I’ve been bitten by a bug the past couple of years that has infected me with a burning desire to make my own liqueurs. Not only great for my own use but they make terrific gifts. I started in 2010 with Limoncello and I’m still smitten. Delicious, gorgeous AND easy to make…pretty perfect in my book.
I’ve been making my own liqueurs for years; after Limoncello opened the door, in rushed Cranberry, Coffee and Chocolate liqueurs. They all had one thing in common and that was vodka. I was anxious to try something new a couple of years ago and since Chambord has always been a favorite of mine it was time to experiment with Homemade Raspberry Liqueur.
Chambord actually includes a variety of ingredients that I thought would make the efforts not just more complicated for me but for my readers too so I went the easy…and delicious…route of simply making a homemade raspberry liqueur.
Like a lot of posts I’ve been working on diligently in the past year; this is a refreshed old one. Ten years is an eternity in blogging time and the photos were simply awful. People that love me might say they were fine but they would be lying! Awful I tell ya, really awful.
Since we are such visual beings, having an awful photo of a great recipe gets it no attention and so many miss out on what I know to be a special treat. Since spring has sprung and raspberries will soon be flooding markets all over, I thought it perfect timing to get the word out…you can make Raspberry Liqueur yourself!
Isn’t that beautiful? I recently had a recipe suggested to me by a liquor brand that had sent me a bottle of Cognac so I was game and I tried it and it was good. BUT. Always the but right? It was more expensive and more complicated than my other efforts and quite frankly it just didn’t have the same freshness that I had come to expect.
Time to go back to square one and use the ingredients I’ve come to love that are so simple; vodka, sugar and fruit.
It seemed that the stars were aligned for this one because I think this Homemade Raspberry Liqueur is pretty perfect. I’ve only been brewing it for 3 weeks but wanted to try it now so I could get the post out for those also interested in trying their hand at making this and having it ready for summer sipping.
Liqueurs get better with age as the vodka mellows more over time; so while I tried it at 3 weeks I’m thinking another 3 will give me an even smoother result. Want to have some ready for sipping on your patio this summer? Make it now!
I’ve not used any of the vodka given to me so generously by brands I love; I’ll save those for another featured drink. What I used was Smirnoff; not just because it’s reasonably priced but also because they make a bottle of 100 proof vodka. Find it if you can as the higher the alcohol content, the better a job it will do of extracting the most from whatever fruit or citrus you use.
If you can only find 80 proof, that’s fine too although 80 proof does not extract quite as much flavor from the fruit so you might have to let it stand for another week.
I use this liqueur in so many ways. Over ice in low-ball glasses. Straight from the freezer in cordials. For a really festive event, I’ll serve it with some chilled Prosecco; this photo is actually from a party I did for Christmas a couple of years ago; it was perfect…not just delicious but so pretty for the season.
Last summer I had dessert on my mind. I served little scoops of ice cream in cordial glasses topped with some of the liqueur and then just a touch of shaved chocolate. I’m not sure one was enough but it sure was delicious!
This is just too easy; no excuses…get started now, I promise you won’t regret it!
My Favorite Homemade Liqueurs!
I love making homemade liqueurs; they're easy and so rewarding. Great gift ideas too!
PIN ‘Homemade Raspberry Liqueur’
Homemade Raspberry Liqueur
Ingredients
- 24 oz of fresh or frozen raspberries (Equates to 4 of the small boxes at the grocery that weigh 6oz each)
- 3 1/2 cups vodka (I've found I can only get 100 proof in a large bottle of Smirnoff's; if you use another brand and a 750 ml bottle; you can just use it all)
- 1 cup of sugar
Instructions
- Pour raspberries into a large jar and cover with sugar. Pour vodka over all and close with lid.
- Shake several times the first day until all of the sugar has dissolved.
- Store in a cool, dark place for a minimum of one month (I recommend 6 weeks, longer is fine too). Shake every day or two.
- When the liqueur is ready to be bottld, line a strainer with a couple of layers of cheesecloth, preferably butter muslin and place it over a large pot or bowl. Pour the liquor over the cheesecloth slowly letting the liquid drain while the strainer catches the solids. Repeat if necessary.
When ready, store in bottles. I like to keep one in the fridge for an icy after dinner drink!
Notes
I used frozen berries because I wanted to start this early when all the fresh berries at the market were trucked in and super pricey. It turned out great so I say use what you can find. If it's mid summer and fresh ones are prolific...go for it!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 0g
The nutritional information is computer-generated and only an estimate.
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