“And I was there, drinking honey-beer …” – say folk tales. The tradition of drinking alcoholic beverages in Russia goes back more than one century. Alcohol is an invariable attribute of any old Russian feast. And honey has long been the main raw material for making mead, mash, beer.
Is it possible to add honey to moonshine, if this beekeeping product has traditionally been used for low-alcohol drinks? Sure! Nowadays, honey is used to give strong drinks a pleasant aroma and also soften their taste.
The content of the article
- 1 What you need to know about technology
- 2 About variety selection and storage
- 3 What can you cook
- 4 Противопоказания
- 5 Disadvantages and advantages of using
- 6 Liquor
- 7 Pepper vodka
- 8 Garlic and lemon tincture
- 9 Herbal tincture
- 10 A simple recipe for softening moonshine
What you need to know about technology
The main rule of cooking, when it comes to using natural honey, is to avoid heating above 40 degrees.
High temperatures destroy the unique chemical composition of the bee product. It becomes less useful for the human body.
Therefore:
- a) avoid strong heating;
- b) do not boil.
About variety selection and storage
Any honey can be added to alcoholic drinks! Sugared, liquid. Also, the variety of bee products does not matter (according to some reviews, clover honey can give an unpleasant aftertaste) and its shelf life.
“Old” honey is fine too. By the way, honey from archaeological finds dating back more than one millennium has been perfectly preserved and has not lost its taste.
As for the storage of ready-made alcohol, you need to take into account the conditions under which this happens.
If moonshine or vodka is poured into a glass vessel, their shelf life is up to two and a half, three years. Naturally, at this time, overheating of the product and its exposure to open sunlight should be avoided.
What can you cook
On the basis of natural honey, you can prepare several types of alcoholic beverages:
- pepper vodka (moonshine);
- tincture of herbs, spices (including medicinal);
- liquor.
If the drink is used as a medicine for colds, remember – it cannot be combined with antibiotics!
Противопоказания
It is also important to consider that natural honey is a product that can cause an allergic reaction..
Never drink alcohol based on it, especially in large doses, if:
- you have already had a strong allergic reaction to any beekeeping product (to bee venom from an insect bite, to propolis, pollen);
- if your parents are allergic to honey (you may also have a congenital intolerance).
To read:
How to recognize and treat honey allergies
Disadvantages and advantages of using
Honey, like any other culinary ingredient, has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Positive moments when added to moonshine or vodka:
- the appearance of a honey note in the aroma;
- softening the taste – the drink does not burn the throat, does not dry the tongue, the taste of alcohol becomes weaker;
- the appearance of natural sweetness.
Disadvantages of adding:
- sediment formation;
- discoloration of the drink or cloudiness, which requires additional filtration through a charcoal or cotton filter;
- the presence of a characteristic honey flavor (if the purpose of the addition was only to soften the taste, for example);
- decrease in fortress by 2-3 degrees (not always a disadvantage).
Liquor
Taken in a glass:
- flower honey (for example, obtained in spring from flowering gardens);
- moonshine double filtration;
- pure water.
You will also need a sprig of mint and St. John’s wort. The herbs are boiled over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Insist, filter. After cooling to 40-45 degrees, natural honey is stirred in the broth.
As soon as the drink becomes room temperature, moonshine is poured into it. Then it is poured into glass bottles, kept in a cool place for three days. After two weeks, they are re-filtered and sent to storage in the cellar.
Pepper vodka
The first cooking option:
- 50 grams of grated ginger root;
- chili pepper pod;
- 10 grams of juniper berries;
- 100 grams of honey product;
- 0,7 liters of moonshine.
All components are thoroughly mixed in an enamel container, poured with alcohol and allowed to brew under a lid in a room for three days. Then the drink is filtered, bottled and taken to the cellar.
It is recommended to be taken in small doses as a medicine for colds, decreased immunity, physical weakness and fatigue.
You can also insist moonshine on honey in another way. In this case, you get a classic pepper vodka – this is second version of the recipe.
It is taken:
- a liter of moonshine;
- three tablespoons of honey product;
- two small pods of red hot pepper.
Optionally add a few clove seeds and black peppercorns.
First, longitudinal cuts are made on the pepper, without removing the seeds. Then all the ingredients are poured into the alcoholic component, kept in a cool, dark place for a week. Then it is filtered, poured into glass bottles and taken out for long-term storage in a cellar or pantry.
Garlic and lemon tincture
It is taken:
- a tablespoon of honey product;
- three to four garlic cloves;
- one lemon;
- liter of moonshine.
The lemon and peeled cloves need to be chopped – the fruit is cut into slices, and the garlic is cut into neat slices. Then juice is squeezed out of the lemon, and the remaining zest is finely cut with a knife. Add all the ingredients according to the recipe to a container with zest and juice, mix thoroughly.
Insist for two days, bottled and stored in the pantry. There is no need to filter, as lemon zest and garlic cloves refresh the aroma and taste in the drink.
Herbal tincture
It is taken:
- one and a half tablespoons of honey product;
- 6-7 lemon balm leaves;
- half a teaspoon of ground coriander;
- half a teaspoon of bison;
- a teaspoon of thyme;
- half a liter of moonshine with a strength of 40-45 degrees or vodka;
- a pinch of oak bark.
All herbal ingredients and natural honey are poured with alcohol, let it brew for two to three weeks. The container is shaken about once every three to four days. After insisting on herbs, the drink is filtered and sent for storage.
On a note. After filtration, at least two days must pass before the tasting.
A simple recipe for softening moonshine
For 2 liters of alcohol, the following is taken:
- a tablespoon of natural honey;
- two tablets of crushed activated carbon to oxidize aldehydes and further soften the taste.
The drink is infused for two hours at room temperature, and then filtered through several layers of gauze.
You can use honey-based syrup (1: 1)… In this case, the desired taste, aroma and strength are achieved empirically by mixing the components in small portions.
Approximately 250-300 milliliters of alcohol are used for a quarter liter of syrup. The syrup must first ripen – cool and infuse for at least four hours.
The resulting drink must be filtered. It is bottled and infused at +4 degrees for three to four days.
With a one-time run, honey does not always cope with aromatization and softening. It takes experience and patience to achieve a balanced taste, delicate aroma and beautiful color. Use as additives juniper berries, rose hips, ground cinnamon, herbs. Home experiments will help you find the optimal combination of all the components of the drink, which you will definitely like.
