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Apples are not only sweet. In nature, there are, firstly, a lot of tart and sour varieties of this fruit, and secondly, a million of all kinds of additives that can give this fruit the desired taste and aroma. We present you unusual recipes for apple liqueurs at home!
In our latitudes, perhaps, it is the apple that is the most common and affordable fruit. Our site has a lot of articles about apple tinctures, liqueurs, wine, cider and even calvados. But this apple theme is not exhausted at all! Today we will analyze the recipes for Sour Apple liqueur made from sour apples, a refreshing tincture with mint and lemon balm, as well as the classic Azerbaijani Nakhichevan liqueur made from apples and pears. Read the report on practical work on these liquors at the end of the article.
Not a sore throat, but a “soft sourness”! Recipe for sour apple liqueur on vodka
Recently, a good friend brought from Germany a whole set of duffers – tiny bottles with classic GDR liqueurs. What plum brandy they have – words can not convey! But now it’s not about her. Among other things, the box contained a bottle of Sauren Apfel Likör, a sour-apple liqueur. I doubtfully tasted this strange drink and was surprised – it turned out to be very tasty, with a pleasant apple aroma, a bright sour taste (reminiscent of the Green Apple drink at its best) and a subtle, subtle, spicy aftertaste.
It turned out that such a liquor is produced not only in Germany, but also, for example, in Holland, at the legendary Bols, in Ireland, under the Mickey Finn’s brand and in other countries. The recipe for this drink is simple, the main thing is to find apples of a suitable variety. Americans completely use the Granny Smith variety for this alcohol (however, they use it for everything). An ordinary Antonovka or Renet (Simirenko) is suitable for us.
Italians say –do not try to shake green apples, when the apple tree is ripe – the fruits themselves will fall“. But we still, like the unforgettable Newton, rot a tree once or twice – maybe, and sour fruits will fit – not for the invention of a physical law, but for making an interesting apple liqueur at home.
We will need:
Half a liter of vodka or 40% grade, 2 large green apples, zest grated from one lime, about 200 grams of sugar + water (for syrup), a tiny pinch of nutmeg, half a clove and food coloring – for a bright green color (you can do without without him).
Preparation:
- We cut the apples into quarters, cut out the core with seeds and cut into pieces 2×2 cm.
- You need to remove the zest from the lime and send it along with apple slices and spices to a jar. It is necessary to insist about a month, in a dark and warm place.
- At the end of this period, drain the tincture through gauze and prepare a standard sugar syrup.
- Gently, literally in a tablespoon, pour the syrup into the infusion. Sugar should not interrupt the sourness, but only shade it – otherwise our whole idea with Sour Apple will fail. The process must be stopped when it seems to you that the drink is about to become sweet enough – with further infusion, the sweetness will increase slightly.
- A green dye is added to the liquor – the natural color of the tincture, yellow-beige, is not very beautiful. A couple of grains of dye is enough, quite a bit.
- The drink should rest for another week and a half or two, after which it will need to be filtered again and that’s it – you can serve it!
This liquor will fit well in cocktails – for example, “Apple Martini”, it is good to drink it with sweet and sour fruits, ice cream or taste it just like that, while talking in good company.
“Nakhichevan” – pear-apple liqueur with Asian roots
Nakhichevan liqueur is a sweet, rich alcoholic drink that is rumored to have been brewed in Azerbaijan for a long time. Nakhichevan is the capital of the autonomous republic of the same name, the Azerbaijani exclave, and the liquor is named after it. Can they drink alcohol there, in Azerbaijan? But yeah, forbidden fruit…
This apple liqueur at home is quite simple to prepare. For cooking we will need:
- Apples and pears – 1 liter grated. According to the recipe, fruits come in equal proportions, but I would advise taking fewer pears – they are, after all, much more aromatic, and their taste is brighter. If you choose sour apples, the taste of the liquor will be richer and more colorful.
- Vodka (and even better – apple moonshine) – 1 liter.
- Sugar – 750 grams
- Water – 3 glass.
Preparation:
- Peel the fruits from the seeds and core, chop with a coarse grater, and put in a jar.
- Fill the remaining space with vodka so that there is almost no space left.
- This tincture is aged in the sun – in theory, it will be lighter than when aging in a dark place. The term of insisting is up to a month.
- After this, the tincture must be filtered through gauze, the pulp should be squeezed well and all the liquid should be filtered again through a cotton swab.
- Prepare a standard sugar syrup and gradually add it to the liquor until it is sweet enough for your taste. The amount of syrup depends on the sweetness of the fruit.
- To defend the drink for another 2 weeks, after which – additionally filter.
Nakhichevan is a classic sweet liquor that goes well with ice cream, tea, a variety of desserts and fruits, and also in cocktails.
Spicy apple liqueur on vodka with mint and lemon balm
This liqueur uses an unusual combination of apples and mint, which is emphasized by the sharpness of ginger and the herbal aroma of lemon balm. It’s not always the same to add real-life cinnamon to apples – it is already included in 50% of tinctures! You need to try something more original.
So, for 0.5 liters of vodka, we need to get 3-4 apples, it is best to take 2 sour and sweet, but it is imperative that the fruits are fragrant. Add to them 2 grams of dried peppermint and lemon balm (what is the difference between them and how to choose the right mint – read the article and mint liqueurs), standard sugar syrup – if necessary, ginger – a third of a teaspoon.
Preparation:
- Carefully cut off a thin peel from apples – we only need it, only about 100 grams. The rest can be swallowed up.
- Herbs are moved and freed from foreign objects, “Apple peel”, along with mint and lemon balm, is sent to a jar and poured with vodka under the lid, shaken well.
- The term of infusion is 2 weeks. After this, the tincture must be drained through cheesecloth and squeezed out.
- Next, you need to gradually introduce sugar syrup into the drink until the sweetness is sufficient. This liqueur should not be cloying, only slightly sweet for softness.
- Add ginger to the jar, shake well and leave for another 2-3 days, periodically tasting so that the drink does not become too spicy.
- When ready, filter through a dense cotton or fabric filter.
This apple liqueur on vodka is best consumed in its pure form, as a digestif.
And finally – a quote from a big fan of good alcohol E.M. Remark:
– Would you like an apple? Apples prolong life!
– No thanks.
– A cigar?
Do they extend life too?
— No, they shorten it. Then it is balanced by apples.
Make apple liqueurs with Rum Diary! Live long and delicious!
Prepared all 3 indicated tinctures.
Mint Apple: A very minty liqueur with a subtle apple flavor and a beautiful golden color. Next time I will put less herbs, more ginger, fresh and straight into the tincture. Rating: 4-
Nakhichevan: the experiment should be recognized as unsuccessful. Some kind of viscous dark mass with a distinct aroma of fruit and berry “bug”. The taste is more or less, but nothing special. Sweet, although I did not add sugar. I will not do it again, rating: 3-
Green Apple: Used dried green lemons instead of lime zest. The most successful experiment. The color is beautiful, green (he added quite a bit of dye), transparent, it smells like an apple (although for some reason, not green, but ordinary) and lemon, it tastes sweet and sour, generally similar to that German Sour Apfel “. Rating: 4+, maybe after the rest the score will rise.
Summarizing: the first and third recipes are not bad, the second one is better left unattended, despite the beautiful name.