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When people hear the word “moonshine”, they involuntarily think of strong alcoholic drinks of a cloudy color that are brewed in the villages of the wilderness. But many do not understand that moonshine is whiskey, gin, cognac, tequila, brandy, etc.
It is based on the same technology, the raw materials change, some features are added during cooking, the exposure time varies.
I can safely assure you that high-quality, tasty tincture based on moonshine can be made at home without serious equipment, any special components. We will talk about this in more detail.
This is a message from my longtime subscriber and good friend Sergey B. Personally, I like his tinctures, which is why I asked Sergey to share the best recipes. Although I do not quite agree with the fact that whiskey, cognac and so on are moonshine.
What is moonshine
Moonshine is called strong alcoholic drinks, which are made by distilling mash through special devices (they can be homemade or industrial). You should not confuse yourself with vodka, as it is made using a different technology – rectification.
Braga for making moonshine can be prepared from different products, berries, fruits, vegetables. The most important components during cooking are high-quality water (it is high-quality, the final product largely depends on this), alcohol yeast, sugar.
What can moonshine insist on
In my experience with other “moonshiners”, it is impossible to accurately answer this question. Everyone has their favorite ingredients, which confirms the phrase – there is no arguing about tastes.
But after interviewing many people involved in this craft, I have identified several of the most popular components that moonshine most often insists on. Some of my favorite options include:
- Oak bark, cedar.
- Med.
- Jasmine flowers.
- Tangerine skins.
- Horseradish root.
- Rowan.
- Cherry.
- Ginger root.
- Prunes.
- Red hot pepper.
- Black currant.
- Cranberry.
A special aroma, taste will give the drink a variety of spices.
5 tinctures based on moonshine
I think many moonshiners will agree with me – you don’t always want to drink a pure “product”. Tinctures allow you to feel new tastes, aromas. I will describe the 5 most popular moonshine-based tinctures in my opinion.
Khrenovuha is one of the most popular tinctures that can be prepared both on the basis of moonshine and vodka. But we’ll talk about the first option. Cooking process:
- Peel a small young horseradish root, rinse under water. Cut it into thin strips. It is important to cut along the fibers. Pour them into a 3 liter jar.
- Add 3 peas of allspice and black pepper, dill seeds (half or a full teaspoon, the sweetness of the drink will depend on this), a small amount of chopped lemon zest, mustard seeds – half a teaspoon.
- Pour all the ingredients up to the neck of the jar.
It is enough to withstand the tincture for 21 days, then strain it through 2-3 layers of gauze and the drink is ready.
Pepper is another one of my favorite tinctures. Cooking:
- Pour 3 peas of allspice and black pepper into a half-liter jar, add 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 pod of hot pepper.
- Fill the jar to the neck with moonshine.
When honey is not available, I replace it with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Insist 3 weeks.
Ginger – it turns out an unusual drink that cannot be compared to other tinctures in taste. Cooking:
- Squeeze juice from half a lemon into a liter jar, add 1 tablespoon of honey or sugar, a pinch of salt (to taste), 1 small ginger root.
- Pour moonshine up to the neck.
Ginger drink is infused for 4 weeks. As for ginger, you can put a whole root or chop it. I have tried both options. In the second case, the drink is infused a little faster.
Prunes – a drink of attractive color, pleasant aroma. Cooking:
- In a 3-liter jar, mix 3 pieces of clove seeds, 3-4 peas of allspice, prunes (8-10 pieces), half a teaspoon of vanilla.
- Pour 2.5 liters of moonshine.
Insist 3 weeks. Be sure to get the pits from the prunes. I didn’t do it the first time, which ended up with a bad aftertaste.
Homemade cognac. I first tried the recipe from a friend, but then refined it in my own way. A truly finished product is very similar to store-bought cognac. Cooking:
- Initially, you need to steam oak bark in a metal saucepan – 1 tablespoon and 500 ml of water are enough. Bring to a boil and let cool to room temperature.
- In a 3-liter jar, mix 1-2 tablespoons of honey, a pinch of cinnamon, vanilla, 2 tablespoons of raisins (more if you like), 8 roasted coffee beans, rose hips – 3-4 pieces.
It remains to fill all the components with 2.5 liters of moonshine, with water in which the oak bark was steamed. Wait 3 weeks.
How long can moonshine tinctures be stored at home and how
I store ready-made tinctures in glass bottles or jars. Plastic containers are strictly prohibited. It is important that the cork is airtight. If it is poorly closed, in the end you will get a drink that has weakened in degree, instead of the expected one.
As for the shelf life, I kept horseradish and pepper for 1 year, ginger, honey tincture for six months, and berry tinctures for no more than 3 months. After that, the taste and aroma of drinks changes for the worse. I determined such terms from my own experience, after several trials and errors.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
The recipes described above are purely personal opinion. Do you agree with me about the specifics of cooking? Could you add anything?