13393

07.06.12

When a citizen of Prague sets out on his journey to Turnov,
the whole family gathers around him, all his acquaintances,
and he, looking into the travel suitcase, says to his wife:
-Old woman, how many cutlets did you give me? Did you forget the sausage?
Is there a bottle of Slivovitz there too?
Jaroslav Hasek "The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik"

Slivovitz, also known as slivyanka or rakia, is a strong alcoholic drink, widespread in many Balkan countries and the Czech Republic, and is considered the national drink of Serbia. In the above countries, rakia (slivovitz) is the same source of national pride as cognac and Armagnac in France, whiskey in Scotland and Ireland, and vodka in Russia.

The raw material for producing strong brandy is fermented plum juice. From time immemorial, the Balkans were famous for their plums. They were eaten fresh, used as filling for pies, and made into jam, marmalade, and compotes. It was only in the 16th century that some alcoholic genius came up with the idea of ​​making moonshine from fermented plums. History says that the appearance of a strong drink created a real sensation among the Balkan peasants. The nobles decided to rein in the unruly mob, went all the way to the emperor himself and achieved an official ban on moonshine brewing. No such luck! “Rakija oven”, which is what the moonshine brewing process is called here, has become ubiquitous in the Balkans.

There are also a lot of plums in Serbia. There is no yard where a plum tree does not grow. Recently, at international tourism fairs, Serbian stands are decorated in plum color, visitors are treated to prunes, plum brandy, and are given plum and walnut jam as a souvenir. In Serbia, many villages got their name from these fruits, for example, Šlivar, Šlivovo, Šlivovac, and the village on the slopes of Zlatibor is called Šlivovitsa. Rakia according to a recipe from the village of Šlivovitsa received a European Community certificate in 2007 under the name “Serbian rakia slivovica”.

Rakia was first prepared there in 1868. The village has about 500 houses and a little more than a thousand inhabitants. They all prepare rakia for their own consumption.

Plum is the most common type of fruit in Serbia. It is estimated that there are 42 million plum trees in Serbia, i.e. half of the total number of fruit trees that grow on our territory. The domestic plum was created as a result of crossing two plants - sloe and cherry plum, and the number of varieties created in this way in Serbia exceeds 2 thousand. In the 19th century, Serbia was an important exporter of jam to England, and today prunes are the most exported country, particularly to Russia, France and Germany. But most of all fresh plums are, of course, processed into brandy.

In some places in Serbia, the custom of serving a glass of slivovitz as a treat along with coffee and Turkish delight has been preserved, and events, both happy and sad, are not complete today without this drink.

How to drink slivovitz?

The strength of this drink reaches 45%. For those who like it hot, there is another option - double-distilled slivovitz, the strength of which is already 75%, and is called “prepechenica”. The aging time of slivovitz, again, is not for everyone. Slivovitz can be drunk as soon as it is ready. But experts say that it is better to wait five years, aging it in oak barrels. That’s when the drink acquires a deeper and richer aroma of plum, as well as its distinctive noble yellow color.

Slivovitz is consumed in its pure form, because it is almost impossible to prepare any cocktails based on it. When mixing this drink with various sweet and sour juices or alcoholic drinks, an unpleasant metallic taste is created. Therefore, practically the only pretty good option is a combination of slivovitz with Midori liqueur.

It’s pleasant to drink as an aperitif; it’s not customary to eat the first glass, but you can eat the second with a slice of toasted cornbread.

The temperature of slivovitz can be any: room temperature, slightly chilled or, in the Czech style, slightly warmed up and even very hot. Serbian peasants are sure that slivovitz helps literally against all diseases.

Slivovitz recipe

The ripest plums are placed in a mortar and pounded together with the seeds to obtain a liquid pulp, which is poured into a barrel and a little water is added. After some time, the mass will begin to ferment. At the end of fermentation (the liquid stops fizzing), the wort is filtered, poured into a still and distilled several times in order to remove fusel oils and bring the slivovitz to the desired integrity.

Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health!

Slivovitz can be of different strengths - from 45 to 75% vol., but it is always prepared from fermented plum juice. Once upon a time, plum vodka was on the table of every Jewish family in Eastern Europe. On Passover it was forbidden to drink alcohol made from grain, and slivovitz was considered kosher. While settling around the world, emigrants popularized this drink and now you can see moonshine on plums in almost any country.

In fact, slivovitz - fruit brandy. Fermented sweet plum juice undergoes two or three distillations and is aged in oak barrels for a period of one to five years. High-quality alcohol is golden and smells like plums, but not all samples can boast of this.

Slivovitz gets its color and oiliness in oak barrels; if the drink is colorless, it tastes closer to grape brandy. It is difficult to buy real plum brandy in our stores, but you can prepare it yourself.

In 100 ml slivovitz 302 kcal. Fruit alcohol is rich in vitamins B2 and PP and microelements, including iron, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. It is believed that a glass before lunch helps digest fatty foods and facilitates digestion.

What do you need for home cooking?

Procurement of raw materials:

• If there are a lot of plums in your region, the harvest can be put to good use. It’s good if the plums are sweet, then you will do without adding sugar and yeast, and the taste of fruit brandy will be noble. Unfortunately, northern plums differ from Balkan plums, but their sugar content must be taken into account when creating a recipe.
• Plums become sweeter after frost; try to collect overripe and frozen fruits.
• Do not use rotten or spoiled fruit.
• It is good if plums are collected in dry weather. In this case, live yeast will remain on the skin.
• The original technology involves fermentation in wooden containers, but they are perfectly replaced by plastic or glass containers.
• Wash all equipment and hands thoroughly, otherwise microbes will interfere with fermentation, and the plums will simply turn sour or moldy.

Homemade recipe

Ingredients:

• 11-12 kg plums.
• Sugar - depending on the sweetness of the plums.
• Water - 8 l.

Wort production

Do not wash the plums. Take out the seeds, you can leave a few pieces to give the alcohol an almond flavor. Grind the fruits using any available method and start making the wort:

1. Try plum puree. If it is sour, add a little sugar and stir. Add 100 g at a time until the wort becomes sweetish. Optimal sugar content is 8%.
2. Place the mixture in a fermentation container, tie gauze around the throat and place in a warm place.
3. You will know about the start of fermentation in about a day - foam will appear on the surface. If this does not happen, add sugar and leave for another day. Sometimes fermentation does not begin, then you will have to save the raw material by turning it into yeast.
4. Pour water at a temperature of about 27-28 o C into the fermented mass. Stir.
5. Close the container with a water seal or a rubber glove with a hole.

Fermentation

The basis of the distillate should be wine. Place the container with the wort in a dark and warm room.

The process can last from 2 to 8 weeks. The end of fermentation is indicated by the settling of the “cap” to the bottom and the cessation of gurgling (the rubber glove falls off).

Distillation

1. Separate the wine from the sediment.
2. Distill twice through a moonshine still, cutting off the heads and tails. You can carry out a third distillation, since it is impossible to purify alcohol with charcoal or other methods - it will lose its aroma.
3. Before re-distillation, dilute the distillate with water to 25-35% vol.
4. After a three hour distillation you will get approximately 150g of heads and 200ml of tails. The rest is strong distillate, which needs up to 45% vol.

The product yield from 11 kg of plums is 1 liter.

Infusion and aging

1. Slivovitz is already ready for consumption, but it still needs to be finished in an oak barrel or on oak chips.
2. For home conditions, the optimal holding period is 1 year, although in places of mass production alcohol is kept for up to 5 years.
3. If there is no barrel or pegs, just let the slivovitz rest in bottles for a couple of months.
4. It is advisable to store the finished drink in a dark and cool place.

How to drink?

• Slivovitz is drunk in small glasses before meals to stimulate the appetite. They start having a snack with the second glass; crispy toasted bread will be very helpful.
• When mixed with other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, rakia gives the cocktail an unpleasant metallic taste.
• The strength of the alcohol from the plums is not felt, but it is deceptively light. Consider the degrees and volumes of drinks.

Many consider the taste of rakia to be peculiar, but lovers of fruit vodka are not ready to exchange it even for elite alcohol. Try it, maybe this is your drink.

Slivovitz is a strong alcohol made from plums, or more precisely plum juice. It is associated with plum brandy, plum brandy, or simply plum moonshine.

In countries where the drink is rightfully considered national - the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia (and, indeed, all the Balkans) - it is called slivyanka. Here it is widely prepared and loved by the locals. They generously treat tourists with it and even use the drink in folk medicine. They know all the subtleties that distinguish this fruit brandy from simple moonshine (the fermented juice is distilled twice and aged for an average of 5 years (at home - 1 year) in oak barrels).

Slivovitz

Real slivovitz plays yellowish-golden hues in the sun and smells delicious of plums, has a strength of 45-75% and a Serbian euro patent.

Obtaining a patent by Serbia is not entirely fair in relation to other Balkan countries because, for example, in the Czech Republic, alcohol from plums was already produced in full in the 15th century, and in the south of Moravia between the 1st and 2nd World Wars, plums were almost the main food product (alcohol also made only from it).

However, the patent means that since 2007, only Serbia can call plum alcohol “rakia slivovitz”. So, if you come across labels with the same alcohol in a store, be careful and be sure to look at the country of origin and, accordingly, the year the drink was produced.

But to avoid counterfeiting, you can do it easier - prepare the drink yourself. After all, absolutely all Russian-speaking countries are rich in plums. In addition, this is a great way to add fruit in a year when there are too many of them.

Alcohol from plums is prepared at home in different ways, but the best (albeit with a lower yield) is a recipe that does not use sugar or yeast. The recipe you will find below includes sugar, because not all of our plums have such a significant sugar content as the Balkan ones. When adding it, you will regulate the specific amount yourself depending on the sugar content of your plums. If they are sweet enough, just omit this component.

Preparatory stage:

1. Working with raw materials

To get good plum alcohol, you need to take the sweetest plums for its base. It is better to collect them at the first frost, which makes the fruits more sugary. But you can do this as the plums ripen. It is very good if the fruits are overripe. Damaged, wormy, wrinkled, rotten or moldy plums should not be used.

The harvest is harvested in dry weather, as it is important that there are live fruit yeasts on the surface of the fruit (they are not visible!).

1. Cooking utensils

In the old days, fermentation containers were made of wood, but now this is an unaffordable (and unnecessary) luxury. Therefore, plastic barrels or glass containers may well become a fermentation tank.

And one more point: an incredible variety of microorganisms live on the surface of any objects, including hands, which, during the preparation of plum brandy, end up in the fermentation container. When there is not much of it, fruit yeast is able to multiply, which means turning the pulp into wine. When there are too many microorganisms, your plum mass may not ferment, turn sour, or become moldy.

Therefore, try to wash all dishes and equipment as thoroughly as possible. But if, despite this, you see that the process is not going as it should, then change tactics and prepare moonshine from plums, which, by the way, is also quite good.

Homemade plum brandy, recipe

Prepare:

• plum (fruit) – 11 kilos
• granulated sugar - if necessary
• water – 8 liters

You need to prepare it like this:

1. Processing of plums.

Selected fruits (without washing them!) are cut up, removing (and discarding) the seeds. Sometimes this point is ignored, but the seeds will change the taste of the drink, adding bitterness. Although a few accidentally slipped seeds will only give the drink a slight almond flavor. And yet, try not to let the seeds get into the pulp, since then we need to turn our mass into puree. A meat grinder, a blender, and even a drill are suitable here.

1. Preparation of wort.

Try the resulting puree. If you don’t feel the sweetness, add sugar, adding 100 grams at a time, stirring and tasting after each approach until you feel that the wort has a slightly sweet taste.

If you have the opportunity to measure the sugar content of the wort, then know that its optimal value is 8-9%.

Tie the top of the container with gauze and place it in a warm place. After a day, foam should appear on the surface of the puree - a sign that fermentation has begun. In its absence, add a few more portions of granulated sugar to the mass and keep it warm for another night. At this stage, it is already clear whether your drink will be a success or whether you need to add yeast to it (so as not to spoil the product completely) and turn the wine preparation into mash.

If everything goes according to plan (fermentation has begun), pour water (slightly warm - 25 - 28 0 C) into the container and stir. Now the container needs to be sealed with a lid with a water seal. Other options are also suitable - using a homemade water seal instead of the original one, a rubber glove with a puncture in one of the fingers, etc.

This will become the basis of our distillate. To obtain it, place the container with the diluted puree in a warm place where there will be no access to light. Usually within 2-4 weeks (sometimes 8 weeks) a thick layer of sediment falls to the bottom of the container, and the “gurgling” of the water seal stops.

There is no need to open the container and remove the “cap”. Although sometimes, before it settles to the bottom, this is done (due to the content of harmful acids in the “cap”).

1. Distillation.

Having separated the resulting wine and sediment, it is distilled on a moonshine still, separating the first and last fractions (“heads” and “tails”) from the main distillate. The distillation process (with separation of fractions) must be carried out twice, since if we clean this moonshine from fusel oils in other ways, our drink will lose its unique aroma. Therefore, we dilute all the resulting alcohol to 25-35% and distill it a second time. The distillation process in each case will take 2.5 – 3 hours.

During the entire distillation you will get approx. 100-150 ml of “heads”, 200 ml of “tails” and a strong (50% alcohol or higher) distillate, which is diluted to 45% strength. You should end up with about 1 liter (or a little more).

1. Excerpt.

Although slivovitz is already ready after distillation, still try to infuse it, if not in oak barrels, then on specially prepared oak chips (pegs). You can age alcohol from 6 months to 5 years, but at home, 1 year of aging is optimal.

If you don’t even have pegs, then just let the drink sit for 1-2 months - the “rest” will only benefit it.

Plum brandy is stored in different ways, but preferably in a dark place. Residents of Moravia, for example, bury bottles in the garden, digging them up as needed. You can use the basement, cellar or section of a regular bar in your home.

Drinking slivovitz before meals - for appetite - from small glasses in one gulp. People usually start having a snack only after the second glass. It is not recommended to mix it with soft drinks due to the appearance of nasty metallic notes in the aftertaste. As for alcoholic ones, you can try mixing them only with Midori melon liqueur.
Plum moonshine is the same plum drink, only made not from wine, but from plum mash:

Prepare:

• plums – 12 kilos
• granulated sugar – 1.5 kilos
• water – 8-10 l.
• yeast – 100 gr. pressed (or 20 grams dry).

You need to prepare it like this:

1. Remove the seeds from the plums and turn the pulp into puree.
2. Add granulated sugar and yeast diluted in warm water into the plum mass.
3. Dilute the mixture with water (8-10 l), so that it becomes liquid, stir and, having installed a water seal, place it in heat (without access to light).
4. After 1-2 weeks, fermentation will be completed and the mash will have to be drained, leaving a layer of sediment at the bottom.
5. Perform the distillation twice, merging the “heads” and “tails”.

The beneficial effects of a small amount of high-quality alcohol on the body have been proven by science. In particular, this product relaxes blood vessels, improves combustion, and prevents coronary heart disease. But for medicinal purposes, only natural alcohol is used. For example, from plums - known as slivovitz.

What it is?

Alcohol connoisseurs like to say that in the kingdom of alcoholic beverages there are two kings - and one, but only one queen. And this is Serbian plum brandy.

Slivovitz is an alcoholic drink made from fermented plum juice. It is considered a national drink in the Balkan countries, where it is difficult to find at least one courtyard or garden without plums. However, plum brandy, or plum brandy (other names for this alcoholic product) is no less popular in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and this drink is known in Germany and other countries of the world.

Slivovitz is a strong alcohol obtained from the distillation of raw plums. There are three varieties of plum brandy. The weakest is 45 percent alcohol. The strongest (obtained by double distillation) is a drink with an incredible 75% strength. The so-called homemade version of slivovitz, which in the Balkans is prepared independently in almost every home, reaches 52%.

When talking about slivovitz, the first thing you need to realize is that it is not an alcoholic tincture of plums at all. And although the tincture is also known and popular in many regions, it is prepared differently, and is called differently - slivyanka.

Ready slivovitz can be consumed immediately after distillation, like... Or you can age it in oak barrels for at least five years (or better yet, all 20). The result is a product reminiscent of noble whiskey: with a delicate golden color, rich plum aroma and a rich flavor bouquet. They say that the most delicious slivovitz is aged in Limousin oak barrels (the same one that is used to make real French cognac).

Sometimes you can see a bottle with a clear liquid, but with the inscription “slivovitz”. And it's not necessarily fake. Inside is probably real fruit vodka, but without aging. After all, even 12 months of aging will not give the drink a noble cognac color.

And although slivovitz is produced in many European countries, all these options can be called semi-legal. Only Serbia was awarded a certificate in 2007, which secured the right to produce real “Serbian brandy slivovitz”. Thus, another drink repeated the fate of “patented” cognac, which is produced in many countries, but real, according to the certificate, only in certain regions of France.

Beneficial features

In Serbia, they believe that slivovitz is a cure for all diseases, especially those caused by nervousness. Also, small portions of plum brandy can be beneficial for the digestive system - to activate the digestion of food.

Like vodka or other alcohol, plum brandy is suitable for disinfecting wounds and insect bites. The 52 percent option is the optimal basis for preparing homemade tinctures from medicinal plants.

Massage therapists use this alcohol to enhance the effect of acupressure, and cosmetologists use it to treat acne and skin irritations. It is useful to wipe the skin with St. John's wort lotion infused with slivovitz for 7 days (take 100 ml of alcohol for 10 g of herb). The finished product is diluted with water (2 tablespoons per glass of warm water). A cotton swab soaked in the mixture is left on problem areas of the skin for 5 minutes.

Plum brandy compresses may also be useful. For example, to relieve pain from arthritis or gout. In this case, a tincture of plum brandy and Adam’s root will be effective (take 250 g of herb per glass of alcohol). Leave the product for 24 hours before use.

People suffering from arrhythmia will benefit from a tincture of slivovitz and chopped membranes (the alcohol should completely cover the membranes). After keeping the medicine for 14 days in a dark place, take 30 drops daily.

Slivovitz is also useful for treating dental problems. Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity will be stopped by a tincture of calendula (take 100 ml of drink for 25 g of dried flowers), kept for a week in a dark place. Dilute a teaspoon of tincture in half a glass of warm water and rinse the inflamed gums with the prepared medicine.

Proponents of aromatherapy claim that plum brandy helps relieve eye fatigue. To do this, drop a couple of drops of the drink onto your warm palms. Then rub your palms thoroughly and apply them to your closed eyes.

Slivovitz will also relieve panic attacks, depression, and unexplained anxiety. Of course, some people cure their nerves by looking into a glass of alcohol, but this, frankly speaking, is not the best choice. A healthier version of the medicine is lily of the valley flowers infused with plum brandy. Fill a half-liter jar (2/3 full) with fresh flowers and fill (to the top) with plum crayfish. After infusing for 2 weeks, take 10 drops per 50 ml of water after meals.

They also say that slivovitz perfectly removes traces of oil paints and cleans glass until it shines. Maybe it's true. But there are probably few people who are ready to “translate” a tasty drink into such a ruthless method.

Hazardous properties

Slivovitz is a very strong alcoholic drink, so it should be consumed in small doses and wisely. Excessive addiction to this type of alcohol is fraught with liver diseases and kidney problems. This product is strictly prohibited for people with gastritis or stomach ulcers, as well as for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. You should not use slivovitz while taking medications, especially antidepressants.

How to cook at home

True gourmets believe that not every plum is suitable for making slivovitz. Experienced producers of homemade brandy recommend taking fruits of the Hungarian variety only from trees that are more than 20 years old. In addition, fruits intended for fermentation cannot be picked from trees - only collected, and if bought at the market, then only overripe specimens. Only such very ripe and juicy fruits are suitable for fermentation. The origin and degree of ripeness influence the chemical composition of the fruit, which ultimately affects the taste of the finished drink.

For real plum brandy, only plums and water are used (8 liters of water per 11 kg of fruit). Although in rainy summers, ripe fruits are not as sweet as they should be, and this is bad for fermentation. Therefore, to improve fermentation, some add it to sour plums. But gourmets warn again: sugar will turn the noble plum brandy into a banal one.

As for fruits, you can take them with or without seeds. During the fermentation process, plum pits will give the drink a noble taste and a slight smell of almonds.

Stages of homemade drink production

1. Clean the ripe fruits from dirt and seeds (optional), grind them to a paste.
2. Transfer the plum puree into a fermentation vessel, add a little water and, if the fruits are too sour, a little sugar (add 100 g at a time, checking the sweetness). Cover the neck of the vessel with gauze.
3. Leave the container with the plum mixture for 4 weeks in a warm place, protected from direct sunlight and drafts. Leave until bubbles form. The mixture has stopped bubbling - time to move on to the next step.
4. Pass the strained liquid through a moonshine still. The second distillation will make the drink stronger and clear it of fusel oils.
5. Homemade slivovitz, diluted to 45 percent, is placed in an oak barrel and aged for another 5 years. Although you can go straight to the table.

How to use it correctly

Ready-made plum brandy can be consumed in a variety of ways. Some people like it chilled, others like their plum brandy at room temperature. And the Czechs heat up the rakia before drinking it. Drink the drink from small glasses or whiskey glasses. In Balkan countries, slivovitz is traditionally served as an aperitif or digestif. The first portion is not eaten - in order to fully enjoy the taste and aroma. It is also not customary in the homeland of slivovitz to mix it with juice or other non-alcoholic drinks. As a result of this combination, plum brandy develops a metallic aftertaste.

Despite the high degree, slivovitz is easy to drink and you don’t have to worry about burning your throat. The drink does not cause a severe hangover. After excessive consumption, instead of traditional headaches, nausea and weakness, a “plum” hangover is manifested by impaired coordination.

They say that the first slivovitz was prepared for Count Dracula. Although many consider this version to be nothing more than a beautiful legend. It is officially believed that slivovitz appeared in the Balkans around the 16th century thanks to peasants who discovered that fermented plums made excellent moonshine. At one time, the enormous popularity of plum brandy became the reason that this drink was illegal in Serbia. But soon justice triumphed and today it is truly a national product - the pride of the Serbs. At times, Czechs and Slovaks start arguing about whose slivovitz actually belongs. The Czechs even have a holiday fair in honor of this drink. And the Poles came up with their own Łącka slivovitz and consider it an important attraction of the region. Whatever you say, slivovitz really is the real queen of alcoholic drinks.

In other fruitful years, trees in good gardens are broken by plums. Compote, preserves, marmalade, marmalade, pies? but the fruit never runs out. So it comes to mind: “What else to cook or do at home?” Of course plum brandy! Or in other words, rakia. Call it what you want, the rich taste and refined aroma will not get any worse.

Plum moonshine recipe

In general, plum moonshine is difficult to spoil. You have to try really hard, because it only contains fruit and water. Here's the classic recipe:

• 22 kg plums
• 16 liters of water

Making moonshine consists of several stages.

Fruit preparation

Choosing plums is never worth it? Absolutely any will do, maybe even cracked, overripe, frostbitten, as long as they are sweet. Homemade or store-bought? doesn't matter either. You can’t wash them (you’ll wash the natural wild yeast off the skin and ruin everything). If they are very dirty, you can wipe them with a cloth or paper towel.

Plum moonshine gourmets say that the exact recipe calls for crushing the fruit, and be sure to add a handful of crushed seeds to the mash.

Wort preparation

The recipe does not offer anything original: put plum puree in a container, cover with a sieve or a thin cloth, such as gauze, and leave in a warm place for a day. If fermentation does not start, then add a little sugar (200-300g).

Traditionally, according to the recipe at home, the wort should be prepared only in a wooden vat. Nowadays, glass or enamel dishes are quite suitable.

Fermentation of the mixture

When the visible fermentation process begins, water is added to the wort and placed under a water seal. Ideal conditions for obtaining high-quality mash? warm and dark. You can't stir the mash! The pulp contains some harmful substances. It is better, after the release of carbon dioxide is completed, to strain the mixture before distillation.

Distillation

To obtain moonshine with the smell of plums instead of the amber from fusel oils, you will have to distill it twice:

• the first time they drive it out dry, the fractions are not separated
• dilute the resulting alcohol to 20-30°
• the second time they drive out also “dry”, but with division into factions

The yield of brandy is 53-65° strength. Old-timers of the Balkans require triple distillation without fail. The strength in this case is about 75°.

Infusion

To make a truly authentic slivovitz, according to the recipe you need to age it in a mulberry, acacia or oak barrel for at least 3 years. Then she will acquire her own? branded? golden color and wonderful aroma. Experts advise not to drink a freshly prepared drink. Is it worth giving the moonshine a rest? just 2 months and you will taste real nectar!

Low harvest year? no problem

What if there are not so many drains? There’s not enough mash to put in, but I want the plum scent and aftertaste of the alcohol. Liqueurs and tinctures will come to the rescue.

It is very easy to prepare these drinks at home, especially since their composition is more than simple. The average recipe assumes the presence of moonshine, plums (prunes) and sugar. Lovers bring their own aromatic notes. As a rule, these are mint, vanilla, cloves, citric acid, allspice, honey, apple juice, cardamom, cinnamon.

In short, the choice of additives is great, it all depends on taste preferences. Below are standard recipes that you can vary to suit your needs.

Drunk prune

• 1 liter moonshine
• 8 pcs. prunes
• a pinch of vanillin
• a pinch of spices (cloves and allspice)

Crush the spices, mix all the ingredients, add alcohol and let it brew for 10-12 days in the dark and cool. Then filter and you can taste.

Tip for choosing prunes: do not choose light brown or bright black ones. In both cases, dried fruits are treated with chemicals to increase shelf life. And this will not add aroma and nutrition to the drink.

This scheme is suitable for lovers of strong drinks, or when it was not possible to sufficiently purify the moonshine. It can also be used to refine hard vodka and diluted alcohol.

Ladies prune

• 1.5 l moonshine
• 150 g prunes
• 100 g sugar

Mix all ingredients in a glass container. Let it brew for about a month. So that the sugar dissolves? sometimes give it a good shake. Then strain and enjoy. If you replace sugar with honey, the tincture will acquire a piquant tartness. You just have to additionally filter the alcohol again to remove all the suspended matter.

Plum liqueur

• 0.5 l of strong moonshine (50-60°)
• 1 kg fresh plums
• 300 g sugar

Wash the fruits, remove the seeds, and pass the pulp through a meat grinder. Add sugar and refrigerate for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Next, strain through a sieve, pour moonshine into the resulting plum juice and leave the semi-finished liqueur for 3 months in the dark and cool. Then filter, let?rest? 10 days and you can enjoy it.

So that the liqueur does not become mash? Coolness is required at all stages of cooking. For a refreshing taste, mint leaves are added to the plum puree at the very beginning, or 2-3 drops of mint essence are poured into the finished product.

A little trick: if you add a little grated ginger root, a little ground oak bark, or a pinch of crushed nutmeg and almonds to the liqueur or liqueur, then after filtering you will get almost homemade cognac.

All these drinks can be stored for quite a long time, sealed, in a cool, dark place. Any of them can be varied to suit yourself and brought to perfection. Main? remember that the culture of drinking involves? consuming them in moderation, so as not to get sick afterwards, but only for fun and health?.