Cinnamon tinctures on vodka, alcohol and moonshine – TOP-7 recipes

Yes, you read that right, cinnamon can be fake. It just so happened that in most cases we consider cinnamon to be what is known all over the world as cassia, the bark of Chinese cinnamon, which has nothing to do with real, Ceylon cinnamon. And it so happened that it is with real cinnamon that tinctures are obtained more subtle, elegant and less “hackneyed” by our craftsmen. The truth is not always and … you need to be able to.

Most of the cinnamon that we can afford in a regular supermarket is nothing more than Chinese cinnamon, also known as Cassia (Cinnamómum aromáticum or C. loureiroi), which has nothing to do with real cinnamon (but manufacturers, of course, , are not in a hurry to mention). Cassia bark has a bolder, bolder, sweeter and spicier character that we love so much in scones and cookies. The same cannot be said about real cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum or née C. zeylanicum, when Sri Lanka was called Ceylon) – it is much softer and thinner.

Ceylon cinnamon is less spicy and is likely to disappoint those who try to compare it to Cassia. Its aroma gravitates closer to vanilla: warm floral notes with hints of tropical honey fruits. But do not be mistaken – although “true cinnamon” is refined, it has a deeper aroma of this very cinnamon, which you need to be able to reveal, which we will try to do with our inherent love for alcohol and the search for combinations with its participation.

Ceylon cinnamon can be distinguished from Cassia by the appearance of the stick. Cassia bark is the entire layer of the tree’s bark, so it is thicker, denser and more uniform. It looks exactly like cinnamon, which we are accustomed to in principle: short sticks that resemble the bark of a tree in structure. As a spicy base of Ceylon cinnamon, only a thin inner layer of bark is used, so a real cinnamon stick has a looser, multi-layered structure that looks like a parchment scroll, twisted on both sides in the manner of a ram’s horn (Cassia is not twisted at all or twisted only on one side). In addition, Cassia is very different from cinnamon in chemical composition. This can be verified by conducting an iodine test – Cassia contains more starch, so iodine will turn dark blue. Of course, real cinnamon costs an order of magnitude more expensive.

For the preparation of tinctures, it is better to pay attention to Ceylon cinnamon, skillfully combining it with other subtle tastes and aromas, you can achieve very interesting results. Cinnamomum verum pairs wonderfully with citrus, vanilla, chocolate, honey and delicate berries. In our selection today, recipes have been collected that are specially tailored to real cinnamon, with the exception of one, with apples – apples are the lot of cassia, as they need a more powerful spicy accompaniment.

You will find a recipe for pure cinnamon tincture – too obvious, simple and trite (for 0,5-0,75 liters of vodka, it is enough to take 1-2 cinnamon sticks, leave for 2-7 days, that’s all the wisdom). Other recipes are no less simple and require only careful execution, logically thought-out actions and a little patience for a good result.

Cinnamon tincture on alcohol with honey

The popular combination of honey and cinnamon works great with alcohol as well. It turns out a gentle, soft, spicy, healthy tincture, which in moderation will promote digestion and warm. You can’t call it original, but with the right ingredients, you can achieve really amazing results.

Break the cinnamon into small pieces and place in a jar of a suitable size. Add alcohol and 2 cups of clean water, close the jar tightly, shake well and leave for 14 days in a dark, cool place. During the infusion, the jar needs to be shaken a couple of times a day. After two weeks, heat the remaining glass of water to 40 degrees and dissolve honey in it. After that, strain the infusion from cinnamon, filter if necessary, add honey dissolved in water. Wait 24 hours, filter again and pour into clean bottles. Store the tincture in a dark, cool place. Let it rest for 2-4 months before tasting. Consume within 1 year.

Cinnamon tincture on moonshine with apple

Classics of the genre: apples-cinnamon-moonshine. Some reference to the legendary Apple Pie Moonshine drink in the USA, the recipe of which is described in the article with recipes for spicy tinctures. This recipe can be called one of the variations of “apple pie”, simpler, but no less wealthy. A real winter digestif, which is supposed to be drunk in a slightly warmed form with a Cassia stick in a glass, when it is snowing outside the window, and it is warm and good at home. On hot summer days, it tastes great with tonic. Part of the apples can be replaced with a fragrant pear. Here, perhaps, Cassia would be appropriate.

Wash the apples, cut into slices, removing the core with seeds. In a jar of suitable size, combine chopped apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves and chopped nutmeg. Pour everything with fruit distillate, close the jar tightly, shake well and leave in a dark, cool place for 7 days. Stir the contents of the jar from time to time. When the time is right, drain the infusion through a sieve or several layers of gauze, do not squeeze. Filter if necessary and pour into a clean bottle. Store in a dark cool place for no more than 1 year. Aging before tasting for 2-4 weeks is welcome.

Cinnamon tincture with orange

Another traditional combination (a slice of orange with cinnamon is a great snack for Becherovka and many other alcoholic drinks). The principles of interaction of real Ceylon cinnamon with citrus fruits are observed. Easy to cook, delicious to drink!

Wash the orange thoroughly with a brush, cut into four parts and place in a jar of a suitable size. Add cinnamon broken into small pieces and pour over everything with vodka. Close the jar tightly and leave in a dark, cool place for 3-4 days. Strain, cinnamon can be reused, and squeeze juice from quarters of an orange and add to the strained infusion. Filter the finished tincture with cinnamon and orange through cotton wool or coffee filters, and then pour into a clean bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Drink neat or mixed with ice and a small amount of sour mix (sour-mix, sour-mix, a mixture of lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white).

Vanilla Cinnamon Tincture

As mentioned earlier, Ceylon cinnamon and vanilla are the perfect combination. Nothing supernatural, banal maceration without unnecessary gestures, but such an amazing result. Quality ingredients are everything. Bourbon is recommended for the alcohol base of this spicy masterpiece, which can be safely replaced with homemade corn moonshine aged in an oak barrel or on wood chips (however, any fruit or grain distillate aged on oak will be a worthy alternative).

Slightly break the cinnamon, cut the vanilla lengthwise. Mix all the ingredients in a jar of suitable volume and close tightly. Insist in a dark, cool place for 2 to 4 weeks. Strain, filter and pour into a clean bottle. Store in a dark cool place for no more than 1 year. After making this tincture, be sure to try mixing 1 part of your creation with ice with 1 part nut liqueur (like Frangelico) and 3 parts milk – the cocktail is called Cozy Night and it really exudes comfort.

Tincture “Blueberry cinnamon”

A rich yet balanced drink with a gorgeous ripe blueberry color. An excellent ingredient for many fruit smoothies. As an alcohol base, it is recommended to use light rum or its imitation, but you can get by with a mixture of vodka and rum to reduce the cost of the drink (you can use 1:1 or 1:2 in favor of vodka).

Frozen berries should be thawed and drained before use. Rinse and dry fresh blueberries. Place the berries in a jar of a suitable volume, add a simple syrup (it is better to start with a small amount and, if necessary, sweeten the tincture in a ready-made form) and crush with a wooden spoon. Add cinnamon sticks broken into small pieces and pour everything over with rum. Close the jar tightly, shake well and leave in a dark, cool place for a week. Strain the finished infusion through a sieve or several layers of gauze, if necessary, filter through cotton wool or coffee filters, sweeten to taste with simple syrup, boiled from equal parts of sugar and water, and then pour into a clean bottle. Store the tincture in a cool cabinet. Use within 1 year.

Tincture “Cranberry-Orange-Cinnamon”

A more interesting combination of “orange-cinnamon”. An amazing every day tincture with a delicate balance of acidity and sweetness. It will go in summer with ice and tonic as a refreshing drink, or in winter in mulled wine or with tea. A jaunty cocktail ingredient that pairs well with sparkling wines (makes a decent Kir Royale). The availability of ingredients in the cold season makes this tincture one of those that can and should be prepared in winter.

Place the cranberries, water and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the cranberries burst and turn into a sauce. Put orange zest, broken cinnamon sticks in a jar of suitable volume, add cooled cranberry sauce and pour everything with vodka or alcohol diluted to the required degree. Close the jar tightly, shake well and leave in a dark, cool place for one week. When the time is right, strain the tincture through a sieve or several layers of gauze, filter if necessary and pour into a clean bottle. Exposure within 2-3 months is welcome. Use within 1 year.

Cinnamon orange bitter

Finally, let’s prepare the simplest bitter, where the bitter agent will be the albedo of the orange. To begin with, we read the manual for making bitters at home, draw the appropriate conclusions and improve the recipe to our taste. But remember that real cinnamon is a spice of a subtle nature and cannot stand too expressive competitors. If you want to cook something complex and tricky, use Cassia.

Wash the oranges thoroughly with a brush, dry and remove the zest, not embarrassing to capture the white sub-skin (bitter layer called albedo). Preheat oven to 80^оC, where to place the zest, evenly spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment for baking. Bake the zest for two hours, stirring it every half hour. After that, allow the zest to cool and transfer to a jar of a suitable volume (can be evenly distributed over small jars, 200-300 ml in volume). Coarsely chop the cinnamon and add to the orange zest (also distribute between small jars).

Fill jar(s) ¾ full with alcohol or moonshine, close tightly, shake well and leave in a dark, cool place for 4 weeks. Shake the contents periodically. Then strain the finished bitter through a sieve and pour into clean storage containers, preferably dark glass. Prepare a flawless Old Fashioned. Ready!

To be continued …