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
Hi Carole,
The raspberries stay whole. After six months or so strain the vodka off. Sometimes we leave them in for a year to get a more intense flavour.
Hi Jon,
Thanks for dropping by. The book sounds great! It’s good to get quick results too. I must admit, our sloe vodka was wonderful after three weeks.
Thanks for the tip about Cosco clementines!
I’ve also just started making fruit vodkas. I found a book called ‘Make Mine Vodka’ on Amazon that has all sorts of recipes and tips in the back. Basically it recommends adding vodka to the fruit in a glass jar to completely cover it (no metal or plastic) and leaving in the dark for a couple of weeks. After then, taste every week until the flavour develops to your liking. When it’s ready, strain the fruit out and bottle the vodka…sometimes the fruit is still very edible and other fruits taste disgusting… If the flavour is no good, it needs longer, however adding sugar can also rescue a bad vodka. I’ve made limoncello (zest of 3 lemons plus vodka and sugar) and it was very drinkable after 2 weeks. I have a pineapple vodka on he go at the moment, it’s been 4 weeks and it’s nearly there I think. Just put on a clementine vodka as Costco are selling crates for 99p this week 🙂
Hi,
I am really iterested in having a go at making some rasberry vodka. However, during the fermentation period, I am unsure as to what happens to the rasberries. Do they disolve with the sugar, or do I need to strain them off at some point?
Hi Sam
Good to hear that the blackberry whisky is frisky and perking you up.
The blackberry gin probably needs a teeny bit more sugar and a lot more time. I’m so pleased that you strained it off the blackberries. We left the blackberries in far too long the first year and it tasted woody and vile. I can’t remember what happened to it – the bottle probably heard our screams of horror and scuttled into the barn to hide for a few years…hopefully.
hi fiona, only me again!
i know this is the raspberry vodka section, but…. i strained the blackberry gin and blackberry whiskey yesterday and had a few friends over for a pre christmas taste test. the berries had been in since the beginning of october and i couldn’t wait any longer. the results of the taste test are as follows; the b/b whiskey is FAB,FAB,FAB and gin takes the enamel off your teeth but with a bit of patience this should smooth out the wrinkles (mine, not the gins!) i don’t think it needs more sugar, i could be wrong.
Hi Melanie,
If you leave the fruit sitting in the vodka for years it can ruin the taste. Generally it is best to strain the grog after a year at the latest.
However, I have tasted excellent fruit vodka that has had the fruit sitting in it for years. If your raspberry vodka smells good it is probably fine to drink. I am no expert so cannot give you a definitive answer.
Hi,
I have had a bottle of homemade raspberry vodka in my cupboard for several years (maybe 5?)… it was opened a couple of years ago and about half was indulged in then! However, the remaining half of a bottle has been in the cupboard ever since. Do you think it would still be okay/safe to drink? Would there be a risk of botulism or anything nasty like that?
Thanks so much!
Hi David,
Your fruit gin/vodka may well be gluggable in 3 months time. Keep on tasting them every month so as to be able to adjust the sugar etc. We have a raspberry gin that we made at the end of June with our own raspberries. I have had to hide it in the barn as it is so good and it is earmarked for Christmas 2007. Wish I™d made more now!
Wow, what a relief, finally a website that is simple to read and learn about the various spirit recipes infused with the fresh fruit. Roll on 6 months when i can taste them……..
p.s. anyone know a recipe for pineapple vodka??!!
Hi Jackie,
Glad that you found our site!
We have a recipe for blackberry whisky here https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=422.
It’s worth checking our ‘wine and gin’ category for fruit liqueurs.