Spotykach – 14 best recipes for a folk drink

Greetings, dear reader! Today we will talk about an alcoholic drink traditional for Russia and Ukraine. He has a funny name “spotykach” and a fairly good fortress (about 30%). Actually, it was thanks to her that the liqueur got its name: after drinking a few glasses, it is already difficult to walk straight.

One of the advantages of this drink is the ease of its preparation. You can make it at home on your own, and the set of ingredients is quite unpretentious. Therefore, today we will also consider spotykach recipes based on various berries and fruits.

Historical background

Spotykach was first mentioned in the XNUMXth century. It was mainly prepared by women, one housewife could make several types of drink at once, since the ingredients for it (berries, fruits, honey) were available. Due to its sweet taste, it was also considered suitable for ladies, although its strength remained quite high.

Spotykach moved from the Russian Empire to the Soviet Union, where its manufacture acquired an industrial scale (it was made in factories). It was even exported to other countries. Now ready spotykach can also be found on the shelves of Russian alcohol stores.

What is the difference between Spotykach and tincture

The classic spotykach, like the usual tincture or liqueur, is made on the basis of fruits and berries. But the main difference is that for this drink both the raw materials and the alcohol component (moonshine) are subjected to heat treatment. It also turns out quite sweet, similar in taste to liquor. In addition, to cook spotykach, honey is used, it is he who reduces the sharpness of the taste.

How and with what to drink Spotykach

It is recommended to drink Spotykach chilled, in small portions (50-100 ml each). Warm, it can have a too sweet and cloying taste. Most often, spotykach is served with desserts, but they can also be washed down with main dishes – for example, meat ones.

Is it possible to buy ready-made

Spotykach is sold in ordinary stores, in the alcohol department, or in alcohol markets. It has a high strength, and therefore the sale is limited in time (in the regions of the Russian Federation there is such a restriction – you can’t buy alcohol at night). Ready spotykach may have a different taste – depending on what was taken as the main ingredient.

One of the popular brands is Cuckoo. It is prepared on the basis of honey, plum and peach juice, the fortress is 20%.

Spotykach Recipes

Spotykach cooked at home on your own will turn out even tastier than store-bought, because you can choose the ingredients yourself and achieve a unique bouquet.

From prunes

Ingredients: prunes (400 grams), sugar (400 grams), vodka (0,5 liters), water (300 ml).

Stages of preparation:

1. Wash prunes and pour into a bottle.
2. Prepare syrup (cook sugar with water). The cooled syrup must be mixed with vodka.
3. Pour into a bottle and leave for two weeks to infuse.
4. Strain the finished drink and it will be ready to drink.

It turns out not too sweet, with a distinct plum taste.

Berry

Ingredients: 1 kilogram of any berry (raspberries, currants, strawberries, etc.), 1 kilogram of sugar, 700 ml of water, 750 ml of vodka or moonshine, vanillin.

Stages of preparation:

1. Add vanillin to alcohol and insist for two days.
2. Mash the berries and squeeze the juice out of them (for this, gauze is used as a filter).
3. Boil sugar syrup and add juice to it. Continue cooking them together.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour alcohol into it, then put it back on the boil.
5. Cook the finished spotykach on low heat so that it does not reach a boil.

A drink prepared on the basis of berries will have a sweet and sour taste and is perfect for the summer season.

Cherry

Ingredients: cherry (300 grams), prunes (50 grams), vodka or moonshine (500 grams), honey (300 grams).

Stages of preparation:

1. Mash the cherries a little and pour honey on top. Let it brew for several hours and put on fire, stirring – the honey should completely dissolve.
2. Add prunes to sweet cherries and remove from heat.
3. Alcohol is added to the cooled berry syrup, after which the drink must be left in a corked bottle for 10-15 days.
4. Filter out spottykach.

From mountain ash

Ingredients: mountain ash (0,5 kilograms), strong alcohol (1 liter), water (300 ml), sugar (500 grams).

Stages of preparation:

1. Rowan should be frozen in the freezer, or collected in the cold season.
2. Pour the berry with water and add sugar, then cook for an hour.
3. Add alcohol and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
4. The broth is left to infuse for two weeks along with the berry, after which it is filtered.
5. The finished spotykach is corked in a bottle and left for a few more weeks (preferably a few months).

Rowan spotykach is also called Varangian. It turns out an unusual and not very sweet taste, since the berry has some bitterness.

Apricot

Ingredients: 1 kilogram of apricots, 750 ml of vodka or other strong alcohol, 400 grams of sugar, 0,5 liters of water.

Stages of preparation:

1. Wash apricots and remove pits.
2. Put the apricots in a saucepan, add sugar and water to them, put to boil.
3. After the broth boils, it must be boiled for another half an hour over low heat.
4. Pour alcohol into the syrup and bring to a boil again, then remove the pan from the stove.
5. After the spotykach has cooled down, it must be left to infuse for two weeks.

Mint

Ingredients: 70 grams of mint, 200 grams of sugar, 1 liter of vodka or other alcoholic beverage.

Stages of preparation:

1. Melt sugar in water and boil the syrup.
2. Add mint and boil it with syrup for another 20 minutes.
3. Mix vodka with syrup and leave the pan on the stove until boiling, then remove.
4. Pour Spotykach into a bottle and leave in a dark place for several days (preferably seven).

This is a simple recipe with a neutral minty flavor that doesn’t have any fruity or berry flavors. However, in order for the mint to be better expressed, and for the spotykach itself to become more interesting, you can leave the syrup to boil with spices – cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla.

Walnuts

Ingredients: 500 grams of nuts, 750 ml of vodka or other alcoholic drink, 400 grams of sugar, 10 apricot kernels, spices.

Stages of preparation:

1. Grind the walnuts and pour them with vodka. Leave to infuse in the sun for 4 weeks.
2. Strain the tincture and add sugar, spices and chopped apricot pits to it. Mix everything and leave for a week.
3. Shake the tincture once a day or mix well.
4. After a week, the drink needs to be filtered, and it will be ready to drink.

Spicy

Ingredients: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves – 5-10 grams each, vanilla – 20 grams, vodka – 0,5 liters, honey – 400 grams.

Stages of preparation:

1. Add all the spices to the vodka and leave it to brew for 14 days, shaking daily.
2. Strain the resulting drink, add honey to it and boil on the stove.
3. Filter and bottle.

A distinctive feature of this recipe is the absence of fruits and berries. It turns out a harsh, but very aromatic drink with a spicy taste.

Plum

Ingredients: plums (400 grams), sugar (400 grams), water (0,5 liters), vodka (0,5 liters).

Stages of preparation:

1. Pour plums with water and pour sugar, put on the stove.
2. Bring to a boil, then cook for another half an hour over low heat.
3. Add vodka, boil again.
4. Strain and leave to infuse for 3-4 weeks.

This spotykach is similar to the one made with prunes, but thanks to the use of fresh fruit, it has a slightly sour taste.

from acacia flowers

Ingredients: 100 grams of flowers, 300 grams of honey, 750 ml of vodka or other alcoholic beverage, 500 ml of water.

Stages of preparation:

1. Pour acacia flowers in a jar with honey, then cover it with a napkin and leave it for a day in a cool place.
2. Rinse honey with flowers with water through a sieve.
3. Add vodka to this fragrant water and stir until the honey dissolves.

Citric

Ingredients: 5 lemons, 0,7 liters of vodka, 400 grams of sugar, 250 ml of water, spices.

Stages of preparation:

1. Pour boiling water over the lemons and remove the peel from them.
2. Boil sugar syrup and add chopped lemon slices and spices to it.
3. The syrup is boiled for another 10 minutes, after which it is removed from the heat and vodka is added.
4. Add vodka and leave the drink to infuse for a week, after which it must be filtered and poured into a bottle.

You can add cloves and crushed lemon zest to the syrup for a richer flavor.

From rose petals

Ingredients: rose flowers (100 grams), sugar (300 grams), vodka or moonshine (750 ml), water (250 ml).

Stages of preparation:

1. Pour sugar over the flowers and leave them for a day in the refrigerator.
2. Pour sugar roses with water and vodka.
3. Leave the drink to brew for a few days, after which it can be drunk. Cooking is not required, but straining from the petals is a must.

This strong but delicate drink has a pleasant pink color. Such a recipe can even be called romantic, so it is prepared for ladies. However, some men will also be able to appreciate the taste of rose water, on the basis of which this recipe was invented.

Coffee

Ingredients: 150 grams of coffee, 1 liter of water, 0,5 liters of vodka and 500 grams of sugar.

Stages of preparation:

1. Grind coffee beans or use already ground coffee.
2. Fill it with water and leave for a day.
3. Filter the water, add sugar to it and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from stove, add vodka and return to heat. Cook for a few more minutes.
5. Cool the coffee drink and pour into a bottle.

Such a spotykach is not recommended to drink at night. The high amount of caffeine can make it difficult to fall asleep. Also, it should not be drunk by people who have problems with the cardiovascular system.

from anise

Ingredients: 50 grams of anise, one and a half liters of vodka, 2 kilograms of sugar, a little orange peel and spices.

Stages of preparation:

1. Grind anise seeds and pour vodka. Insist for several days.
2. Prepare sugar syrup and mix it with anise tincture.
3. Add spices to the drink and leave it for a week. After that, it must be poured into a bottle and you can drink.

General recommendations for cooking

In order for spotykach to turn out to be truly tasty, it must be cooked on fresh berries and fruits. Check that there is no mold, rot or dents on them. If you are using moonshine instead of vodka, then make sure that your moonshine is well refined, otherwise it will give an unpleasant taste.

Well, I say goodbye to you on this. Subscribe to new publications, tell your friends about us and try to cook different types of this interesting drink! See you soon!