The 100 Leaves liqueur is remembered for its rich red color, berry aroma and sweet mild taste. It is difficult for a taster to determine what alcohol is made of. It is interesting that the recipe uses not 100, but 99 leaves: 33 of each type, hence the second name of the drink – the 33-leaf liquor. Another advantage is quick preparation, the liqueur will be ready for use in a couple of hours.
Leaves must be fresh. The classic recipe uses chokeberry berries (fresh or frozen), but they can be successfully replaced with cherries (pre-seed) or black currants. Store-bought vodka, alcohol diluted with water or well-purified moonshine, preferably double distillation, are suitable as an alcohol base.
Ingredients:
- cherry leaves – 33 pieces;
- raspberry leaves – 33 pieces (single);
- blackcurrant leaves – 33 pieces;
- black chokeberry berries (cherries, black currants) – 1 cup;
- vodka (moonshine, alcohol 40-45%) – 0,5 liters;
- water – 800 ml;
- sugar (honey) – 100-250 grams (to taste);
- citric acid – 1 teaspoon (optional).
It is desirable to use liquid flower honey. Citric acid is required to stabilize the acidity, if you like sweet drinks with hints of cloying, you can not add.
100 leaf liqueur recipe
1. Wash the leaves, put them in an enamel pan, add berries and pour in water.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Boil 30 minutes.
3. Strain the resulting broth through a kitchen sieve, slightly squeezing the leaves and berries (no longer needed).
4. Add sugar (honey) and citric acid to the liquid. Stir, cover, cool to room temperature.
5. Mix cold decoction and alcohol base. You can additionally sweeten with sugar or honey.
The liqueur is ready to drink, but it is better to leave the drink in hermetically sealed bottles or a jar for 2-3 days in the refrigerator to stabilize the taste.
To make the liquor clear, it is enough to filter it through cotton wool or a coffee filter. Filtration does not affect the taste, but only improves the appearance.
The strength of the liquor “100 leaves” – 13-14% vol. Approximate output – 1,5 liters. Shelf life away from direct sunlight – 1 year.
