I tried Krambambulya in another city, decided to buy it at home, but it’s not there: I’m sharing a homemade recipe for Belarusian classics on vodka and spices

Once, when I was on a business trip, in a small restaurant they served me a tincture with the unusual name Krambambulya. What it is, I did not know then, but nevertheless I decided to try it and I must say I did not regret it.

I really liked the tincture. Returning to my hometown, I began to look for it on store shelves, but in vain. Then I decided to cook Krambambula at home.

The story was shared by blog subscriber Vladimir.

What is this drink, where did it come from

Where Krambambulya appeared in that restaurant, I did not understand, but the tincture itself, as it turned out, has Belarusian roots, and is named after the German liquor Krambambuli (Krambambuli).

In the old days, the tincture was available only to the rich due to the fact that spices were added to it, which had to be delivered by ship all the way from India itself. Now this business has become a little easier, so Krambambulya has become widespread everywhere except my city …

Note! Krambambulya first appeared in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the XNUMXth century.

Well, okay, if the tincture was not brought to the shops of our outback, I will have to make it myself, why not fly to the city where I first tried it for it?

What ingredients and equipment will be needed

To be honest, when I listened to the tincture recipe, the mention of spices and spices made me a little tense. No, I did not intend to go to India for them, however, I still had the fear that the ingredients would not be affordable for me.

Thankfully everything went well. To prepare Krambambuli, I needed to purchase:

1. Water. Ordinary from the tap will not work. Local experts advised to use spring water. Fortunately, my family and I often go to the spring and this item did not cause me any difficulties.
2. Vodka. It is better to take not the cheapest. The option of rubles for 400 will be just right.
3. Honey. It will not be needed so much (150–200 gr.), So you can limit yourself to purchasing a small jar for 400–500 rubles.
4. Black pepper. The package costs 50 rubles.
5. I bought cinnamon sticks for 200 rubles. They will need 2 pieces.
6. Carnation. You need 5 of her buds. In the store, this pleasure costs about 200 rubles.
7. Nutmeg (¼ teaspoon) Prices start from 200 rubles.
8. Allspice (5 pcs.) Cheaper than 100 rubles. I didn’t find it anywhere.

The tincture was expensive, but I wanted to feel that taste again. So, as they say, the end justifies the means.

Note! Vodka can be replaced with alcohol or moonshine.

The cooking process

Preparing the tincture was not easy, but I still managed.

1. All spices, except for black pepper, need to be ground in a mortar, but do not get carried away. The grind should not be too fine.
2. We rub the nuts on a grater with a small cell.
3. Pour 0,5 liters of vodka and 0,5 liters of water into the pan. We add spices.
4. We put on a slow fire and hold for 10 minutes. If the liquid begins to boil, it is better to remove it from the burner, let it cool slightly, and then continue heating.
5. Cool to a temperature of 55–60 ° C and filter.
6. Pour another 0,5 l of vodka, add honey and stir thoroughly.
7. Close the lid and let it brew for 10 minutes. Here I could not resist and tried the tincture. And nothing like that, someday a noble moonshiner will turn out of me.
8. After the tasting, I added 5 black peppercorns to the jar (where I poured the krambambula during filtration) and left it to infuse for 10 days in the cabinet.
9. After 10 days, it was necessary to strain the tincture again in order to finally get rid of the spices that settled at the bottom of the jar.

Important! Strain Krambambula through a fine sieve or several layers of gauze.

What will be the result

After cooking krambambuli, the bottles turned out to be a cloudy amber liquid. A friend advised me not to drink it immediately, but to wait a few days. During this time, the sediment, which no filtration could remove, subsided somewhat, the tincture acquired a transparent amber color.

Krambambulya was not very strong – somewhere around 20-30 degrees. The spices masked the alcohol notes. Drinking the tincture was easy and pleasant.

Finished product.

Now I don’t know what to do, either to go to another city for tincture, or to make it myself. What do you advise?