New Fruit-Flavored Drinks - Cool Hunting New Fruit-Flavored Drinks FOOD + DRINK New Fruit-Flavored Drinks Real fruit, natural flavors and a few bubbles bring freshness to these new beverages—all perfect heat-beaters by Evan Orensten BEVERAGES DRINKS FLAVORS FRUIT JUICE Overpowered, chemically flavored and HFCS-sweetened sodas more and more seem like relics of our clueless food past. A new generation of drinks flavored with real fruit, naturally-sweetened or relying on fruit juice alone provide a range of options for beating the summer heat. Whether drinking them straight up or gussied up with the tipple of choice, we're enjoying a fridge-full of options this summer. Cascal Soda For those who enjoy the complex notes of wine, you can now find the same intricacies in Cascal soda. Using a double-fermentation process, their unlikely juice-based flavor profiles are lightly carbonated and skip sugar, artificial colors and preservatives. Unusual ingredients such as mirabelle plums and magnolia combine to make their three non-alcoholic options—Crisp White, Light Red, and Fine Dry—selling at local Whole Foods Markets .

Flavrz Drink Mix While both drink mixes and at-home soda makers have been making advancements in recent years, there has yet to be a happy marriage of the two. Taking both good ideas and making them better, Flavrz liquid mixes are designed for those who want to make their own flavored bubbly water without all the additives—all while reducing environmental waste . Available in 16-ounce bottles or individual one-ounce flavor packets, it's up to you how much flavor you put in, making each beverage your own custom blend. Each naturally-delicious flavor, like Cherry Berry or Tropical or soda varieties such as root beer or cola, sells on Flavrz's website . Twelve Noon to Midnight Renowned American chefs David Burke and Alfred Portale recently moved into the beverage world, seeking the perfect compliment to every meal and every occasion. Their creation, the line of sparkling juice and tea combinations known as Twelve , come in the original peachy-apricot flavor or the new pomegranate-ginger Rouge. True to their word, each flavor is "unlike anything you have ever tasted" with incredible complexity. At $7 for 750mL bottle in select stores , the price is as good as the product.

The Modern Cocktail It's always five o'clock somewhere, especially if you're in Irvine, CA testing combos with the new The Modern Cocktail company. Their premium cocktail mixers aren't the Jack-and-cokes or cran-vodkas of your college days, but instead employ the fruitiest, most innovative recipes to create new mixers for the ages. Putting modern spins on all the classics (including margaritas, champagne toppers, and assorted 'tinis), the Modern Cocktail has options that will inspire even the most trepidatious bartender. Available in themed five-packs based on category ($10) or extra-large single-flavor "fresh packs" ($4, designed to be air and light-proof), look out for them in specialty and high-end retailers this fall. Ayala's Sparkling Herbal Water had flat waters diff flavors Building on the success of their flat waters, Ayala's Herbal Waters are completely artificial- and preservative-free sparkling waters deeply infused with herbs. Flavors such as cinnamon orange peel and lemongrass mint vanilla (with more combos on the way) confuse and enchant the tastebuds all at once. All products sell on the company's website , with the new sparklers starting at $24 for a three-pack sampler.

Gojilania Goji Juice Blends The Goji berry has been getting more and more recognition for its deliciously nutritious qualities, along with the Açai berry , Pomegranate, Mangosteen , and Blueberry. Together, these superfruits cover all of the bases in boosting energy, nutrition, antioxidants and lending tastiness. Gojilania Goji Juice Blends keeps it simple, combining Goji individually with each of the others and without the use of artificial additives. This upshot is a blend filled with the exotic flavors that rarely make their way into a 10.5-ounce bottle, but as a result the Goji berry is now more portable and affordable. Get each of the variations ($4 each), as well as 32-ounce supplement bottles ($28), online from the Healthy Gourmet Market . Infuse Your Booze! A Complete Guide To DIY Flavored Liquors | Northwest Edible Life Infuse Your Booze! A Complete Guide To DIY Flavored Liquors October 9, 2013 This is one of those posts where I will come off as a lush, and an opinionated one at that. But these cocktails?

They are simply research, baby – this is all for you. Infuse Your Booze If you like the creativity of cooking and combining flavors and you drink hard alcohol then booze infusions are a natural place to play around and have fun personalizing your liquor cabinet. Infusions are also a great DIY holiday gift if your crowd is a little more scotch and speakeasy than santa hat and sugar cookie. Booze infusions are very simple – you soak ingredients in a base alcohol until you like the taste. If you can make tea you can make a cucumber gin or a chai tea vodka or a cherry bourbon. Once you have those infusions on hand, you’re some ice and a mixer or two from a Cucumber Gin Gimlet (very refreshing in late August) or a Chai White Russian or a Cherry Manhattan. That’s really all there is to it, so if you learn best by doing, feel free to stop reading now and go play around with whatever’s in your liquor and spice cabinet. I won’t take it personally. If you want the complete guide to everything I’ve learned about making my own infusions, read on. Part One: Know Your Base Alcohol Your base is the booze that you’re going to flavor.

I recommend a nice mid-shelf, mid-price alcohol. Top shelf isn’t necessary, but no infusion ingredients will make terrible rot-gut booze taste like anything other than a drain cleaning solvent, so find a comfortable middle ground of price and quality. With all base liquors, the higher the proof, the more extraction power you’re looking at. So an overproof gin or bourbon will pull more flavor from your infusion ingredients than an 80 proof version. If you are looking for maximal extraction of volatiles, as for a medicinal or culinary extract, 190 proof Everclear may be of use. I haven’t worked with the super-overproofs, but if you can speak to their use in infusions, please chime in! Vodka A decent vodka is notable for it’s lack of flavor, which makes vodka the perfect beginner’s base for infusions. You can see this at a commercial level in the liquor section, where things like cotton candy vodka, bubblegum vodka, marshmallow vodka and other My Little Pony flavored spirits take perfectly good shelf space away from single malt Scotch.

Ignoring the flavor evil that’s being done in the name of commercial flavored vodkas, this neutral spirit plays extraordinarily well with most infusion ingredients, and is highly mixable as a spirit. For folks who see little point in drinking something basically flavorless, infusions can give vodka life. For all these reasons, if your heart isn’t already set on a particular non-vodka base creation, I recommend that you start your infusion experiments with vodka. Classic infusion flavors: anything and everything. There are no limits to what you can infuse in vodka. Bacon? Dill Pickle? Oatmeal? Bacon-Dill-Pickle-and-Oatmeal? You name it and someone has done it. Personal favorites: I typically infuse Findlandia but recently tried the Kirkland Signature American vodka at Costco. For the price, I think it’s unbeatable. I particularly like infusions of coffee and vanilla bean, fresh cherry, citrus of all kinds, ginger and dried pear, and many variations of “spiced.” Gin The cocktail lover’s booze, gin is a mix of herbs and botanicals typically distilled with neutral grain alcohol (vodka).

To people like me, this makes gin something like “vodka with a point” because the spirit has a substantial flavor punch all on its own, or in minimalist concoctions like the martini (which, unless specified, should be made with gin and vermouth and ice and nothing else). This does make gin slightly trickier to work with from an infusion standpoint. Add in the diversity of flavors in gin – that mix of botanicals varies by brand and can range radically in make-up and complexity – and you have a base that requires a bit more thought to infuse. The good news is, gin was meant to be mixed, and if you think about the type of gin mixed drinks you like to drink and what would be appropriate garnishing flavors, you’ll be led to infusion combinations that make sense. Classic infusion flavors: cucumber, citrus of all kinds, floral (lavender especially), herbal – think basil, fennel or lemon verbena – apple and pear, and green tea. Personal favorites: I infuse Gordan’s Gin. I love cucumber and star anise – this makes a simply lovely drink served neat over ice. Grapefruit and ginger is excellent too. Tequila Blanco is unaged with a typically straight forward flavor.

It is a good choice for infusing with bold and assertive flavors that might overwhelm more subtle, aged tequilas. Gold tequila is Blanco with a little caramel color added, typically. Reposado has been aged less than a year in oak and is a bit smoother than Blanco. Anejo is aged over a year and is more smooth yet. The lighter the tequila the more adaptable it will be to a diversity of flavor infusions. Complex anejos require a more careful hand so that the more subtle flavors of the base are enhanced, not overwhelmed. Classic infusion flavors: Chili, citrus, tropical fruit, coconut, ginger, melon, watermelon. The sweet herbs like mint, lemon verbena and cinnamon basil are also good. Personal favorites: I’m not a big tequila drinker, but I’ve done a few infusions that are making me reconsider. I infuse in Sauza typically, or whatever relatively inexpensive tequila we have on hand for other use. I’ve done strawberry-mint and dried mango and lime and enjoyed them both. Rum Like tequila, rums vary from clear in color and straightforward in flavor to dark, stronger and more complex tasting.

And like tequila, the lighter the rum, the more adaptable it will be to infused flavors, with the more complex and darker rums requiring a bit more thought in flavor pairing. Rums seem to be second only to vodka in flavor bastardizations (banana rum, coconut rum, apple rum, etc.) and the purist in me must advise that you stay away from commercially made, artificially-flavored concoctions like these. However, DIY infusion versions made with real ingredients can be lovely. Soak fresh pineapple in a decent rum for week and tell me if you don’t agree. Spiced rum is interesting, in that it is already (ostensibly) an infusion. While there are a some quality commercial spiced rums out there, most run overly sweet to my taste, a low quality base rum tarted up with artificial flavors. But spiced rum can give the DIY infuser a lot of inspiration. Classic infusion flavors: Typical spices that play well with golden or aged rum are vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves, pepper and citrus peel – the kind of tropical spices that grow in the same latitudes as sugarcane, rum’s parent plant.

For white rum, citrus, particularly lime, is a great pairing, as are tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, lychee, coconut, etc. If you like strawberry daiquiris, consider a fresh strawberry rum infusion. Personal favorites: Bacardi Light Rum or Don Q Cristal take infusion flavors very well, but I occasionally play around with darker rums too. Fresh pineapple with a little mint in rum is wonderful, and if you can find dried young coconut (typically available sweetened), you can make yourself the kind of coconut rum that even single malt girls like me can support. Vanilla-Orange is a personal favorite with a dark rum. Don’t let the vanilla bean take over and try it in a Dark and Stormy. Brandy Brandy doesn’t seem to get a lot of press, which is too bad, since it plays so well with others. In cocktails, desserts and savory cooking, brandy is a spirit that rarely fights. Fruit, spice and anything non-vegetal will work with this base. Brandies are made from grapes unless otherwise noted, and are typically aged in wood casks from two to six years or more. The longer the aging, the more complex the alcohol (and the more expensive).

American brandy offers a good value. Save the V.S.O.P Cognac for sipping by the fire and infuse the cheaper domestic stuff. I’ve noticed high quality fruit brandies (also called eau de vies) are gaining in local producer popularity, and I heartily approve this trend. A brandy made from non-grape fruit (apple, plum, cherry, pear, plum, etc.) will play well with any flavor that the fruit from which it was made would appreciate. Classic infusion flavors: Fruit! Fresh or dried, I can’t think of any non-tropical fruit that would be out of place with brandy. Apple, pear, plum (especially plum!), cherry, apricot – you just can’t go wrong. Spices – brandy is aged in oak typically which lends warm vanilla spiciness to the base. Play this up with infusions of vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and/or clove. Nuts – Walnut brandy is a classic, but almonds, pecans and hazelnuts also have a warm richness that will do well with brandy. Put all of the above together for a fruitcake spice infused brandy that no one will re-gift at the holidays.

Personal favorites: We use Paul Masson Grande Amber for infusing and cocktailing. I like brandy infused with plums and cinnamon, and nut brandies made with almonds, walnuts or pecans. Whiskey, Scotch & Bourbon I am, as might be apparent, a big fan of this family of liquors. The whiskies are a big family, encompassing everything from mild Canadians to smoky, peaty Scotches. As a family, they share the traits of being distilled from some sort of fermented grain and aged in wood barrels for anywhere from several months to many years. To go into anymore detail would require a book, and there are already several written about this topic. For purposes of infusions, there’s some space to generalize. Scotch: Proceed with caution. First, Scotches tend to be quite spendy and powerfully flavored just as they are. I’m not saying you can’t infuse Scotch, but I wouldn’t recommend starting with a 18 Year Laphroaig. (If you are tempted, just give your bottle to me instead.) Bourbon: The premium brands are often almost as intensely flavored as a Scotch will also require a careful hand to infuse.

Milder bourbon takes very well to infusions with the cookie spices, cherry and citrus. Canadian and Irish whiskies are often milder still and so can make a versatile whiskey base. The whiskies themselves offer a huge range of flavor, and I recommend working with the flavors natural to this family, smoke and vanilla, caramel, spice and honey. Classic infusion flavors: Nearly any fruit you’d put in a pie: apple, cherry, plum, fig, peach, blackberry. Spice: vanilla! the cookie spices, coffee (irish coffee anyone?), chocolate, nuts. Personal Favorites: I generally infuse Jim Beam. I love nearly anything in bourbon, but am particularly fond of cherry bourbon, apple and cinnamon (aka “apple pie”), and caramel-walnut. Part Two: Know Your Infusion Ingredients You can infuse your base with nearly anything edible, so how do you pick and choose what’s getting tossed into that mason jar with tequila? Think with your tastebuds, think about flavor combinations you already know you like – in food, booze and elsewhere – and be willing to experiment a little bit. Just like cooking, you may find your flavor inspiration in the spice drawer, the garden, or a favorite dish at a cafe.

I love seasonal infusions and the great news is that it’s far easier to make a cucumber gin infusion than it is to make dill pickles. In general, infusion ingredients fall into several categories. I’ve included rough guidelines for infusing by category, but these “instructions” should not be construed as hard and fast rules. Remember, you can combine infusions ingredients as you like, add more or less of the infusion ingredients, and steep longer or shorter, all to your taste. Fresh Fruit and Berries Alcohol is a fantastic solvent, and I suspect any residual pesticide or herbicide residues on your fruit will become a permanent part of your infusion. So I recommend organic or better fruit for infusions if possible. Wash fruit. Peel if desired and appropriate. Apples and pears can be peeled or not, as you prefer. Discard any part of the fruit you wouldn’t eat: stems, cores, etc. Rough chop or slice large fruit. Leave small fruits, like cherries, whole. I don’t bother pitting cherries. Gently fill your mason jar about half-full of chopped fruit or berries (don’t crush down) and top with your base. For citrus, the zest is the part you really want.

Remove any thick, bitter white pith and discard. The zest of a small grapefruit, one lemon or two limes will nicely infuse two cups of base. Typically I save the juice for another use. Delicate fruit like raspberries will be spent after about a week or two, firm fruit like pineapple or green apple can handle longer. Citrus zest is good at 5 days to a week. Again, taste frequently and decide what you like. I don’t think the fruit that comes out of an infusion is good for much, but some people like to eat the boozy dregs left after straining over ice cream or cake. To each their own. When the infusion is to your liking, strain and filter. Dried Fruit I love dried fruit infusions. They are fast and easy to make, and the resultant boozy plumped fruit is just as good as the just slightly syrupy infused base. Dried fruit gives flavor quickly, but you can’t really overinfuse it, so just mix it up and stick it away someplace out of the way. I make something I call “Manhattan Cherries” by soaking dried cherries in a combination of bourbon and triple sec for…well…indefinitely, actually.

We use the cherries, a few on a bamboo skewer, to garnish Manhattans. If you like commercial pear vodka, try soaking dried pears and a few slices of fresh peeled ginger in vodka and prepare to wonder how you ever lived without this infusion. Use natural, untreated dried fruit without additives if possible. If using large dried fruit, like pear halves, rough chop if desired. Use a lightly packed half-cup of dried fruit per two cups of base. Drop dried fruit into a mason jar and top with base. Your jar should be a little less than half full. Let infuse for a few days to several months, or until so delicious you can’t stand it anymore. Strain and filter. Taste your dried fruit – you may like it. Nuts Nuts are, if you’ll pardon the pun, a hard nut to crack. If you are going to embark on nut infusions, be prepared for a few extra steps. Not that caramelized walnut bourbon isn’t worth the effort, mind you. Because, OMG, it is. If necessary, shell nuts. Nuts with skins on tend to lend tannic astringency to infusions.

This astringency typically mellows with age, but for a minder infusion, blanch and skin nuts before using. This is easier said than done with nubbly nuts like walnuts and pecans, and I don’t bother. If you are using a golden or brown base liquor, the flavor of your nut infusion will be better if you toast the nuts until golden brown and delicious. Fat washing and filtering walnut bourbon. Note the clarity after filtering in the left jar. Rough chop nuts and add to your base at a ratio of 1 cup chopped nuts to 2 cups base. Let infuse a day or two. Taste and continue infusing if you desire. I generally go about a week. Strain and filter, then freeze your infusion overnight. This will allow any fat from the nuts to rise and solidify. Filter your infusion again through a coffee filter. Be prepared for the draining to take a little time. This technique is called fat washing and is necessary when infusing ingredients with any oil content of note. Spices, Dry Goods & Similar Spice infusions are as easy as it gets. Drop dried spices in jar, add booze. Wait. Always use whole, not ground spices.

The cookie spices tend to do well if you want a warm, cozy, Christmasy flavored infusion. Fennel is always nice. Vanilla beans are lovely, and for the most flavorful extraction should be split lengthwise before use. One vanilla bean is generally plenty unless you are making an extract – they are potent! Beware of cloves and cinnamon stick, which will dominate if overused. Don’t be afraid to mix up combinations to your taste. If you love Bloody Mary’s, try a dill and celery seed infused vodka as your base. Throw a jalapeno or dried red chili in there too if you like it spicy. Chai spices and black tea can infuse a vodka for a killer Chai White Russian. I typically end up with 1-3 tablespoons of whole spices per cup of base. Loose black and green tea, or high quality teas left in the little tea bag, can be added to your base. I have a green tea apple gin coming along nicely right now. Use 1 tablespoons loose tea or 2 teabags per 2 cups base.

Coffee should be lightly crushed but not ground and added to your base at ½ – 1 cup of coffee beans per 2 cups base, depending on how strong a coffee flavor you want. Cocoa nibs are how you infuse booze with a chocolate flavor. Do not attempt cocoa powder or a hunk of baking chocolate. You’ll be disappointed. A half-cup of nibs to 2 cups of base works well. With spice and dry goods infusions like these, taste frequently. As short as an hour may be long enough to get a nice subtle infusion for tea or strong spices. If the spice is a complement to something else, like a dried apple and cinnamon rum, keep the spice quantities very moderate, or infuse the booze in stages. For example, start with the dried apple infusion, and let that go for two weeks or until you are happy with the flavor, then strain and infuse the apple rum with a cinnamon stick for a few days, or until you like the warmth of the cinnamon. Vegetables, Roots, Herbs & Flowers As with fruit, organic is better. Wash or scrub as appropriate. Root vegetables should be peeled and well trimmed. Anything particularly earthy can leave your base dirty tasting.

Vegetables should infuse three days to a week. Taste often. Cucumber, beet, carrot and horseradish are all popular vegetable infusion ingredients. Chop your vegetable into bite-size hunks or slices. Spicy peppers can be added whole (pierce a few times with the tip of a knife) or halved. If you want pepper flavor with less heat, remove seeds and ribs from fresh peppers before infusing. Herbs and edible flowers should be rinsed and patted dry. The soft leafy herbs can be added in long sprigs and in fairly generous quantities. Strong flavored, woody herbs like rosemary should be used very carefully. Some flowers have very distinctive flavors. If you aren’t confident about the flavor or strength of your edible flowers, go easy. A little lavender can add an enchanting backdrop to an infusion. Too much and you’re drinking a soap cocktail. I think most herbal and floral flavors do best in combination with other flavors. Think blackberry-rose tequila, strawberry-basil vodka or tangerine-bronze fennel gin. However, most fresh herbs peak at about 4 days of infusing.

If you are combining herbs or flowers with another “main” flavor, I recommend starting your main infusion a few days before and adding the herbal component a bit later. Part Three: Infusing Your Booze (Putting it all Together) Once you’ve picked a base and your infusion ingredients, it’s easy as can be. 1. Prep & Mix Once you have a flavor combo in mind, simply prepare your infusion ingredients and add them to a spotlessly clean mason jar. I like to use pints for experimental stuff and quarts for more proven flavor pairings. Generally, I use wide mouth jars. Top your infusion ingredient with your base, lid your mason jar tightly and set your jar in a cool, dark place. 2. Shake Once a day or more often if you can manage, give your jar a little shake to help the flavors meld. Taste your infusion daily or every few days, depending on how it’s coming along. 3. Wait There’s quite a range of recommended infusion times out there, and the bottom line is that a booze infusion is done when it tastes good to you. That’s it. For fresh ingredients, a week of infusion is a good rule of thumb.

I tend to infuse for a week or two, but have left fresh peaches in bourbon and fresh cherries in vodka for several months to good effect. Some infusions – anything with dried fruit – can handle longer aging, and we made a lemongrass vodka that took two years to get really good. But some concoctions, particularly spice or tea infusions or anything involving chili peppers, can get overstrong in a hurry. Alcohol extracts more of the bitter notes from things like coffee, tea, cocoa, herbs and spices, so take some care with strong flavored infusion components and taste frequently. A shorter infusion time with a greater quantity of infusables will tend to give you a more straightforward and less bitter flavor. Longer infusions with smaller quantities of infusables will be more complex but should be watched for developing bitterness or unpleasant flavors. 4. Strain & Filter When your infusion is done to your taste, strain it through a kitchen strainer to remove anything chunky, then filter through a coffee filter, very fine mesh tea strainer or several layers of fine cheesecloth to remove residual sediment. 5. Use Bottle your infusion into a pretty bottle or a clean mason jar.

Lid tightly, label and store someplace dark and cool. Once well strained, booze infusions made with fresh ingredients will last several months in the refrigerator. Those made exclusively with dried ingredients like spices or coffee beans will keep pretty much indefinitely and don’t require refrigeration. Enjoy deliciously, and responsibly. Part Four: Miscellany The addition of sugar will turn your infused liquor into a liqueur. If you are looking for a sweeter and slightly syrupy result, add 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or brown sugar per cup of base to your mix. For lots and lots of DIY booze infusion specific ideas and posts, I highly recommend the website Boozed and Infused . My favorite bartending books are Cocktail: The Drinks Bible For The Twenty-first Century (now sadly out of print and so grossly overpriced, but keep your eyes peeled at used bookstores) and The Ultimate Bar Book , which has a formula for pretty much every drink you can think of. My favorite bartending website is Jeff Morgenthaler’s opinionated online booze tome out of Portland, JeffreyMorgenthaler.com . I also love the recipes and videos coming from Small Screen Network . Happy Infusing! Cheers!

Alcohol Flavors Alcohol Flavors Blend of passion fruit & cognac Amaretto A sweet, almond liqueur created from almonds of apricots steeped in brandy Amaretto Di Saronno Brandy name of French aperitif Angostura Bitters Brandy name of bitters which comes from Venezuela Anisette Aniseed-flavored liqueur, sweet, mild aromatic liqueur with pleasant anise flavor reminiscent of licorice; sweeter and lower in proof than Anesone. White and Red Aperitif A drink of alcoholic liquor taken before a meal Applejack American term for apple brandy Apricot Brandy Flavor and aroma of selected ripe apricots; brandy base. Higher in proof and drier than Apricot Liqueur Aquavit A potato based liqueur from Scandinavia flavored with caraway seeds Arak Bailey's Irish Crï¿½me A smooth golden whiskey and fresh Irish Cream. Whisky & vanilla. Balsam Rich, yellow liqueur with the full flavor of fresh, ripe bananas. Barenjager Honey and herb liqueur, sister brand to Jagermeister Bauchant Napoleon Liqueur Orange rind/tangerine aroma is tart yet plump and juicy.

Sweet, luscious marinated orange flavor. Benedictine Brandy based liqueur, amber liqueur with Cognac base, make from herbs, plants and peels. Brandy & Honey. Benedictine & Brandy (D.O.M.) Blend of Benedictine and Brandy bottled in France or made by mixing equal parts of Benedictine and Cognac Blackberry Liqueur Sweet, rich liqueur, with the flavor and aroma of fresh, ripe blackberries, sweeter and lighter proof than Blackberry Flavored Brandy Boggs Cranberry Tart, tangy taste of juice of native grown cranberries. Red. Bourgogne Brand name of French Aperitif Cactus Juice Margarita drink, made with 100% Agave tequila and triple sec. Cafï¿½ Rica Apple brandy from Normandy in France Camaya Brand name of Italian aperitif, dry, brisk-flavored bitter-sweet; garnet in color. Herbs & spices. Cassis 48 proof, Cardamomo; aguardiente flavored with cardamom; imported form Colombia. Cerasello Rich aroma and taste of black raspberries and other fruits and herbs.

Chartreuse Brand name of a French liqueur either green or yellow in color, contain 130 herbs and spices. Green Chartreuse is sold at 100 proof; Yellow Chartreuse at 86 proof. Cough medicine. Cheri-Suisse Liqueur A liqueur flavored with chocolate and cherries. Cherry Heering Brand name of a Danish cherry-flavored liqueur, flavor and aroma from juices of fresh, ripe Danish cherries. Cherry Marnier Cherry flavored French liqueur. Rich cherry taste with a flavor hint of the cherry pit. Made from wild cherries. Cinnamon Schnapps 30 proof, with flavors of chocolate and coconut Coco Rhum Virgin Island light rum, coconut Coffee flavored brandy Coffee Cointreau Brand name of an orange flavored liqueur, White, Fragrant, mellow bouquet, subtle hint of orange. Produced by blending of carefully selected sweet and bitter Mediterranean and tropical orange peels. Cordial Medoc Chocolate flavored French liqueur made in Bordeaux. Dark red in color. Cranberry Liqueur Liqueur with the familiar flavor of American cranberries with an added sparkle. Cream Liqueurs Dairy fresh cream blended with spirits and natural flavoring.

Most widely used spirit is Irish whiskey. Brandy, cordials, rum vodka also used. Flavor is rich, subtle with mellow bite of spirit. Shelf stable. Some brands use non-dairy creams. Popular brands include Bailey's, Carolans, Leroux, Myers', O'Darby, Crï¿½me de Grand Marnier. Crï¿½me de Almond Almond Crï¿½me de Ananas Pineapple Crï¿½me de Banana Also called banana liqueur. Full flavor of fresh, ripe bananas. Crï¿½me de Cacao (Brown & Clear) A chocolate flavored liqueur. Made of cocoa beans, vanilla and spices with traditional sweet chocolate flavor. Crï¿½me de Cassis Rich, fruity, with full flavor of black currants grown principally around Dijon, France. (Blackberry) Crï¿½me de Cerise Cherry Crï¿½me de Fraises Strawberry Crï¿½me de Framboise Raspberry flavored liqueur Crï¿½me de Menthe Green, White and Gold. Peppermint flavored liqueur with a cool, refreshing taste.

Crï¿½me de Noyaux Brandy based liqueur with apricot and peach kernels. Nutty, almond. Crï¿½me de Roses Vanilla Crï¿½me de Violette Vanilla & chocolate Clear American liqueur, cousin of Southern Comfort, made from secret recipe. Curacao Orange and Blue. Rum based liqueur flavored with dried small green orange peel. Lower in proof than triple sec. Della Notte Hazelnut-flavored liqueur, with berries and herbs added. Fruit Liqueurs Flavor and aroma of fresh ripe fruit identified by product name (apricot, blackberry, etc.) Lower proof and sweeter than companion fruit-flavored brandy. Always the color of the fruit. Fruit-Flavored Brandy Flavor and aroma of selected ripe fruit identified by fruit type. Higher in proof and drier than companion liqueur. Always the color of the fruit, and always 70 proof. Galliano Licorice Godet Bellgian Liqueur Nose is milky, chocolately, not in the least sweet, with a hint of vanilla in the distance. Classy flavors are of milk chocolate and cream. Godiva Rich chocolate liqueur made with Godiva chocolate from Belgium.

Goldschlager Cinnamon-flavored schnapps with tiny gold flakes suspended in the liquid. Goldwasser Brand name of Italian liqueur, rich, spicy, citrus character, yellow color. Licorice. Tia Maria Jamaican liqueur with flavor of fresh coffee. Dark brown in color. Tilus 70 proof, the first original truffle liqueur. Triple Sec Similar to Curacao but colorless, sweeter and higher in proof. Orange flavored liqueur. Truffles Liqueur de Chocolat. A delicate combination of spirits and imported chocolate flavors. Tuaca An Italian Liqueur, orange in flavor with a hint of vanilla. Coconut & caramel. Vandermint Minted chocolate liqueur from Holland; rich, creamy chocolate taste with a subtle hint of mint Wild Turkey Liqueur Fully aged bourbon and the addition of subtle natural flavorings. Yukon Jack BarSchool.com | Liquor Dictionary - BarSchool.com Liquor Dictionary American Bartenders School’s liquor dictionary gives a brief definition of the most popular distilled spirits and describes many of their flavors.

Whiskey • Brandy • Gin • Rum • Tequila • Vodka • Liqueurs Whiskey: The Basics Whiskey is a spirit, aged in wood, obtained from the distillation of a fermented mash of grain. Whiskey is produced in four countries: the United States, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland. The whiskeys produced in Canada, Ireland, and Scotland take on the name of their countries. Whiskeys produced in other countries, even though they may taste similar, cannot legally be called Canadian, Irish, or Scotch. Whiskeys vary in alcoholic strength, from 110 proof American bottled in bond whiskey , to 70 proof Canadian whiskeys, sold only in Canada. Most whiskeys sold in the United States are either 86 or 80 proof, depending on the distiller and brand. Prior to the 1960s, most whiskeys were bottled at a higher proof. Today, modern drinkers prefer lighter-tasting whiskeys. Federal law requires that the label on each bottle be plainly marked with the proof of the liquor. What is Proof? Proof: the amount of alcohol in any distillate, and represents 50 percent alcohol by volume.

A combination of half alcohol and half water is scored as 100 proof or 50 percent alcohol. The term “proof” came out of the pioneering era of distillation. In the beginning, to determine the strength of liquors, distillers would mix equal quantities of the spirit and gunpowder and then apply a flame to the mixture. If the gunpowder failed to burn, the spirit was too weak; if it burned too brightly, it was too strong. However, if it burned evenly, with a blue flame, it was said to have been proved. Hence the word proof. Pure alcohol, like the kind used in laboratories, is 200 proof, being 100 percent alcohol. A combination of half alcohol and half water is scored as 100 proof or 50 percent alcohol. Proof is a measure of alcoholic strength, not necessarily of quality. Kinds of Whiskey American Whiskey American whiskeys are rigidly defined by law, and gov­erned accordingly. They include bourbon, corn, sour mash, Tennessee, blended, straight, bottled in bond, and rye. The history of American whiskey and America parallel each other.

Whiskey was an integral part of everyday life in the Colonial days. It helped comfort the settlers during hard times and was enjoyed at the end of a rough day. It was also used to cure snakebite, ward off disease, and ease pain both superficially and internally. Canadian Whisky Canadian whisky is a distinctive product of Canada made under government supervision in accordance with the regulations governing the manufacture of whisky in Canada. Canadian whiskeys’ are whisky blends. The most distinguishing characteristic of Canadian whisky is its light body. Scotch Whisky Scotch whisky is a distinctive product of Scotland, made in compliance with the laws of Great Britain. There are two types of Scotch whiskies sold in the United States. The first type is blends of malt and grain whisky. These are the most popular because they are made in large quantities and the least expensive. The second type is single malt. A single malt Scotch comes from one distillery and made from only one malted barley. Single malt Scotches are expensive because they are made in limited quantities. Brandy: The Basics Brandy is a potable spirit, distilled from a fermented mash of grapes or other fruit. Most brandy is distilled from wine. White wine, made from white grapes, is used most often.

Wine that has recently finished its fermentation process makes the best brandy. An aged wine, even if it is of superior quality, won’t make a good brandy. Brandies are produced wherever grapes are grown. Different Types of Brandy Cognac comes from France, and Metaxa is from Greece. Brandies produced in California must be made from California grapes, and they have to meet rigid standards set by the distillers. California brandies account for over 75 percent of the brandy sales in the United States. In many parts of Europe, brandy is made from fruit. Kirsch, from Germany, is cherry flavored, and Mirabelle, from France, has a plum flavor. To the brandy base, which contains the alcohol, they add an extract or concentrate of the fruit and sweetening syrups. The labels on fruit brandies must indicate the kind of fruit used, such as apricot brandy, cherry brandy, peach brandy, or blackberry brandy, etc. Almost all brandies are aged in oak barrels from three to eight years. Cognac: The Most Famous of all Brandies Cognac should be mentioned more specifically because it is the most famous of all the brandies.

It is produced in the Cognac region of France, which is an area north of Bordeaux, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, with the city of Cognac near its center. The region is divided into seven districts, ranking in order of the quality of the cognac made in each district. In order, they are: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins, Bois, Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaries, and Bois a Terrior. It is important to understand that all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. A brandy may only be called cognac if it is distilled from wine made of the grapes that grow within the legal limits of Charente and Charente Inferieure Departments of France. Brandies distilled from wines other than these are not legally entitled to the name cognac, even though they may be shipped from the city of Cognac. Gin: The Basics Gin is distilled from grain and receives its unique flavor and aroma from juniper berries and other botanicals. Every gin producer has his own special recipe, which is under strict quality control. The flavor of gin will vary with the distiller. Gin was first produced in Holland by Dr.

Sylvius, a Dutch physician, during the 17th century. He named it Genievre, the French word for the juniper berry. It was the English who shortened the name to gin. Brought from Holland into England by English soldiers, who called it “Dutch Courage”, gin soon became the national drink of England and has so remained. Gin can be made two ways, by either being distilled or compounded. All leading popular brands sold in the United States are distilled. Compounded simply means a mixture of neutral spirits with juniper berries. Distilled gin is distilled completely. Dry? Extra Dry? Virtually all gins in the United States use the word “dry.” You will see it on brand labels that may read, “Dry Gin,” “Extra Dry Gin,” “London Dry Gin,” or “English Dry Gin,” but they all mean the same thing‑‑lacking in sweetness. Originally, “London Dry” meant gin produced in London, but the name “London” is considered to be generic, and therefore it is often used to describe gins produced in the United States. Rum: The Basics Rum is produced wherever sugar cane grows.

Many coun­tries, such as the United States, South Africa, and even Russia, produce rum, but it is only the Caribbean Islands that produce rum in quantities sufficient for worldwide export. The islands in the Caribbean each produce a distinctive type of rum, the result of the base material used, the method of distillation, and the length of maturation. Generally, the islands where the Spanish language is spoken, such as Puerto Rico, produce light, dry-tasting rums. The English speaking Caribbean islands produce dark, heavy-tasting rums. By definition, rum is any alcoholic distillate made from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses, or other sugar cane by-products, distilled at less than 190 proof, that also possesses the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to rum. A Pinch of Sugar History Sugar cane was brought to the Caribbean by Christopher Columbus on his journey from the Azores Islands. The climate was perfect for growing sugar cane, and soon it was being grown on every Caribbean island. The Spanish colonists who followed Columbus brought with them the art of distilling and began distilling the juice of the sugar cane into an alcoholic beverage, which became known as rum.

Most authors believe the word “rum” is derived from the old words rumbullion (rumpus) or rumbustion (uproar), certainly appropriate words when referring to the first rum drinkers. Various Types of Rum Rums can be broken down into various classifications. The light-bodied ones are dry and have only a very light molasses taste. They are available in two varieties: white, which is by far the most popular, and gold, which is a mixture of light and dark. The gold is sweeter and has a more pronounced molasses taste. The two favorite light rums come from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Another classification is heavy-bodied rums that are much darker and sweeter. They have a pungent bouquet and a heavy molasses taste. The dark rums differ because of slower fermentation and special maturation processes. Well-known dark rums come from Jamaica, Demerara, Martinique, Trinidad, Bermuda and New England. Tequila: The Basics Tequila, the primary spirit of Mexico, has its own special flavor that is almost tart and leaves the tongue clean and tingling.

In the 1970s, tequila became the fastest growing spirit in sales, as vodka did in the 1960s. Tequila is obtained from the distillation of the fermented juice (sap) of the mescal plant, called pulque. The only source for Tequila is the mescal plant, which is a species of the agave plant. The mescal plant is a cactus that takes between twelve and thirteen years to mature. Its long leaves, or spikes, are cut off at harvest time, leaving only the bulbous central core, called the pina, meaning pineapple. The pinas, which weigh from 80 pounds to 175 pounds each, are taken to the distillery where they are cooked in pressure cookers for several hours. They are then cooled and shredded, and the juice is pressed out. The fermentation process is completed in huge wooden vats. The fermented juice is then twice distilled in traditional copper-pot stills. Vodka: The Basics Like whiskey, vodka is distilled from a fermented mash of grain, but they differ in the methods of distillation. Whiskey is distilled at a low proof to retain flavor.

Vodka, however, is distilled at a high proof, 190 or above, and then processed even further to remove all flavor. Most American distillers filter their vodkas through activated charcoal. Also, whiskey is aged, and vodka is not. What is it made from? A few vodkas are made from potatoes. Most vodka is not. Almost all vodka is made from grain, the most common being corn, rye, and wheat. There are many countries that claim they invented vodka, among them Poland and Russia. Some historians claim the Poles were producing it as early as the 8th century AD, for use as medicine. It wasn’t until the 15th century AD, that both the Poles and the Russians were drinking it every day. Liqueurs (or Cordials): The Basics The words liqueurs and cordials are used interchangeably. Liqueurs were first developed by the Christian monks of the middle ages. They were developed to help the sick. The monks added secret combinations of honey, seeds, herbs, spices, roots, and bark to distilled-base spirits and offered them as remedies. After Shock Cinnamon liqueur imported from Canada. Initially tastes like hot cinnamon.

Amaretto Di Saronno Imported Italian liqueur made from apricot stones, which produce an almond flavor. B & B D.O.M. Imported liqueur from France. A combination of Benedictine and Brandy that started out as a popular mixed drink until the French decided to bottle the two together. Campari Aperitivo Aperitif imported from Italy. Aromas of fruit pits and botanicals. Slightly bitter flavors of fruit. Chambord Black raspberry liqueur from France made with small black raspberries, other fruits, herbs and honey. Chartreuse Green Herbal liqueur made by the monks of the Carthusian order in the French Alps. Cointreau Liqueur Imported orange liqueur from France. Similar to orange curacao. Clear in color. Flavor of fresh orange peels with a slight hint of spice. Romana Black Sambuca Imported licorice flavored liqueur from Italy. Black color. Drambuie Imported liqueur from Scotland. Made with aged Scotch-over 15 years old-and blended with heather honey and herbs. Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur imported from Italy. A mix of hazelnuts, berries, and herbs.

Flavors of hazelnut and butter. Goldschlager Clear cinnamon schnapps from Switzerland with flecks of gold leaf floating in the bottle. Sweet-sour cinnamon flavors. Grand Marnier Made with cognac, essence of wild oranges and delicate syrup, the mixture is aged in oak casks prior to bottling. Irish Mist Liqueur Imported liqueur from Ireland. A blend of heather and clover honey and herbs. Jagermeister Imported liqueur from Germany. Intensely herbal, citrus nose. Liquore Galliano Imported liqueur from Italy. Aromas of roots, herbs, flowers, and cedar. Metaxa Ouzo Imported liqueur from Greece. A combination of grapes, herbs, and berries including aniseed, licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel, and hazelnut. Pernod Anise The recipe for Pernod is a slight variation of the original recipe for absinthe; an herbal elixer made from 15 exotic herbs steeped in alcohol. Licorice flavored and yellow-green color. Midori Melon Imported honeydew melon flavored liqueur. Light, fresh melon taste. Yukon Jack Canadian liqueur.

White-wine-like appearance. Flavors of orange and spirit. Kahlua Coffee Liqueur America’s number one imported liqueur. Aromas of coffee beans. Flavors of coffee and semisweet chocolate. Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur Imported coffee liqueur from Jamaica. Bailey’s Irish Cream Cream liqueur imported from Ireland. A blend of real cream and Irish whiskey. Melon Liqueur Peppermint flavored liqueur. Schnapps is less sweet than a liqueur or a fruit creme. Peach Schnapps Peach flavored. Most schnapps are generally low in proof and contain a lower sugar content than other cordials. Root Beer Schnapps Root Beer flavored schnapps made in the U.S. Buttershots Schnapps Cordial that has intense butterscotch aromas and flavors. Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps Hot cinnamon schnapps, like fireball candy. 100 proof. Anisette American liqueur with the aroma and flavor of licorice from the anise seed. Orange Curacao Orange flavored (only natural ingredients are used) liqueur. Made from orange peel. Blue Curacao Orange flavored. Made from orange peel. Blue color. Triple Sec Orange flavored liqueur.

Orange peels are used for the flavoring. Similar to curacao, but more refined. Southern Comfort A blend of bourbon and peach liqueur. Made from bourbon and peach liqueur in which fresh peaches were marinated. Home Distillation of Alcohol (Homemade Alcohol to Drink) Using Potatoes Methods for Using Fruits If tempted to try some of the European use of fruits, the following is somewhat of a guide. Apple brandy is usually 60% apple, 30% pear, and 10% your choice. Run the fruit through a juice extractor or similar, no pips unless you enjoy cyanide ,and no pith if possible. Put the skins through the food processor/juice extractor as that's where the enzymes are that the yeast require. Achieve a specific gravity of about 1.050, dilute with water if necessary. Pitch a rehydrated yeast at a temp. of 25/30 C. It is very important to then hold the fermentation at that temperature. It will achieve that pretty much itself ,but just be prepared to help it keep that way. Any dry white wine ,champagne or sherry yeast is good.

An excellent French brand is Lallemand (Uvaferm bc or Lalvin ec-1118), but you will also need to use a yeast nutrient (eg Fermaid, or try your local home brew shop). Fermentation will take no more than 8 days (the reason the traditional fermentation takes so long is they use wild yeasts). Don't add sugar if you want this to be "kosher "and a fair dinkum brew. Sugar will raise the ethanol production but at the expense of taste/quality etc. Don't do any additions after fermentation has started - it can stop a brew in it's tracks. Jack adds ... the majority of flavor compounds in whiskey come from the yeast that is used. The aldehydes that the yeast contributes turn into esters on long aging. These halp to provide a better flavor for the whisky. In a fruit brandy (like plums)- this would mar the flavor of the fruit- It may make it more complex if it were aged on oak for a while- but for those attempting to make a clear slivovitz/schnaps type of spirit- the yeast would give flavors that prevent the pure plum flavor from coming through.

I guess another rule for fruit brandy/schnaps has got to be: Let the wine clarify fully before distilling- no distilling on the lees !. A less traditional approach would be.. 2 kg Granny Smith apples or Nashi pears 1 Campden tablet (for basic sterilisation) 6 tsp yeast nutrient 5 kg sugar/glucose Peel & grate fruit, add to fermenter with Campden tablets , and 3L water. Cover and leave for 24-36 hours. Dissolve sugar & nutrient in some hot water, then add to fermentor. Top up with cold water to 24L. Add yeast when below 24C. SG should drop from 1.03 to 0.99 over 12-14 days. Don't overdo the Campden tablets. They are sodium metabisulphite, and can kill they yeast if not fully dissipated by the time the yeast is added. The best fruit to use is windfall fruit (the stuff brown & lying on the ground), as these are higher in sugar.

Sometimes when trying to make schnapps, you can reserve a little of the fermented stock, and add this back to the distilled liquor, to enhance the flavour. For schnapps, Jack explains ... Schnapps may be made by fermenting 4.5 pounds of fruit in a gallon of water, in addition to 2 pounds of sugar and a heaping tablespoon of winemaker's acid blend (per gallon). After fermenting, this may be distilled (I filtered out the fruit pulp, but didn't clarify beyond that) in a potstill to produce a nice dram. The problem most people get (myself included) when making a fruit wine into a brandy is the fact that not enough fruit is used in the mash. Most wines use 2 to 3 pounds of fruit per gallon- when distilled they taste like unrefined sugar spirit with no fruit flavor- if you up the fruit to 4 to 4.5 pounds per gallon and ferment out to 10 to 15%abv you'll get something worth distilling. So far I've tested this on cherries (sour and black), raspberries, blackberries, peaches, and plums- all have worked wonderfully.

Tips for apple schnaps: DON'T use any sulfite- use a large amount of yeast with competative factors (lalvin K1V-1116 is the best choice) Ferment the juice in a cool area (to aid with a mellow flavor and to help slow up any contaminating bacteria) If you do the above, and stick to basic sanitary wine making practices, you'll be just fine. Jack gives an update ... After much frustration and experimentation with fruit (I'm known to every single orchard owner within 60 miles- I'm also well liked- the orchard owners get an average of 20 liters of schnaps from me for each fruit they donate- which they do by the truckload), I've finally nailed down this schnaps thing to a simple recipe. Here is how it's done: Stone/ pit the fruit after washing it and culling anything that is rotting/moldy.

Add an equal VOLUME of water, which has dissolved in it: (boiling the water sanitizes the fruit, making sulfite a thing of the past): Enough sugar to bring the final abv to 16%abv Enough acid blend/citric acid to drop the pH down to 3. Pectic enzyme: about a teaspoon per 2 gallons Diammonium phosphate yeast nutrient: a shy teaspoon per gallon. A good strong yeast like Lavlin's K1V-1116 or EC-1118- 2 packets (5gram) per 5 gallons. Ferment at the lowest temperature the yeast can work at in order to preserve the aroma of the fruit. Mash/stir the fruit daily during the ferment, in order to prevent a dried out layer of fruit from forming on the top of the mash- this will cause mold problems. After fermentation is complete, filter out the solids, and let it stand till clear.

Run it through a potstill once, collecting the heads as you normally do, and keep collecting spirit until you no longer like the taste/smell (best method- everyone's tastes differ), or stop when your hydrometer shows the spirit out of the still is below 40%abv. For those using an ice-water-wok still, freeze concentrate the wine down by half, and for every gallon of freeze concentrated wine, add a teaspoon of table salt, then run it however you normally do- ice-water-wok type stills are very odd in how they are run- it's up to the individual on how to make the cut. Just remember to separate out the heads. I have been trying to figure this method out for a while now- going by weight of fruit (fruit wines use 2 to 3 pounds- a good fruit mash: up to 4 pounds per gallon)- but it's always given very different results- going by volume of fruit is much easier- and makes MUCH better Schnapps. Rutger writes .. You should just pulp the pears, put in a little pectinase or other enzymes to break down the pectine (to prevent methanol) and ferment the whole bit.

Fermenting will also decraese the viscoity of the mash. Then press it, after fermenting, that is. Distill twice in a potstill. I made a lot of calvados and other pear- and applebrandies, and fermenting the peel and other bits makes sure you get the right taste. A juicer will not do it. For Poire Williams you will got to have the right pears, simple consumption pears wil not give the distinct taste. It will not be very bad, but not the right Poire Williams taste. Another contributor adds .. I had a glut of blackberries this year so I collected a large bucket of them and pulped them ( unwashed ) to give me three gallons of unstrained fruit pulp. I innoculated this with some actively fermenting beer wort and added a little wine yeast for good measure. Left it in a bucket to finish fermenting ( about two weeks ) and ran it though a pot still. As the still isn't large and over boiled a couple of times, I ended up putting all the fractions I'd collected into the last bath of wash and distilling very slowly. This gave a final product at 70%ABV.

Most of this I diluted with water to 40% ( BTW things are vastly improved if you use a decent mineral water for dilution rather than tap water ), some of it I diluted to 40% using strained blackberry juice. An odd thing has happened - the water mixed batch has produced a fair number of plate like crystals (a fruit acid or salt ?) which slowly settled of of suspension yet the spirit wasn't cloudy in the slightest. The flavour is good - sweet, oddly coconutty with a hint of rum and fruit. The juice diluted batch is in sore need of a little sugar but I'll add that when it's finished ageing, at the moment it's firey, fruity and quite sharp but not unpleasant - it goes well diluted with a bit of lemonade or soda. The second recipe - A gallon of rowan berries ( mountain ash ) washed, cleaned and crushed. To this I added three pound of honey dissolved in one gallon of boiling water, the water was added whilst still boiling. Once it was cool I topped up to two gallons total volume added yeast and left it until it stopped fermenting ( like the blackberry one it was too thick to get a reliable SG).

Double distilled in a pot still this has given a 70% spirit ( not yet diluted ) which has the light flavour of rowan berries with a good honey kick in the after taste - extremely pleasant and watered down in the glass to 40% it's easy to drink. Wal writes .. Normandy in France is wet and cold for grapes. Great for apples. So they make cider and distill it to make calvados which when aged in oak is not inferior to cognac. Cider is double distilled and aged a minimum of 2-3 years. Traditionally cider is made by fermenting only apple juice & nothing else. Cider recipes for distilling into calvados: Dry cider using fresh fruit - 4kg sharp apples Mince, slice, chop fruit Add yeast and ferment on pulp for several days until pulp has softened. Drain free running liquid into fermenter and press out extra liquid from pulp and add to fermenter. A straining bag is useful. Add water to bring volume to 5l. Using fruit juice/fruit juice concentrate - Use pure juices without preservatives An economical version is to use equal quantities of juice and water to make 5l, and to add 800g sugar.

There are 4kg apples (400g sugar) in 2.5l juice. For more about cider : Jack writes ... Hard apple cider is simply the fermented juice of the apple. Apple wine has had the sugar level of the juice fortified with sugar or honey. Apple jack is a freeze-concentrated apple cider/wine- bringing it into the 20 to 30%abv range. Distilling apple cider/wine will give apple schnaps- but ageing it on some oak may make a much better apple brandy. Distilling the cider/wine and then mixing the brandy/schnapps with fresh (unfermented) apple cider at a mix of about 50/50 gives something the French call "ratafia" (from the latin rata fiat- let the deal be settled)- a traditional drink at the end of a negotiation. In the Cognac region it is made with Cognac and fresh grape juice and is called Pineau des Charentes. The Armagnac region calls their version "Floc de Gascone. The Normandy region (where they make it out of apple brandy and fresh cider) they call it "Pommeau".

The mix results in a 17 to 25%abv sweet drink, believed to be the ancestor to the liqueur. Most grocery stores have unfiltered, no chemicals added, pasteurized cider (typically in a milk jug in the produce section), that can be fermented by pouring it into a sanitized container and adding yeast (a slow, cool ferment with Lavlin's K1V-1116 wine yeast makes excellent cider- adding a an ounce or two of French oak shavings (per 5 gallons) to the ferment also helps with the complexity- the cold ferment is needed to preserve the aroma.). You don't need to boil cider- if you do it can set a pectin haze- ever since the E-coli outbreaks pasteurization has become law (within the U.S.A.). Scrounge adds .. Another tip - if you rough chop the fruit and freeze it and then allow it to thaw, it gives up its juice with much less effort, the technique works with most fruit and doesn't affect the flavour Regarding slivovitz, Wal writes .. Traditionally in the Balkans and Eastern Europe plum brandy (similar to apple cider) is made from the pure fruit only, with no sugar or water added.

Relying on wild yeasts, it ferments naturally for 5 weeks. Alcohol content would be about 5%a.b.v. It is double distilled to 70%a.b.v. For this method you need lots of plums. I drank kosher Passover sliwowica (70%a.b.v.) in Poland and it tasted great. Had an amber tinge. Drank plum brandy from yellow Mirabelle plums in France and this tasted a bit mellower than from black prunes. This was a white distillate of 50%a.b.v. In the Balkans they steep whole plums or dried plums in the final distillate to increase the plum flavor and to give a bit of color. Homemade press for grape/fruit(cider) musts. See: ~kookie/frame.html and Using citrus. Wal explains .. Citrus fruits are low in sugar content but high in acid, so they are not an ideal fruit for wine or distilling except for the home winemaker, who has to make appropriate adjustments (see fruit wine sites). There is more money possibly in citrus juices and jams.

Fruits like apples, plums and bananas which have a high sugar content are used extensively. On the other hand citrus peel is used extensively for flavoring alcohol - by double distilling the macerated/infused peel in 45% alcohol to get a clear citrus flavored spirit (e.g. Cointreau), or by just infusing peel in alcohol (usually 30%) to make a liqueur (e.g. Limoncello). Sugar is added except where citrus peel is part of the botanicals for a dry gin. There is a lemon brew (alcoholic lemonade) recipe which uses the juice and rind of 3kg lemons, 2kg sugar, 0.75kg lactose (to sweeten as it does not ferment), beer yeast. I have made citrus mashes using the peel and juice to make my equivalent to Cointreau, as I have citus trees in the garden. For a 25l mash I used 5kg of sugar with either the peel and juice of 30 lemons or 15 oranges - do not use the white pith though as it is very bitter.

I diluted down to 50%abv and added sugar to taste (to remove the natural bitterness). I was pleased with the result. I have just planted a Seville orange and a Citron - the peel of both are used for flavoring, although the fruit is too acidic to eat. Prickly Pears ...Wal writes ... Making mirabelle plum wine Making mirabelle plum wine by Tiffany 6 Comments We went down to the orchard today and harvested about 22 pounds (10 kilos) of mirabelle plums from our trees. We really should have harvested them a week or so earlier, but we simply haven’t had the time. Thank God we found Nico, our new farm hand, when we did or a lot of other things around here would be looking as bad as our orchard. But he’s going to be here tomorrow and will hopefully be cutting the insanely high grass at the orchard finally so at least walking through there won’t be a huge chore anymore. Naturally we had our two helpers with us. Mack did some stretching and foot chewing to warm up for all the harvesting. Ayla wore herself out chasing mirabelles.

I don’t think she found most of the ones we threw for her, but she had fun running after them over and over again. Unfortunately she couldn’t get down to the water because the path is completely overgrown. Maybe Nico will have time to clear that area too tomorrow. In case you are not familiar with mirabelles, they are very small yellow plums, similar in taste to an apricot but generally not as sweet. Many people make them into jam or just can the whole fruits in jars, but we decided to make wine from ours instead. It’s not a difficult process but you do have to remove the pits from them before you start the fermentation process. They are very high in tannins and I read they could even give an almond flavor when you preserve the fruits in a jar…but that’s not what we’re looking for in our wine. These 10 kilos of fruit will probably make about 10 liters of wine. Unfortunately it needs to sit for about 2 years before you can drink it. So we’ll be waiting a while to know if this was all worth it.

It seems that most of the mirabelle plum trees in our area only produce fruit every 2 years, though, so we may be able to give the wine a try before we harvest fruit again from our trees. There are actually quite a few trees on public orchards in our area as well, so if it does turn out to be tasty, our friends and family should be looking forward to getting a bit of it when it’s ready. Mirabelle Plum Wine Total waiting time: 2 years, 3 months Ingredients 22 pounds of mirabelle plums 1 gallon water 2 camden tablets, crushed or 2 grams meta bisulfate 1 liquid ounce anti-gel agent 4 grams yeast nutrient (auf Deutsch “hefenaersalz“) 1 bottle of Ruedesheimer yeast Directions Pit mirabelles and lightly crush. Wear gloves to avoid staining your hands. Put pitted fruit in fermentation barrel or demi john. Boil water in a pot. Once it is boiling, pour it into barrel or demi john. Add sugar, 1 camden tablet or 1 gram meta bisulfate, anti-gel and yeast nutrient. Shake or stir mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

Add yeast and shake or stir mixture again. Close barrel and top with fermentation bell to allow air to escape. Store at room temperature for 7-14 days, until the bell goes silent. The room should not above 75 degrees F. Check your specific yeast for further information about preferred fermentation temperatures. Dump contents of fermentation barrel in fruit press and express juice into a clean fermentation barrel or demi john. Add 1 camden tablet or 1 gram meta bisulfate. Close barrel and top with fermentation bell. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 days, shaking once a day. When you see no more bubbles rising to the top after shaking, the wine is ready to rest for another 7-14 days. Rack wine into a clean fermintation barrel or demi john. Use a siphon to pull the clear liquid from the top of the barrel, with as little disturbance as possible to the dead yeast cells and fruit particles in the bottom of the barrel. Let rest for another 30 days. Bottle wine and let sit in a cool room for 2 years.

Question: What fruit flavour is the alcoholic drink Mirabelle
Answer: Plum