Do you know how liqueur differs from tincture? The liqueurs are usually much sweeter, their strength is lower. Although liqueurs are considered a lady's drink, men also like their taste. For tinctures, sugar is not a necessary ingredient at all.
Many recipes for vodka liqueurs use a basic ingredient - sugar syrup. I will give you a recipe for making it.
We will need:
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 250 g water
Method for preparing sugar syrup for liqueurs
- Pour sugar into a saucepan, add water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and check syrup for 5 minutes, carefully skimming off any foam. Do not stir the syrup during cooking, otherwise it will crystallize.
- Remove the finished syrup from the heat and let cool, then strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, pour into a clean bottle and store in the refrigerator. It can be stored for quite a long time.
Spotykach
Spotykach is one of the most famous ancient liqueurs. They also make it from black currants, prunes, and add cherries and blueberries. Let's consider the option with even currants.
Ingredients:
- 800 ml vodka (preferably homemade)
- 1 liter of sugar syrup (see recipe above)
- 1 kg black currants
Cooking method:
- Sort out the blackcurrants, wash and dry.
- Crush well, place in a gauze bag, hang it over a container to allow the juice to drain.
- Bring the sugar syrup to a boil, pour in the collected juice, stir and bring to a boil again.
- Remove from heat, add vodka, stir.
- When the liqueur has cooled, pour into bottles and seal.
Raspberry liqueur
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 3 kg fresh raspberries
- 500 ml sugar syrup
Cooking method
- Sort out the raspberries, pour them into a glass bottle, and fill them with vodka. Leave in the sun for 3-4 days, strain.
- Heat the sugar syrup almost to a boil, pour in the raspberry infusion. Stir, strain again through several layers of gauze into a glass bottle. Close and store in a dark, warm place for a month.
- Pour the finished liqueur into bottles and seal for storage.
Prune liqueur
Ingredients
- 2 liters of vodka
- 500 ml moonshine 85° strength
- 700 g prunes
- 350 g sugar
Cooking method
- Wash the prunes, remove the seeds, dry, chop and pour into a bottle.
- Pour vodka, place in a dark place and leave for 6-7 weeks, shaking occasionally.
- Pour the infusion into another container. Pour water into a bottle with prunes so that it covers the berries. Leave for 2-3 days.
- Strain the liquid and mix it with the first portion of the infusion, let it settle and pour it again into another container, leaving the sediment.
- Add sugar and alcohol to the liqueur and mix. Leave for two days, shaking occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Strain the finished liqueur and bottle it.
"Klyukovka"
Cranberry or cranberry liqueur is one of the most popular liqueurs. Properly prepared, it will be easy to drink and will not lead to consequences in the form of a sore head in the morning.
Ingredients: cranberries – 250 g; vodka – 0.5 l; sugar – 1 tbsp. l. (optional); water – 50 ml (optional).
Clean berries are poured into a container, where they need to be crushed until smooth. Then you need to add vodka here and mix everything well. If necessary, add sugar and water. The cranberry is infused for 2 weeks in a dark, warm place. After infusion, it must be filtered.
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Cherry brandy
Ingredients
- 200 ml of homemade vodka or moonshine, brought to a strength of 40-45°
- 1 kg fresh cherries
- 800 g sugar
Cooking method
- Sort the cherries, wash them, remove pits and stems.
- Place the berries in a glass bottle in layers, sprinkling with sugar. Leave for two days so that the berries release juice.
- Pour vodka into the bottle and shake. Tie the neck with cloth and leave in a dark place for 2 months.
- Strain the finished liqueur and pour into bottles for storage.
Basic recipe for sweet tincture
The base is bitters, plus 230-330 g of sugar or honey per 1 liter of drink. First you need to make syrup from sugar. Dissolve one part water and one part sugar and heat. Then pour sugar syrup into the heated bitters. Cool the composition and pour into bottles for storage, remove from light.
Alternatively, a tincture can be made at home with the addition of alcohol in 2-3 stages. The raw materials are crushed and poured with alcohol and infused. Next, the mass is filtered and all steps are repeated again.
Cherry liqueur with spices
Ingredients
- 200 ml of homemade vodka or moonshine, brought to a strength of 40-45°
- 1 kg fresh cherries
- 800 g sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5-6 clove buds
- zest of 1 orange
Cooking method
- Sort the cherries, wash, dry, do not remove the pits. Place in a sterilized glass jar, close with a sterilized lid and place in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jar of cherries from the pan, add sugar, add spices and zest, and pour in vodka. Seal the jar tightly with a lid.
- Leave for 3 months in a dark place, shaking the jar from time to time to dissolve the sugar.
- Strain the finished liqueur and bottle it.
What products does it combine with?
If you are interested in how to drink the tincture, be sure to pay attention to the snacks. Most representatives of the segment have a high strength, which is why they need decent gastronomic accompaniment.
The best snacks to accompany the products are hot dishes, cold cuts, salads, fish, game, seafood and fruits. The ideal pair is selected solely on the basis of the characteristics of the purchased alcohol.
Baked cherry liqueur
This is the most labor-intensive way to prepare cherry liqueur - it is prepared in three stages. Believe me, it's worth it.
Ingredients
- 2 liters of vodka
- 1 kg fresh cherries
- 500 g sugar
Cooking method
- Sort the cherries, wash them, place them on a baking sheet in one layer and dry them in the oven at 120°C until slightly wrinkled, but not dry.
- Pour the baked cherries into a glass jar, pour in vodka so that all the berries are covered, close and put in a cool, dark place for 10 days.
- Pour the infusion into a separate bottle, close and store in a cool, dark place. Fill the berries again with vodka to the top, close the jar with a lid and leave for 2 weeks.
- Drain the infusion again, pour the remaining vodka over the berries, add sugar and leave for 7 days, shaking occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- Strain the last portion of the infusion, combine all three portions of the infusion, mix and pour into bottles for storage. The liqueur is ready.
Anisovka
Our hit. If you like unusual flavor combinations, be sure to prepare this tincture. Ingredients: fresh mint - one bunch, star anise - two stars, zest of one orange, zest of four limes, cardamom - five peas, sugar - two tablespoons, liter of strong alcohol (vodka or moonshine).
Pour alcohol into the bottle, add spices, zest and mint. Shake. Close the lid and leave to brew for seven days. Then strain the drink, add sugar and leave for another week. Strain again. The tincture is ready!
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Advice. Infusions are best served with tea or coffee at the end of the meal. This way, guests will be able to better appreciate their delicate taste, and at the same time relieve the feeling of heaviness after a hearty feast.
Strawberry liqueur
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 1 kg ripe strawberries or wild strawberries
- 500 g sugar
Cooking method
- Sort the berries, removing the stems. Pour into a jar, add vodka, close the lid and place in the sun for a day.
- Drain the strawberry infusion, strain into a separate bottle and store in a cool, dark place.
- Cover the berries in the jar with sugar and close with a lid. Leave in the sun for three days, shaking until the sugar melts and a clear syrup forms.
- Strain the strawberry syrup and combine with the strawberry infusion. Strawberry vodka liqueur is ready, pour it into bottles for storage.
How to make homemade cranberry vodka tincture
Cranberry is a very healthy berry, although it is sour. Cranberry tinctures are not only tasty, but also healthy.
The berry contains many elements such as iodine, iron, magnesium, citric and quinic acids and vitamins C, PP, K1, as well as group B.
This tincture can be used for medicinal purposes against pressure changes and stomach ulcers. And if you drink a glass half an hour before meals, you will thereby increase your appetite.
During periods when the flu is rampant, taking 50 g per day will help boost immunity.
Juniper liqueur
Everything in my dacha is juniper. There are a lot of blue berries on the female bushes. I kept thinking about how to put them to work, and then I came across this liqueur recipe. She's beautiful! I recommend.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 50 g fresh juniper berries
- 100 ml water
- 100 g honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
Cooking method
- Wash the juniper berries, dry them on a towel, put them in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Cool, then strain the broth into a glass bottle or jar.
- Add honey, cinnamon, vodka to the juniper decoction, close the lid and let it brew for 7 days.
- Strain the finished liqueur and pour into bottles.
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 - home-made moonshine of the second distillation.
- 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.
Blackberry liqueur
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 4 kg fresh blackberries
- 800 g sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
Cooking method
- Sort the berries, rinse and dry. Place in a jar in layers, sprinkling with sugar. Tie the neck with a cloth, put it in a dark place to infuse for 2 days. Shake occasionally.
- Pour lemon juice and vodka into a jar. Shake, cap and leave for 1.5 months.
- Strain the finished liqueur.
Fisherman's drink
Fisherman's drink is an excellent and original option for the holidays.
Ingredients: vodka – 2 l; lemon – 1 piece; honey - 2 tbsp. l; pine nuts – 1 handful.
The lemon, cut into 4 parts, is thrown into the container along with the nuts. Honey is mixed in a small amount of water or vodka, which is included in the ingredients of the drink. The mixture is poured into a container with lemon and nuts. The rest of the vodka is poured in and the container is hermetically sealed. Stored for 2 weeks in a dark place. It is better to shake the container a couple of times a week.
Lemon liqueur
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 5 lemons
- 500 ml sugar syrup (recipe at the beginning)
Cooking method
- Wash the lemons and cut into small pieces along with the peel. Remove the seeds as they impart bitterness.
- Place the lemons in a jar, add vodka, close the lid and leave for a month, putting the jar in a dark place.
- Strain the lemon infusion and discard the lemons. Heat the sugar syrup (not to a boil), mix the syrup with the lemon infusion. Close the jar with the infusion again and leave for 1 month. Shake occasionally.
- Strain the finished liqueur and pour into bottles.
How is it different from other similar drinks?
Tincture is an alcohol, the consistency of which can be found in many similarities with other popular alcohol. By carefully examining the recipes for tinctures and many other features of consistency, you will still be able to identify the fundamental differences between this segment of alcohol and any other.
Differences from liqueur
The liqueur is a relaxing and light drink. The differences between these products and the products we are considering are in several factors. First of all, it is a fortress. The degree measure of liqueurs does not exceed 20%, while the alcohol we are considering can show a figure of 60%. Another distinctive feature is the maximum sugar content. In liqueurs it can reach 40%.
Differences from balm
Balms are extremely strong alcoholic products. Their taste is dominated by a recognizable bitterness and a spicy bouquet, rich in essential oils. Moreover, these drinks are often considered medicinal and are rarely consumed for personal pleasure.
Differences from liqueur
Liqueurs are drinks that are also produced using maceration technology, but they are sweeter products. The sugar content in this alcohol can reach 60%. The maximum strength of liqueurs is also lower. It balances at around 50 rpm.
Melon
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 1 ripe melon weighing 2 kg
- 300 g sugar
Cooking method
- Peel the melon and remove the seeds. Cut the pulp into small pieces and place in a jar.
- Pour vodka over the melon so that it covers all the pieces. Tie the neck with a cloth and place in sunlight to infuse for 2 weeks.
- Strain the finished infusion, add sugar, heat slightly, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Strain the prepared melon tincture and bottle it.
Other uses
To ensure that your tasting gives you the most diverse experience possible, try to prepare additional ingredients for it, which will later allow you to create stylish and memorable cocktails. Popular mixes include the following: Stark Ricky, Ruby, Cupid, Afterburner, Whirlpool, Aurora and others. These drinks can now be found in leading restaurants and clubs around the world.
Tinctures have long been considered exclusively medicinal products. They managed to become a popular and sought-after alcohol only at the end of the 17th century.
The first and, most likely, most important feature of tinctures for the modern consumer is their diversity. By turning to the assortment of these drinks, you can easily find assemblages with aromatic and taste characteristics that meet all your wishes and requirements. Practicality in terms of tasting also plays an important role. Representatives of the segment are combined with a large number of snacks, and at the same time they can become a worthy basis for creating a large number of cocktails. Visit your nearest liquor store today to buy a bottle of a bright and memorable drink that can give you an unforgettable tasting experience.
Nut liqueur
This recipe is similar to the old Italian recipe for Nocino nut liqueur, which is also made from unripe walnuts.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 1 kg unripe (green) walnuts
- 300 g sugar
- 3 star anise
- 3 clove buds
- 5 allspice peas
Cooking method
- Coarsely chop unripe walnuts, pour into a jar, add vodka, place in a dark place and leave for 1 month.
- Strain the infusion and pour into another container, close. Cover the nuts from the infusion with sugar, cover and leave for two weeks, shaking to completely dissolve the sugar.
- Strain the nut syrup, mix with the nut infusion, and bottle the finished liqueur.
Berry liqueur
Quite a popular liqueur made from assorted summer berries - red currants, cherries and raspberries. In the berry liqueur, you can replace the ingredients with other seasonal berries to suit your taste, for example, take ripe blackberries, blackcurrants or strawberries.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 1 kg red currants
- 1 kg cherries
- 2 kg raspberries
- 1.5 kg sugar
Cooking method
- Sort the berries, remove the branches, stems, and remove the pits from the cherries. Place the berries in a bowl and crush thoroughly. Add sugar and leave in a cool place for a day. Strain all the released juice.
- Combine berry juice in a glass bottle with vodka, shake, cap and put in a dark place for a month.
- Strain the finished liqueur and bottle it.
Equipment for preparing tincture
Kitchen utensils used to prepare the drink should not oxidize; therefore, you should only use enameled utensils and utensils made of stainless steel, plastic, wood, and glass.
It is necessary to prepare clean equipment:
- glass (plastic) bottle with a stopper;
- bucket for collecting berries and fruits;
- pans, it is convenient to crush raw materials in them;
- berry crusher;
- basin or bowls for raw materials;
- colander according to the size of the pan;
- simple funnel and funnel with mesh;
- scales.
Apple liqueur
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 2 kg sour apples
- 500 ml sugar syrup (recipe at the beginning of the article)
Cooking method
- Wash the apples, cut them, remove the core, cut into small pieces. Place in a jar, fill with vodka. Tie the neck with a cloth and leave it in the sunlight for 2 weeks. Shake occasionally.
- Strain the infusion and discard the apples. Heat the sugar syrup until hot, but not boiling. Then pour in the prepared apple infusion, stirring. Strain again, pour into bottles for storage.
- Apple tincture should be consumed no earlier than a month after bottling.
From apricot kernels
Ingredients
- 1 liter of vodka
- 350 g apricot or peach kernels
- 500 ml sugar syrup (recipe at the beginning of the article)
Cooking method
- Dry the stems of the berries, break them with a hammer, pour (along with the kernels) into a glass jar, and fill with vodka. Leave in sunlight for 6-7 weeks. Strain through cheesecloth.
- Add heated sugar syrup to the infusion, pour into bottles and seal.
If you are interested, the site also has interesting recipes for vodka and moonshine infusions.
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:
- Alcohol or vodka;
- Wine;
- Cognac;
- Gin;
- Rum or whiskey.
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 alcohol tinctures, 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.
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.
