Raspberry vodka recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 149 comments
Home grown raspberries from our garden waiting to be made into delicious raspberry vodka
Note: Raspberry Vodka is probably the best and easiest of all homemade fruit liqueurs. It and raspberry gin are our all time favourite.
“One for me,” Gilbert popped a raspberry into his mouth, “and one for the bottle.” He pressed a juicy raspberry through the top of an empty vodka bottle.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Marjorie had sent me into the garden to join Gilbert. He was sitting on the terrace beside a large bowl of raspberries. Several bottles of vodka and a funnel beside him.
“Marjorie won’t let me into the kitchen, thinks that I’ll pour sugar into the cabbage.”
It took us just twenty minutes to make four bottles of raspberry vodka.
Always looking for new raspberry liqueur recipes, I asked Gilbert if it was a patent recipe. He nodded sagely and started to write the labels with a large, even hand.
“You better get the name right, before you note down the ingredients.”
Intrigued I got up and stood behind him, pen poised. The labels read, “Fiona’s patent Raspberry Vodka.”
“Is that me?”
He roared with laughter, “Of course it is, you goose.”
Tips and tricks for making the best raspberry vodka – printable recipe below:
- If you grow raspberries or have access to a “Pick your own”, you will make a liqueur that has a far fuller, fresher flavour than the supermarket raspberries that have been rattled around for miles (air and/or road). But even if you can’t find the freshest and best raspberries you will still make a fantastic liqueur (discard all bad ones). Our raspberry liqueurs (gin and vodka) are the two that people remember and natter about. And until a year ago, when our raspberry patch was finally established, we often bought the raspberries for this superb grog.
- Make notes on a label of your fruit/vodka/sugar ratio and stick it onto the bottle(s) so that you have a record When you make a particularly good batch you will need this info. The best production labels are made from decorator’s masking tape as these can be peeled off and passed from bottle to bottle. We also note our responses at the grog matures. It won’t be long before you will get a feel of what works well for your taste (and the notes will come into their own). In an ideal world it would be wise to make more than you need in the first year, so you can compare different vintages. This liqueur does improve over time. This can be difficult, even Gilbert has never managed to keep a vintage beyond three years.
- Keep your fruit vodka away from the light, unless the bottles are dark green or brown, as this will maintain the colour. If you are stuck with clear bottles, wrap them in brown paper to keep out the light or store them in a cool dark place that is dry and airy.
- Every couple of months take a tiny sip. At this time add sugar if it tastes too sharp. If it is too sweet it is difficult to go back.
- See how you can make your own labels
| Raspberry vodka recipe |
- 300g of raspberries
- 350g of white granulated sugar
- 1.5 litres (or more) of medium quality vodka (don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest or thr best)
- Sterilised 2 litre Le Parfait jar or 2-3 (70 cl) washed and sterilised vodka bottles
- Extra vodka bottles. We save a few empty bottles throughout the year as the raspberries and sugar fill about one third of each bottle
- Wash raspberries and discard any bruised/bad fruit. Place raspberries in either a large 2 litre Kilner/Le Parfait jar or divide the raspberries between 2 or 3 (70 cl) saved vodka bottles. If you have to squeeze fat raspberries through the neck it is fine.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar (divide the amounts if using several bottles) and top up with vodka to 2-3cm from the top.
- Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for a year).
Leave a reply
How long do you leave the fruit in the vodka for?
Tere are several questions about using frozen fruit. I ALWAYS use frozen especially sloes. Using from frozen breaks down the skins and allows quicker and more complete infusion. I’ve als taken to using the ”sous vide’ method I won’t go in to this but there are recipes on the internet which are applicable to most fruit. Certainly SLOE, RASPBERRY, BLUEBERRY AND MULBERRY. I’m not keen on over sweet fruit gin s and personally I tyhink most recipes overdo sugar. AS has been pointed out elsewhere sugar can be added but not removed. I am told that CANE SUGAR SYRUP is good for this but ahve no personal experience – it does however by it’s nature disolve quickly
Hi , can you use frozen berry please
Thanks
Is it possible to make lemon Gin/Vodka?
PS – does anyone use isinglass to clear the raspberry vodka/Gin?
Hi everyone
I have been umming and ahhhing about which alcohol to choose for my wedding favours, as I wanted to make my own, I am putting them in mini demi-johns once ready.
I didn’t know what to go for until I stumbled upon this recipe? The only problem is my wedding is in 12 weeks. Can I do raspberry vodka in this amount of time or will the taste not be right?
Sounds like everyone has enjoyed it, so I do hope so ha ha
Thanks in advance
Hi Shelley – it will acquire a nice raspberry flavour in 3 months certainly.
The flavour does get deeper and more pronounced with age, but 3 months will give you a very nice liquer and should be perfect for your favours.
Just check it for bitterness after 2 months and add more sugar if required.
Have a great day!
Shake it vigourously more often. Consider that you might not have the time to allow it to settle and clear properly after decanting and filtering.
When it’s ready (which mine now is), what do I do with all these raspberries after I’ve strained the vodka? Can I freeze them?
I found them very agreeable as a topping on yogurt or ice-cream, an presumably they’ll keep for ages in the bottom of the bottle that you decanted the raspberry vodka from.
I made ice cream with the surplus raspberries, it was very popular !
Thanks for sharing this Vodka recipe
Hi, can I make this with frozen raspberries please?
I often used frozen fruit, no need to defrost either.
Thanks Will, I have lots of frozen rasps , it was a good year for them.
For all whom it may interested, below you can find my private recipe for Liqueur based on elder flower and linden honey.
Ingredients:
50 pcs. umbel of elder flower
4 pcs. lemons
4 pcs. limes
350 milliliters linden honey
1,5 liters vodka (40%)
Method of preparation:
Firstly we have to wash thoroughly lemons and limes.
We take the one lemon and other fruits and cut into slices.
Then, we prepare syrup based on: linden honey and the juice of one lemon.
In prepared in advance clear jar, arrange layers –flowers and sliced lemons and once again flowers and sliced lemons.
The whole of jar overlaid with honey-lemon syrup. After this, cover with gauze and leave in a sunny place for about 8-12 days, checking to avoid fermentation. From time to time, mix the contents of the jar.
The next step is the decanted liquid, mix with alcohol 40% and leave to the clarification for about one month.
At this time decant the supernatant solution and filter by filter paper and filled into bottles. Please be sure that the bottles was washed, boiled and properly closed.
The next and last step is maturation. We leave all of bottles in a dark and cool place for at least 6 months.
Taste a great!