Blackberry infused gin and vodka

Flavoured gins and vodkas are all the rage now, but they can be expensive.  The nicest ones I have ever tasted are home made blackberry gin and vodka.  They bring back that taste of summer on a dark winter’s evening. They both make great Christmas presents also.  I usually make rhubarb and ginger gin as well, and put a mixture of bottles of the infused alcohol in miniature bottles in my Christmas hampers, or put 3 little bottles in a little cloth bag with a draw string, as presents.  Blackcurrants and sloes are also good fruit to use, but I have used other fruit as well.  The ingredients make a small batch, but you can double or triple the quantity to make a larger batch. You could also use a bit more alcohol to bulk it out a bit in order to save money. It just won’t be as strong, but will still taste nice.  Any cheap gin will do as it tastes no different when using a more expensive gin.  I often use a supermarket own brand.  This is so easy to do and the recipe is the same if you are using gin or vodka .

Ingredients

225g brambles (blackberries)
105g sugar
450 ml alcohol (gin or vodka).  In the picture I have done a batch of both.

Method

1.  Put the black berries into a sterilised litre jar and scatter the sugar over them.
2.  Pour the alcohol over the top.
3.  Put the lid on the jar and shake it gently to dissolve some of the sugar.
4.  Store in a cool dark place and give the jar a swirl over the first few days to make sure that the sugar  has totally dissolved.
5. Over the next 3 weeks give the jar a swirl every now and then.
6. Strain out the liquid into a jug (I use a sieve with  muslin in), and then decant into bottles.
7. The gin and vodka will last for a year, but the colour will slowly fade after 3 or 4 months.
8. You can use the discarded fruit in a crumble, or in a trifle.  I love them in a chocolate trifle.