Alcoholic Beverages

My Wine

This is for a five gallon carboy.

I just put on a batch of raspberry wine because I had 3 gallons of them in the freezer.  The berries were soft after thawing out so I didn't have to crush them. I put them in the primary fermenter.  I put 4 cups of raisins in the food processor and crushed them.  I added the raisins to the primary fermentor.  I dissolved 20 cups of sugar in hot water and added this.  Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of (this is the preservative) potassium metabisulphite in  1/2 cup of cold water and stir well  in to the mixture in your primary fermentor.  Add 2 tablespoons of yeast nutrient and stir well.  Add  hot water up to the five gallon mark on the primary fermenter and stir well.  After the must cools (about 70 degrees) add 2 tablespoons of pectic enzyme and stir well.    Put a package of wine yeast into 1 cup of warm but not hot water and leave to rise for 15 minutes. Stir into wine..  Put a cloth over the primary fermentor.   Place in a warm area of the house.  I also use an electric wine blanket.    Stir this daily for one  to two weeks.  At the end of this time period, squeeze the pulp through a wine bag into another primary fermentor.  Throw the pulp into the compost bin and put your juice into a carboy.  Top the carboy  up with water or a similar wine  to make the juice just about 2 inches from the top of the carboy.  Add the water filled bung and leave for 30 days.  Rack into another carboy and top up as needed  and throw away the sediment. Remembering to replace the water filled bung.   Repeat this process until there is no sediment in the bottom of your carboy. Keep 30 days in between racking.  Add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulphite  every third racking.  When  there is no sediment in the carboy your wine is ready for bottling.  This may take 5 months or 12 months or maybe  longer.  This is how I make cherry, grape and blackberry wine.  I usually use 4 gallons of fruit and 1 cup of raisins. The recipe is basically the same.  I used 4 cups of raisins in this because I only had 3 gallons of raspberries.

Tom Collins

Place ice cubes in a tall glass.  Add 1 and a 1/2 oz. of gin and 1 and 1/2 tbsps. of lemon juice. 1 tsp. of icing sugar. Fill with soda water. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of orange.

Brandy

Fill a 1 gallon glass jar with any fruit you may have,  I am doing small orange plums (I never pitted them) right now in my gallon jar. Add 2 cups of sugar and 1, 26oz bottle of vodka. Put the lid on tight and I set mine  beside the coffee pot so I will remember to turn it every day for 3 months. I have a label on my jar that says up for even days and down for odd days. After 90 days I will strain it and that will be my brandy. This is my first time making this. It will be ready for Christmas as I put it on on August 30th Hope it's good and will let you know.

Summer Sangria

4 oranges

 4 lemons

4 cups dry red wine (inexpensive table wine is great)

4 cups ginger ale

4 cups ice cubes

Cut oranges and lemons into thin slices.  Combine all ingredients in a large container. Chill and serve.

Bailey's Irish Cream
3 eggs 
1 mickey rye 
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract  
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use 'light')  
2 teaspoons Chocolate Syrup, Hershey's or whatever
Mix all ingredients into a blender and whirl for one-two minutes.  Store in fridge for up to three weeks.   Makes about a 40 ounce bottle. 
This recipe contributed by Kansas Allen 

Kahlua
Boil 4 cups sugar and 4 cups water. 
Add 2 ounces pure vanilla extract. 
Cool this mixture and stir in 1/2 bottle of camp 
coffee and 1- 26 ounce bottle of vodka.

Summer Punch
48 ounces pineapple juice 
12 ounces frozen orange juice 
12 ounces thawed undiluted lemonade concentrate 
1- 26 ounce bottle Vodka 
Mix all together and store in freezer. 
To serve, put a scoop in each glass and fill with 7-up, sprite or gingerale. 
It is nice to keep this in the freezer all summer.  

 Non-alcoholic Beverages

Citrus Zinger

Fill a glass with ice Add the juice of 1/4 fresh lemon, 1/4 fresh lime and 1/4 fresh orange. Top with a lemon lime soft drink and garnish with lemon and orange zests.

Nutty Chocolate Coffee

Pour two ounces of hot coffee over a piece of chocolate in a cup and stir until chocolate is partly dissolved. Add a quarter tsp. of almond extract. Top with equal parts of hot coffee and hot milk and stir again.  Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Sparkling Imaginary Chardonnay

4 cups white grape juice

4 cups ginger ale

2 cups ice cubes

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 sliced lemons

Place all liquids in a glass punch bowl.  Hang the lemon slices on the side of the bowl to decorate. Chill and serve.

Easy Eggnog 
2 eggs beaten 
3 1/2 cups milk 
2 tbsp sugar 
1/4 tsp nutmeg 
1 pkg. (3 3/4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix 
Combine all ingredients until well blended.  Chill.  Makes 4 cups. 
This recipe contributed by Robbie Weir.

Winter Cider

Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1 cup of boiling water. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, the peel from 1/2 lemon, 4 whole cloves and 1/2 tsp of ground allspice. Stir in  1 and 1/2 cups of apple cider and serve while hot.

Hot mulled apple cider

8 cups apple juice, 3 cups water, 1/2 cup honey,3 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole allspice berries, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 12 whole cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 cup lemon juice, 1 orange sliced.

Combine apple juice, water, honey and spices in pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let stand overnight, then strain. Add lemon juice and orange slices. Reheat before serving, but do not boil.

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