Krambambulya – vodka with honey and spices. It has a pleasant slightly sweet taste, is easy to drink and warms well in cold weather. We can say that this is the Belarusian analogue of mulled wine or grog, although it is often served cold.
The tincture appeared in the XNUMXth century in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the territory of modern Belarus. It was considered a drink of the nobility, because at that time spices imported from India were very expensive. Now anyone can make krambambula at home according to the traditional recipe. Fortunately, the components have fallen in price hundreds of times.
Ingredients:
- water – 250 ml;
- vodka – 0,5 liters;
- honey (liquid) – 3 tablespoons;
- black peppercorns – 3 pieces;
- cinnamon – 1 stick;
- cloves – 3 bud;
- nutmeg – 1 pinch;
- allspice – 3 pieces.
Vodka is replaced with alcohol (40-45%), poorly purified moonshine is not the best solution, since it neutralizes the aroma of the tincture. Spices can be used at your discretion – remove those you do not like, or add new ones. Honey – buckwheat or flower.
Classic krambambul recipe
1. Crush in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
2. Pour water and 250 ml of vodka into a saucepan. Add spices chopped at the first stage and a cinnamon stick. Mix.
3. Bring to a boil over low heat.
4. Cover with a lid, boil for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from heat, cool to 50-60°C, add vodka (250 ml) and honey, stir.
6. Cover with a lid, leave for 5 minutes.
7. Strain the broth through 2-3 layers of gauze, pour into a container for infusion (jar), add black pepper, close tightly.
8. Infuse for 8-10 days in a dark place at room temperature.
9. Drain the finished homemade krambambula from the sediment through a tube into a storage container, for example, a bottle, and close it tightly.
Fortress – about 25%. Shelf life when stored in a dark place up to 5 years. Best served chilled.