Homemade Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de mure)

Easy!!! It's simply a combination of blackberries, red wine, sugar, water and vodka. You simply mash a quantity of clean berries and then leave them to macerate for a couple of days with a bottle of red wine. Use a medium bodied wine such as Merlot, Shiraz or Tempranillo

Most of the liqueur I have made have three components: vodka or gin, sugar and fruit. Limoncello is made from rind, vodka and sugar and the sloe gin is made combining sloe with gin and sugar. This one? Totally different. I researched several recipes and it seems there is s tossup between using brandy or red wine. I chose red wine because I imagine that wine and berries would taste amazing but also I thought it would produce a deep, rich colour and I was right!

The biggest difference between tis recipe and other liqueur recipes is that there is no time requirement like they have before the liqueur is ready to drink. In other liqueur that I made, the fruits has to steep in the vodka or gin for several weeks but not this blackberry liqueur.

What I love about these liqueurs are how versatile they are. Use them in cocktails, serve chilled as an aperitif, or simply over ice topped champagne or sparkling soda. 

                                Cheers!!!

Ingredients:

• 700g blackberries
• 1 bottle red wine, medium bodied (standard 750ml size bottle)
• 300g sugar
• 120ml vodka or gin

Method:

Put the blackberries in a large glass or ceramic bowl and pour over the red wine. Use a potato masher to mash the berries and release the berries.

Cover with a clean towel and leave it macerate for 48 hours in a cool place*. Give the berries a little mash every now and then if you remembered!

Strain through a wire mash sieve to remove the berries, then strain again through cheese cloth to ensure all seeds etc are out.

Pour into a a large saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer on a medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vodka or gin, and then leave to cool completely.

Pour into clean, preferably sterilised, bottles.

Store in cool, dark place. It can be enjoyed immediately, but will keep almost indefinitely if in a sterilised bottles. 

Note: *

If you live in hot climate and don't have a cool area in the house, then keep in the fridge.

Can use frozen berries but need to defrost them first.