chicane]

I have the syrup for the ginger liqueur bubbling away in the kitchen. The smells are intoxicating.

It's so easy to make, I can see this becoming a staple at Schloss MC. Great idea for Christmas presents too.

Thanks for posting the recipe, whoever posted it.

[The_Doc]

update:

solved the cloudy problem, that wasn't solved by filtration attempts.

Left the bottle for three or so weeks and the cloudyness dropped to the bottom (particulates)

Decanted the bottle gently, so as not to disturb the stuff, wasted the last 5mm and the rest is much clearer.

Oh and I can report that ginger Brandy tastes even better at altitude. Namely 2300m, looking out over Mont Blanc from the Portes du Soleil.

[poprock]

Brilliant! So the cloudiness is curable, given time. This stuff is definitely on the list.

[Opara]

How about mead which is a honey wine? If you can find a local honey farm and buy in bulk it could be an interesting project not to mention the potential of fruit additions.

[Bill]

Heard of another idea to try: rhubarb and ginger vodka.

And please reassure me that I'm not the only person eyeing up the beech trees' efforts to open...

[Mobile Chicane]

Bill said:

please reassure me that I'm not the only person eyeing up the beech trees' efforts to open...

You're not - I was thinking the exact same thing today

[The_Doc]

Mobile Chicane said:

Bill said:

please reassure me that I'm not the only person eyeing up the beech trees' efforts to open...

You're not - I was thinking the exact same thing today

and me last week and today again !!