Make spirits bright with this homemade Plum Brandy recipe. It makes a lovely holiday spirit for gifting or drinking. Infuse your own with fresh plums or dried prunes.
Raise your hand if you are done with holiday shopping!
Me! Me! Me!
Well, almost. I still have a couple gifts left, and then I have a few things left to make.
Why? Because homemade gifts are the absolute best. Especially when they are drinkable, too.
Don’t you remember this Homemade Cinnamon Whiskey? Or this Homemade Coffee Liqueur?
Both of them make for fantastic holiday gifts.
The best part of homemade liqueurs and infusions is that they don’t take that long to prepare.
And cost of alcohol aside, they really don’t cost that much.
This year to save time and money, I am planning to get a grocery delivery with ingredients for my Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur so I can knock out a few lingering gifts on my list in under an hour.
It’s my favorite and it seems to taste extra good when you are sharing it with friends and family at the holidays.
This year I am also giving away Plum Brandy.
What is Plum Brandy?
This is a fruity brandy recipe that tastes amazing during the holiday season.
This recipe is a poor man’s slivovitz, which is a clear, distilled spirit made from plums and is enjoyed all over Eastern Europe. My husband and I tried it when I was there on my honeymoon, and boy, is it good.
We tried it in Hungary, where it is also a type of a pálinka. But, like champagne, to be called a pálinka it must be made in Hungary from fresh fruits.
To make slivovitz, fresh plums and ground plum pits are crushed and pressed together, (sometimes with yeast, starch, and sugar) then it’s fermented and sometimes distilled.
Slivovitz seems to vary from country to country, but it’s something I am glad we found and tried because I’m obsessed!
How to make Plum Brandy
Unlike slivovitz which is fermented with the prunes, this recipe is an infusion made with already distilled brandy and prunes.
You can also use fresh plums if they are in season.
You’ll need to combine the fruit with brandy and let it sit. The more time you let it infuse, the better it will taste.
I recommend about one month, but it will start to sweeten up after just a few days. Three months is the longest I would suggest, but you do you!
How to drink plum brandy
You can use plum brandy in classic recipes like sidecars or to substitute bourbon in something like this
You could also go for something creative like an apple brandy hot toddy.
This plum brandy recipe would also be delicious poured over vanilla ice cream.
But me? I like to sip it straight. I love the sweet tart taste of the plums! Serve it in a coupe glass or brandy snifter.
Hope you love sipping on plum brandy and sharing it with your friends and family throughout the holiday season! Enjoy!
And if you liked this recipe, why not try your hand at making ginger brandy too?
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Love plum? You should also try these grilled plums with spiced mascarpone!
Plum Brandy Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 Prunes cut into 1-inch pieces (or 1/4 pound of fresh plums, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 cups Brandy
Instructions
- Add cut prunes to a 16-ounce bottle or mason jar.
- With a funnel, top with brandy.
- Store in a cool, dry place. Let sit at least 3 days, ideally 1 month, but up to 3 months for the strongest flavor.
- If desired, once the brandy has infused, strain out the fruit with a fine mesh sieve.
Sue
Monday 9th of September 2024
Do you cover the mason jar with a lid?