Making 'Fruity' vodka and other spirits

[Slink]

So, Got 2 punnets of pretty good cherries, and feel like doing some home made cherry vodka.

i have seen sites saying that you just chuck de-seeded and halved cherries and sugar into a bottle of vodka and shake well once a week for a couple of months, then drink.

then I have seen other sites that say de-seed and halve the cherries, chuck in a pan with 150ml of water with sugar then 'cook' for a bit, then put in a bottle and shake, blah blah blah.


which would you do? i am more inclined to cook them a little bit to release a bit of juice and to change the flavour slightly, to , well, cooked cherries.

[Silver]

I've made fruity gin and vodka before though I've never cooked the fruit first. My usual method is to empty the bottle into a jug, put the fruit into the bottom of the bottle, pour some sugar into it then pour the alcohol back in before sticking it in a cupboard for a few months.

I've used sloes in gin and blueberries or cranberries in vodka. Not tried cherries but may give that a go for Christmas.

[Slink]

yes, thats what I was thinking about, having some nice cherry vodka for christmas.

well, I have got another bottle of vodka with about 750ml left in it, but im not sure I want to use that to try the cooked V uncooked cherries as thats 50% export strength smirnoff.


will get another bottle when I get paid, and then try both methods to 'experiment' with vodka.


I like experimenting with vodka its fun.

[bint]

Pricking the fruits will help release the flavour too
I've made sloe gin, Bacardi and vodka in the past and can highly recommend it!

[kiteless]

There was a mighty harvest of cherries from some local trees this year.

We're about to bottle three gallons of cherry wine, and have some cherry brandy and cherry vodka on the go. With the brandy we've always done it the same way: fruit into the bottom of a demijohn, half a pound of sugar on top, then topped off with a bottle of liquor. Shake the dj daily for two weeks, then once a week thereafter for about three months.

Strain into fancy bottles, and enjoy.

[Japveesix]

Slink said:

then I have seen other sites that say de-seed and halve the cherries, chuck in a pan with 150ml of water with sugar then 'cook' for a bit, then put in a bottle and shake, blah blah blah.

I did this method a few weeks back. The cherries are bloody lovely, the vodka i've not really tried yet I just wanted boozy cherries to have with ice-cream, meringue etc or just on their own. Very nice.

[offspring86]

My Father has just made a few bottles of apricot vodka. I tried some when visiting yesterday and it's bloody lovely! It goes down far too easily.

He even mixed a small amount of vodka with the left over pulp and made an apricot puree which was lovely on top of some vanilla ice cream.

[hollydog]

skittles . Sort the flavor you want out drop them in leave until dissolved.

[sherman]

hollydog said:

skittles . Sort the flavor you want out drop them in leave until dissolved.

Dont put the green ones in with any of the other ones or you will end up with brown coloured vodka. .

[crackthatoff]

not fruit but cola cube vodka is good !

[sherman]

Wham bar vodka works and also fruit salad (sweets) vodka works well. They take a couple of weeks to dissolve into the vodka though.
Skittle vodka only takes a week on the other hand.

[GruntyDC5]

Wham bar vodka sounds amazing! How many whams to say 70cl of vodka?

[sherman]

IIRC we had 10 in a 1.5l bottle so 4 or 5 should be more than enough.

[GruntyDC5]

Excellent, I will nip in past the supermarket on the way home tonight.

[stackmonkey]

Recently bottled blueberry vodka from last year's fruit out of the garden.

[tuffer]

sherman said:

Wham bar vodka works and also fruit salad (sweets) vodka works well. They take a couple of weeks to dissolve into the vodka though.
Skittle vodka only takes a week on the other hand.

Stick the bottle in the Dishwasher for 30 minutes, job jobbed. The heat dissolves it and you are good to go.

[Miocene]

Lemon gin is a favourite of mine, and no waiting 3 plus months like sloe gin. You need:

4 large unwaxed lemons (aldi seem good for these, or you can un-wax waxed lemons if needs be)
200gms caster sugar
70cl gin

Finely grate the zest of 3 of the lemons into a large saucepan and then squeeze in the juice of all 4 lemons.
Add the sugar and heat very gently until dissolved, bring to the boil and turn off immediately. Pour in the gin and stir, cool completely and strain through a fine sieve before pouring into bottles.

I have it with lemonade and it basically makes a strong drink that tastes (and looks) just like traditional lemonade.

[Puggit]

Miocene said:

Lemon gin is a favourite of mine, and no waiting 3 plus months like sloe gin. You need:

4 large unwaxed lemons (aldi seem good for these, or you can un-wax waxed lemons if needs be)
200gms caster sugar
70cl gin

Finely grate the zest of 3 of the lemons into a large saucepan and then squeeze in the juice of all 4 lemons.
Add the sugar and heat very gently until dissolved, bring to the boil and turn off immediately. Pour in the gin and stir, cool completely and strain through a fine sieve before pouring into bottles.

I have it with lemonade and it basically makes a strong drink that tastes (and looks) just like traditional lemonade.

I love the sound of this, but pouring gin in to very hot water will lose all the alcohol!? Alchohol boils at 79 degrees, water at 100.

[Miocene]

That was copied from the instructions I was given, it's a fair point but I'd imagine pouring 70cl of gin to not much lemon/sugar solution would quickly bring it below 79 degrees... or just wait for it to cool for a moment.

[Bill]

I made blackberry vodka last year which was pretty good, if delicate. And rhubarb vodka all spring/early summer. Rhubarb vodka and ginger beer is a lovely summer drink and rhubarb martinis are spectacular (1 part Noilly Prat to 4 vodka IMO, served with a slice of stem ginger. I meant to get some vanilla sugar for the rim but we drank it all before I got a chance. )