Soloukhin’s tincture is remembered for its yellowish color, characteristic garlic aroma with light pepper notes and a burning taste with a noticeable predominance of pepper. In moderation, the drink increases appetite and goes well with meat dishes. This tincture was one of the favorites in Soviet literary circles of the 50-70s of the XX century.
Historical information
Vladimir Alekseevich Soloukhin (1924-1997) is a writer and poet whose main theme of creativity was the Russian village. For the first time, the general public learned about the tincture from his book The Third Hunt, in which Soloukhin said that another Soviet writer, Lev Romanovich Sheinin, who had learned about the drink from his friends, told him the recipe. That is, neither Soloukhin nor Sheinin are the authors of this tincture, most likely a folk recipe.
Due to the speed and ease of preparation (the ingredients are available, and it takes only 3 days to age), after the publication of the book in 1986, the tincture became popular among Soloukhin’s readers.
The classic recipe for Soloukhin tincture
Ingredients:
- garlic – 2-3 cloves (large);
- hot pepper – 1 pod (medium);
- vodka (moonshine, alcohol 40%) – 0,5 l.
Garlic is needed homemade with a characteristic persistent aroma. In the classic recipe, Stolichnaya vodka is used as the alcohol base, but any other brand will do, as well as well-refined double-distilled grain or sugar moonshine and ethyl alcohol diluted with water up to 40% vol.
Technology of preparation
1. Peel the garlic, cut into thin circles and put in a container for infusion.
2. Cut off the stalk of the pepper, cut the pod itself into slices without removing the seeds and the inside. Add pepper to garlic.
To make the pepper’s hotness weaker, the pod can be placed in a jar or bottle as a whole without cutting.
3. Pour in the alcohol base (vodka, alcohol, moonshine). Close hermetically.
4. Leave for 3 days in a dark place at room temperature. It is advisable to shake once a day.
5. Filter the tincture through 2-3 layers of gauze, pour into a storage bottle and close tightly. Leave in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to stabilize the taste. Drink from small glasses with a volume of 30-50 g.
The shelf life of Soloukhin tincture away from direct sunlight is up to 3 years. Fortress – 37-38% vol.
