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).
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What a wonderfull site, im going today to get some raspberries and strawberries, I will let you know how i get on thank you
Hello,
I’m looking forward to making your raspberry vodka recipe. I’ve bought a Le Parfait jar to make it in. Please can you tell me the best way to strain the vodka in order to bottle it up? Do I just need to do this through a sieve? If so, should I squash the raspberries through it?
Thanks
Hi
we have 4 litre kilner jars in a cupboard – 2 of raspbery gin and two of vodka – what I’d like to know is when should I take the fruit out and does addidng the sugar and fruit increase the alcohol content?
Thanks – someone left some sloe berries for me in work but some other numpty threw them out cos they didn’t know what they were!
Hi Wiggy
Sometimes we sample it after just a month 😉
Hello Cameron
There’s no need to strain it if it’s consumed within 6 months.
Hi Jane
Yes you can but remember to add the juice as well if they are defrosted.
can you use frozen berries? as my mum has been picking for the last couple of weeks and has been putting them straight in to the freezer.
Just made first ever batch of rasberry vodka in readinewss for Christmas. Can I ask = do you need to strain it before consumption or will it just become part of the drink? Damson gin tomorrow night – roll on Christmas! CT Glos
I had a go at this recipe this year and after a week had a bright red liquid. Only problem is that I now have to wait three months. If it tastes a good as it looks, happy days.
Someone I know makes blackberry whiskey, and when it has finished maturing and the blackberrys are removed, she drains them, dips them in melted dark chocolate and puts them in the freezer until required. They are truly scrumptious.
Good to hear.. hope you have a very Happy New Year.
I am off to share my lovely rapsberry Vodkas!
Thanks for all the great information on this site.
We have managed to age the “amaretto” another year (mostly by virtue of leaving it on a high shelf in the larder at my mum’s house!) but dear Fiance assures me it is every bit as good as the commercial stuff. We’re trying to treasure it as much as possible, especially as I didn’t make any this year, but I think the bottle will come out of Christmas.
Sorry if I made you nervous, Tess, be assured that the cyanide is not concentrated enough, just as Fiona said.