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
Frozen raspberries work fine.
Hi, would it be OK to use frozen raspberries, I have had such a good crop that I chose to freeze them all. I wish I had found this recipe for Raspberry Vodka earlier!
Hi Liz C
Yes it’s absolutely fine to use frozen raspberries – use the juice as well!
Hello
Ive made raspberry vodka for the last 2 years running ad it proves very popular at dinner parties – until our friend titty ka ka drank too much and broke wind (how embarrasing for titty) On serious note – I have the following recomendations to the above recipe – less sugar than it says it’s to sweet as above for us anyway. You can always add sugar to taste laterbbut you can’t take it out – I would say use half of what’s recommended above and then taste after a month and add more if needed. Also evryone goes on about leaving it 3, 6 or 12 months – however mine has never made it past 10 weeks but is lovely none the less. Enjoy!
Followed the recipe for raspberry vodka in June – when do the raspberries need straining out please?Lois
Hi Lois
We strain off the raspberries after 6 months. So would do yours in December.
Hi, I also found this site by accident as I wanted to make some raspberry gin and didnt really know the quantities. I made my first batch in July, went to taste it about a month afterwards and it was so delicious I drank it fairly quickly. I then made another batch but oh dear that was delicious too!! I mix it with a little tonic and its really delicious. Just sterilising a jar now to make a third batch, hopefully to share this time, and for Christmas presents. Am going to make some blackberry gin as soon as the blackberries come out. Am really enjoying making and drinking this thank you so much for a great site.
Was given this recipe and web site by some friends having helped them finish their supply!!! Have just strained and decanted our first batch, and am now enjoying the soaked raspberries & ice cream!! as well as sipping the bottled stuff – sleeping very well at the moment, and not looking forward to getting up at 5.45 tomorrow morning! Very scrummy and simple to do – great – thanks
Kaz has the right idea, Melanie. It’s more like an alcopop because the raw edge of neat vodka is greatly softened by the fruit juice and added sugar. We sip it neat but I would guess that diluting it with water would create a very nice longer drink. I don’t think tonic would work, although I have never tried it.
Hi Melanie – I recommend experimenting a bit. I’ve just opened my raspberry vodka and blackberry vodka – perfect! I drink it neat as a shot, its quite sweet as I like it but you could tone it down with a mixer I guess…
Hi i am really interested in raspberry gin but am scared of poisioning myself which prob sounds daft to you also do you still drink the gin with tonic as i couldn’t stomach it neat? Thanks for yr advice 🙂
Thank you for great post. I need to try this raspberry vodka. Keep doing like that!