Hawthorn liqueur is soft, sweet and sour in taste with a characteristic aroma of fruits. If desired, the drink can be supplemented with notes of citrus, prunes, raisins and vanilla.
Fresh, dried or dried red hawthorn berries are required. The fruits must be ripe, without rot and mold. As an alcohol base, vodka, ethyl alcohol diluted with water, moonshine or cognac is suitable. In the latter case, light tannic notes of aging will appear in the drink, which go well with hawthorn.
Ingredients:
- hawthorn berries – 100 grams of fresh or 30-50 grams of dried;
- vodka (alcohol 40-45%, moonshine, cognac) – 0,5 liters;
- pitted prunes – 4-5 pieces (optional);
- raisins – 15 grams (optional);
- vanillin – on the tip of a knife (optional);
- lemon zest – from a third of the fruit (optional);
- sugar (liquid honey) – 150 grams;
- water – 100 ml.
hawthorn liqueur recipe
1. Put hawthorn berries in a jar for infusion. Add prunes, raisins, vanillin and lemon zest (before removing the lemon, scald with boiling water and wipe dry to remove the preservative from the surface).
2. Pour in the alcohol base. Mix. Close tightly, insist in a dark, warm place for 20 days. Shake every 3 days.
3. Filter the finished hawthorn infusion through several layers of gauze or a kitchen sieve, squeeze the berries slightly.
4. Mix water and sugar (honey) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes over low heat, removing foam from the surface, then cool to room temperature.
In the case of honey, heat the syrup no higher than 40 ° C and mix until smooth so that the beneficial substances are preserved.
5. Mix the syrup obtained in the previous step with the infusion. Pour into bottles for storage, seal tightly.
6. Before tasting, leave the liquor in the refrigerator or cellar for 5 days to stabilize the taste.
If sediment or turbidity appears in storage, filter through cotton wool.
The shelf life of homemade hawthorn liquor is up to 3 years. Fortress – 23-25%.
