Highbush Cranberry Vodka with Sweetfern
Spiced highbush cranberry vodka with honey is a delicious Russian inspired nip.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs blackcap raspberries or other berries
- 8 dried sweetfern nutlets or 1-2 teaspoons crushed dried nutlets*
- 750 ML bottle of decent vodka not too cheap, not too expensive*
- 1/2 cup mild flavored honey or to taste
- 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
- 2 cloves
Instructions
- Mix half of the honey and vodka well. Taste it. If you think you'd like it more sweet, add the rest of the honey. Add the sweet fern nutlets to the vodka, if you want a stronger flavor from them, crush them in a mortar first. Add the cinnamon and clove without crushing them.
- If needed, separate the highbush cranberries from their stems and look over for any debris. Wash the berries gently as a last resort if they're dirty or sandy, which is possible, but rare in my experience.
- Cover the berries with the vodka-honey mixture for a few months (I'd suggest at least 2-3) in a non-reactive container in a cool dark place.
- Taste the maceration from time to time to check on it's progress.
- When you're pleased with the flavor, strain without pressing on the berries, then bottle the liquor.
Notes
*Something like E and J is fine here, just don't use some bottom of the barrel pain thinner.