We make an awesome tincture of bitter and nasty viburnum: my recipe

I have been brewing moonshine for a long time. But I’m already tired of drinking distillate in its pure form. I want to please myself and loved ones with something new, unusual. About 5 years ago there was an unprecedented harvest of viburnum. But where to use it?

The berry is bitter, you can’t make jam. Then I thought of making a tincture on it. And since that time it has become my “signature” drink. It’s easy to prepare. I think that everyone can find this berry in their region. It grows almost everywhere and wild viburnum is just as tasty and fragrant as garden viburnum.

I received such a letter from my subscriber Nikolai V., a specialist in home brewing. I hasten to introduce you to one of his tinctures.

How to collect and prepare viburnum

It is better to collect viburnum immediately after the first frost. Then it is considered the most delicious tincture suitable for making. But in practice this is not always possible.

A couple of times I just missed the harvest, and it was pecked by birds that flew in from the nearest forest. A small flock destroyed all the berries on the bush, sitting down for only 15-20 minutes.

And several times it happened that a sudden night frost of about -10 ° C in the morning was replaced by a thaw. Frozen, and subsequently thawed berries became soft and watery. It is impossible to collect them in this state.

Now I collect viburnum in late September-early October. After rinsing it under water from a faucet, I spread it on a towel. After a little drying, I put it in plastic bags and send it to the freezer.

There it is stored until the preparation of the tincture. You can also use fresh, the taste will not change from this. It’s just that during the berry picking season I don’t have much time to prepare the tincture.

Necessary ingredients

To prepare the tincture, you need simple and affordable ingredients. My cost of the drink turns out to be low, because I have my own moonshine, viburnum grows near the house, so I had to spend money only on sugar. So, for cooking you need:

1. Moonshine. I usually take a double distillation, it takes about 1,5 – 2 liters.
2. Water. For breeding moonshine up to 40% vol. If my moonshine is not strong, then I don’t dilute it. I measure degrees with an alcohol meter.
3. Kalina. Fresh or frozen – 2 cups If you take fresh, then it must be slightly crushed until juice appears.

That’s all. Yes, I experimented with adding spices (cloves, cinnamon, vanillin), but I did not like the taste. Therefore, I do not recommend their use.

How to insist moonshine on viburnum

In order to prepare a delicious tincture, it is not enough just to pour viburnum with moonshine. In this case, the tincture will turn out, but it will not be very pleasant to drink it. The specific bitterness of viburnum is not to everyone’s taste.

In order to make a decent drink, you need to add a little sugar. I will describe my procedure for preparing the tincture:

1. I defrost about two glasses of viburnum in a microwave at medium power for 5-7 minutes. This is enough for the berries to begin to give juice.
2. I put the berries together with the juice in a vessel with a wide neck. For this, I have a convenient two-liter jar.
3. Dissolved in moonshine with a strength of 40% vol. half a glass of sugar, pour viburnum in a jar to the top with this syrup.
4. Having tightly closed the vessel, I leave it to infuse in a dark, cool (but not in the refrigerator) place. In the first 5-6 days I shake it twice a day.
5. In a month, the tincture will be ready. It must be carefully strained through cheesecloth and bottled.

During the time that the moonshine is infused, it acquires a beautiful red color. You can add more sugar, but then the tincture will be very sweet. The final fortress is approximately 35% vol.

However, it is difficult to measure it more precisely, since the density of the drink due to the presence of sugar will be greater than that of a water-alcohol solution.

How to store and drink tincture

If you follow certain rules, you can store viburnum tincture for a long time – up to two years. So that the drink does not lose its properties, it is necessary to pour it into small bottles – no more than 0,5 liters, and close tightly to prevent air from entering.

Bottles must first be thoroughly washed and dried. It is better to store the tincture in a dark, cool cellar or in the refrigerator.

Viburnum tincture can be drunk both as an aperitif and as a dessert drink. Kalina completely clogs the smell of alcohol and drinking tincture is easy and pleasant. A small glass of sweet tincture after a meal creates a pleasant aftertaste.

This is an absolutely versatile drink. My friends love to drink it under barbecue, and after a bath with cheese slices, and during feasts with an abundance of salads. But my wife and her friends prefer to drink “Kalinovka” with chocolates and talk “for life”. In general, as you like.

Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!

And now a small warning: it is not recommended to insist viburnum for more than a month. This year I forgot about the jar of tincture, and after two months the drink turned out to be very tart and bitter.

Drinking it is unpleasant even after adding sugar. Now I’m thinking about how best to proceed: dilute it with pure moonshine or still overtake and insist again? What will you advice me?