Top Shelf Spirits

Another delightful recipe from Still Spirits using one of the many flavours they produce. See them all at www.lovebrewing.co.uk

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Top Shelf Spirits   Top Shelf Liqueurs Classic Spirit Flavours
still-spirits-flavourings

still_spirits_classic


 

ts_liqueurs_group


ss-classic-category

Top Shelf Spirits   Top Shelf Liqueurs Classic Spirit Flavours

The piña colada is a sweet cocktail made with rum, coconut cream or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. Wikipedia

Main alcohol: White Rum

Ingredients: 3 oz (3 parts) Pineapple juice, 1 oz (one part) White rum, 1 oz (one part) Coconut cream

Preparation: Mix with crushed ice until smooth. Pour into chilled glass, garnish and serve.

Served: Blended with ice (frozen style)
Standard garnish: Maraschino cherry, Pineapple slice
Drinkware: Poco Grande glass

The piña colada is a sweet cocktail made with rum, coconut cream or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. Wikipedia Main alcohol: White Rum Ingredients: 3 oz (3 parts) Pineapple juice, 1 oz (one part) […]

Equipment Needed

  • 1 x 10 Litre Bucket and Lid
  • 1 x 4.5/5 Litre Glass or Plastic Demi John
  • 1 x Bung and Airlock to fit above
  • 1 x Thermometer
  • 1 x Hydrometer
  • 1 x Straining bag small course
  • 1 x Steriliser
  • 1 x Funnel
  • 1 x Small Easy Start Siphon with clip and on off tap
  • 1 x Video on general wine beer and spirit making

Ingredients

  • 1.25 Kilos of Rhubarb
  • 1.25 Kilos of Sugar
  • 4.5 Litres approx. of Water
  • 1 x Hedgerow Wine Kit
  • Optional 400gms of Grape Concentrate (if adding reduce sugar by 200gms)

Instructions for Making

Read thoroughly before starting. All equipment that comes into contact with the wine should be clean and sterilised.

  1. Rinse the Rhubarb with water so there’s no soil present. Chop into strips and then cut each strip into 50mls (2”) long pieces. There is no need to peel this. Place in the Bucket (clean and sterile) and cover with the sugar. Replace the Lid.
  2. Check after 24 hours to see if most of the sugar has dissolved. If it hasn’t leave for a further 12 hours and then proceed come what may.
  3. Clean and sterilise the Demi John and Funnel. Place the Funnel in the neck of the Demi John and place the Straining Bag over it. Now pour any liquid (and Grape Juice if adding this) from the Bucket into the Demi John. Add more liquid (temperature needs to be between 20 -25C) to the Rhubarb in the Bucket and mash the Rhubarb best you can. We are trying to get as much goodness from this as possible to give the wine as much flavour of Rhubarb as we can. The colour will be either a green colour or a red colour depending on the colour of the Rhubarb. Keep doing this until the Demi John is nearly full about 50mls (2”) from the top. Give it a shake (be careful not to get too much pressure inside the glass Demi as this can explode so keep releasing your hand from the top after each shake).
  4. The temperature of the juice need to be between 20-25C so adjust this by leaving the Demi John in a warm (or cool) place for a couple of hours. Now add the Sachets of Yeast/Nutrient, Bentonite and the Enzyme to the liquid and shake. Place the bung/lid with the airlock (half filled with clean water) fitted in the top of the Demi John.
  5. Leave in a warm place (20 –25C) to ferment. If you can take a hydrometer reading that will be really good at this point. Make a note for later.
  6. Fermentation will take anything from 7 to 21 days depending on your temperature. You should see bubbles coming through the airlock when it starts (this is a gauge of things happening). We need to make sure it has fully finished (no bubbles through the airlock is a hint it stopped) before we do anything so best way is to take 2 hydrometer readings two days apart. We need these reading to be the same. If they are not then repeat until we get the same reading.
  7. Once finished add the Stabiliser Sachet and shake well. We need to remove the CO2 gas (which is given off when fermentation is taking place) in the liquid before adding the Finings. Be careful when shaking and make sure you keep releasing the pressure. When done (might take 24 hours) add the Sachet A Finings (might be No 1 or Kieselsol) and mix well. Leave 24 hours and then add Sachet B Finings (might be 2 or Chitosan) and just gently shake. Leave in a cool place for about 7 days too clear.
  8. Once clear siphon off the clear wine from the sediment into bottles and cap. Leave for 3 months to mature (if you can) before drinking. See guides on bottling.

Products related bottling starter pack.

Making Rhubarb Wine 6 Bottles (4.5/5 Litres) Equipment Needed 1 x 10 Litre Bucket and Lid 1 x 4.5/5 Litre Glass or Plastic Demi John 1 x Bung and Airlock to fit above 1 x Thermometer 1 x Hydrometer 1 x Straining bag small course 1 x Steriliser 1 x Funnel 1 x Small Easy […]

Ingredients:

  • 4lb/1.8kg sloes
  • 1 ½ gallon/7 litres gin
  • ½ oz/14g bitter almonds finely minced (see note)
  • ½ lb/225g sugar

Note: Use real almond essence to taste (rather than bitter almonds) as they provide depth of flavour. Also you should be aware about using bitter almonds - do some research about their toxicity.

Method:

Bruise the sloes well, crush the sugar (or use brewing sugar) and put it all together into a small cask, stirring thoroughly.  Leave for three months, strain through a fine muslin cloth then bottle and securely cork.

Some Useful Tips!

When are sloes ready to pick - Sloes are usually ripe for picking in October or November, but if there is an excess of rain and low temperatures for the season this can  cause the sloes to start fruiting early.

Where do you find them - so all around the UK around this time of year you should be looking for the Wild Blackthorn tree. Hopefully they'll be an abundance of them.  As for the quantity,  you'll need to half fill each bottle with sloes, so just multiply that by the amount of bottles you need.

Freeze them overnight - This will simulate the first frost and split the skin on your berries, allowing them to release their natural sweetness.

A Sloe Gin Recipe

Ingredients: 4lb/1.8kg sloes 1 ½ gallon/7 litres gin ½ oz/14g bitter almonds finely minced (see note) ½ lb/225g sugar Note: Use real almond essence to taste (rather than bitter almonds) as they provide depth of flavour. Also you should be aware about using bitter almonds - do some research about their toxicity. Method: Bruise the sloes well, [...]