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
I’ve done it with both, no problems with either.
I really want to make raspberry vodka as wedding favours for my wedding next year. Could I put it into bottles with corks (e.g. mini demijohns) or would they need to have screw caps? Any ideas? Thanks
Hi Danielle
Corks would be fine!
This looks great! just wondering how to make a speeded up version of raspberry, sloe and blackberry liquers. I’ve only just bumped into your site and would love to make them for Christmas… Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi, Thanks for the advice. I actually strained of the raspberries last night & ate them! Very tasty indeed 😉
The drink also taste fine now. Perhaps the bits of raspberry left in when testing were affecting the flavour?
Remove the berries, and throw them away. Buy some raspberry juice, and mix together for great flavor. This comes with or without sugar. I often buy raspberry/cranberry juice. Have fun! You can’t mess it up.
Hi There, I am looking for some advise. I started making some raspberry vodka back in early July. I didn’t follow this recipe here but it was very similar. The fruit has been in the vodka for around 4 months. The drink looks nice, the first taste is also nice but there is little too much bite in the after taste similar to tasting soap!
So, my thoughts are does it need more sugar? Has the fruit been in too long (as I heard with raspberries & blackberries, the fruit shouldn’t be in longer than 3 months). Any ideas on what to do. Thanks 🙂
Hi Andrew
It’s six months for rasberries and three for blackberries. I reckon that it needs more sugar. Add it incrementally, shake to dissolve and taste, taste, taste. Adding sugar will add to the alcohol level eventually 🙂
has anyone made cherry brandy
Aaaaagh. What is the cloudy stuff in my bottled liquers? Damson, sloe and raspberry gin and vodka all looking like this. Do I need to refilter? Has it gone off? Please don’t tell me it’s mould. I didn’t notice it when I bottled up a month or so back…
I use frozen raspberries all the time now as I always presume they are frozen soon after picking so would be “fresher” than the fresh ones in the shops and the raspberry gin is delicious, havent noticed any difference in the quality, I dont thaw them out, just put them in a bottling jar with the gin and sugar and hey presto!
Can’t think why not-unless anyone knows of a health reason not to-though it would dilute the gin a little-use 40% if possible.I’d personally add them still frozen as they might be a little squishy thawed and difficult to get down the bottle neck-but fresh ones break up anyway when you start shaking the mix-you might also need to add a few more but it’s all trial and error. Try it and see. Wishing you luck-off to shake my bottle now.