4 of the best berry liqueur recipes
Use these trusted liqueur recipes to make homemade spirits this autumn, including sloe gin, blackberry vodka, plum brandy and raspberry whisky...
Flavoured liqueurs are simple to create – all you need is a large glass jar with a lid that seals tightly (£25.99 for six, Amazon), because you will need to give the fruit, sugar and spirit mix a daily shake for two weeks until the sugar has dissolved.
Then store in a cool, dark place and shake fully each week to ensure the fruit infuses. After three months, it will be ready to strain (through a muslin-lined sieve, £3.75, Amazon, or jelly bag) and put into sterilised bottles (£8.50 for 12, Amazon).
It's drinkable straightaway but most will mellow to an even better flavour if left for six months or more.
TOP TIP: Design your own labels and tie a bow around the jar for a homemade gift (Chalkboard labels, £3.49 for 12, Amazon)
1. SLOE GIN
This fruity elixir is delicious on its own as a liqueur or mixed into cocktails. Search the hedgerows for sloes, bullaces (slightly bigger and sweeter) or damsons (the cultivated cousin to the sloe). If you've foraged your own, then take a couple of the thorns from the blackthorn bush (where the sloes grow) to use instead of a skewer for pricking 600g of fruit.
Put them in a glass jar, along with 200g of demerara sugar and 70cl of gin. Many people have their own 'secret' ingredient when it comes to sloe gin, but a few peppercorns (for spice) or a vanilla pod (a mellow touch) are tried-and-tested additions to the classic recipe.
2. BLACKBERRY VODKA
Those blackberries that don't make it into your crumbles will make a tangy fruit liqueur. Mix 450g of berries with 70cl of vodka and 200g of granulated sugar in a large glass jar. A handful of elderberries gives a sharp edge (plus they're said to help ward off colds…).
3. PLUM BRANDY
Prick holes into the skin of 450g of firm plums, and place in a large glass jar with 300g of granulated sugar and 1 litre of brandy.
4. RASPBERRY WHISKY
Put a punnet of raspberries (not too ripe) in a jar and add 180g of granulated sugar and 70cl of whisky (a cheap blend will do). A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme will add a herby depth of flavour.
Find more recipes in Brew it Yourself by Nick Moyle and Richard Hood (Nourish Books, £14.99).
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