I like the period between spring and summer because I get to throw nice barbeques, invite my friends to see my whiskey still – I never get tired of showing them “my baby” - , but also because I can eat some of my favorite fruits: strawberries.

But, as you already noticed by now, I always try to find a way to both upgrade my ideas for the usage of my whiskey still, as well to use the fruits I like in order to create wonderful, memorable tastes.

Hence, I remembered I was browsing a while ago for various strawberries recipes – strawberry margarita is already known and it’s becoming quite old -, when I came across a recipe entitled, simply, strawberry moonshine julep. OK, this is the one for me! It does not only start with the name of my favorite fruits (strawberries), but it also contains the word moonshine in it.

So, I told myself I have to try this one instantly; which, I did. It was great, trust me! Which is why I decided to share it with all of you moonshine lovers like me.

First, what you will need (no worries, you do not need to do substantial grocery shopping):

•    strawberries (2, if really big, or 3-4, if smaller; and make sure they are ripe)

•    sugar (2 teaspoons should be enough, thou, if you like it less sugary, you can add 1-1 ½)

•    mint (fresh leaves - around 3 - are better than syrup, so just go ahead and get them right before you start making the recipe)

•    the best part: moonshine! (2 oz. is enough)

•    lemon juice (get it natural, squeeze the lemons yourself, as you only need ½ oz.)

•    some mint (separate from the ones you mix in the drink) to garnish the drink, as we all know a proper drink needs to be garnished

•    jars (the presentation should suit the drink and nothing says moonshine better than jars)

Now, once you get all these ingredients you simply have to mix them, something really easy to do. First, clean the strawberries really good for leaves and co., wash them and cut them into ¼-inch parts. Put them together with the sugar and mint leaves in a blender or cocktail shaker. Stir everything and leave it like this to rest until you notice the strawberries are soaked, but no more than 10 minutes. Now, pour the moonshine and lemon juice and some ice (it is a summer drink, after all). Make sure the shaker is full and then agitate the recipient as hard as you can for a couple of minutes. Then just put the drink thus obtained into jars; you can add some more ice if you want to. And do not forget about the mint garnishment.

Now, all you have to do is wait for your friends to come and proudly show them what you did (which is what I am going to do, now that I have tried the recipe and it was a total success). Enjoy your strawberry moonshine drink; and feel free to replace strawberries with other fruits, if you want to (I, for one, I am looking forward to try this recipe with raspberry, too)!

source: www.mademan.com

If you want to make your own alcohol, then you need to know how to do it properly, without damaging anything or anyone and making sure that you actually get drinkable alcohol.

 Image source: http://www.motherjones.com

Why Is It Fun To Make Your Own Alcohol?

Many people like to make alcohol in their own home, not because they cannot afford to buy it, necessarily, but because they take pleasure in doing it. Here are some of the reasons why you should do it too:

•    it is a fun, relaxing, cheap, easy and efficient hobby

•    it takes you back to the time you were a kid and you were watching your grandfather or father doing this and were wondering what is that magical drink and how they actually do it

•    it could remind you of the lab classes you took during school; thou, this time, you will thoroughly enjoy mixing drinks and getting something practical out of it

•    it helps connect people such as you and your friends; if you have a common passion you devote your time to, then you can get together and share your experience, work together on making alcohol, and basically, just communicate and enrich your friendship

•    it helps you get to know new people and socialize, as there is an entire community of people who like this hobby (remember, making your own alcohol is just a hobby) and who communicate with each other on forums, for instance, sharing their experiences, learning from one another and purely having fun in their spare time

How Do You Actually Do It?

Now, if you have finally decided to take on this hobby, you can start by trying to make your first drink. For this, you will need the following items:

•    fruit juice essence (1 can)

•    funnel (the best is a small-sized one)

•    large balloon

•    plastic milk flask (make sure it is very clean before using it)

•    water

•    white sugar (2 cups; you can switch with brown, thou white is better, especially for your first try)

•    yeast (1 packet)

Once you have all these ingredients prepared you can start making your drink. First, put in the bottle the yeast and the juice concentrate, and use the funnel to transfer the sugar without losing part of the quantity. Seal the bottle and shake it to mix the three ingredients. After you are certain they are very well mixed, you can open the bottle and pour the water (you might want to use the funnel again, for a more precise, faster job). Put the lid on and mix everything, once again. Next, remove the seal and, on top of the flask, stretch the balloon as to totally cover the bottle’s mouth. Leave it like this and put in a dry and cool storage for approximately 3 days. You will know your drink is ready when the balloon (which fills with gas all this time, proof that the alcohol is successfully formed) will deflate. Then, you can put the bottle in your fridge and leave it there until you want to use it.

You can also leave the drink in storage for more than 3 days, but, it will become more alcoholic with each extra storage day.

Now that you know how to successfully make your own alcohol, enjoy it with some crushed ice (it is more refreshing, as well as more adapted for hot weather) or combine it with some non-sparkling fruit juice, like oranges, peaches, strawberries or pineapple; the taste will be absolutely wonderful.

I was looking at my whiskey still today and thinking about new recipes and ideas to put in practice. Then, I was thinking of how easy it is to buy a moonshine kit; but, I was also thinking that some people like to build their own whiskey still. And that’s just fine. You can, at times, take more pleasure in building your own still, as you feel you got more involved into this passion of yours. And when you are a beginner in moonshine whiskey - thou you have been deeply passionate about whiskey for a long time - wanting to build your own whiskey still might be one of your first thoughts.

So, let’s say you decided you wanted to have your own, personal, made-by-yourself still. Good, but how do you create one? You can build it by scratch, if you really want to (if you are talented, have the time and instruments to shape every gallon and piece of the whiskey still); or, you can buy a still kit and make your job easier. 

The Still Kit Full Package

Generally, a still kit contains all the parts that make your moonshine still. With them (and the help of some instructions, which can either come with the package or you can find them on the internet – even in video version) you get to build your own still.

To get an idea of what a moonshine still kit might contain, here are some of the stuff that come in the package in general:

•    copper pins
•    fittings
•    pipe
•    the pot(s), which need to be a perfect fit for the size you desire (the size of the assembled moonshine still) and should bepre-prepared for assembly when you receive the kit
•    instructions on how to assembly a moonshine kit (either written ones, perhaps with pictures, or videos which are sent to you via mail once the order for the kit has been placed / the delivery of the package has been made)
•    hammer
•    hose kit
•    pair of pliers
•    (plumbing) solder
•    propane burner (or something similar)
•    thermometer

Now, this does not mean that you will find all of these in every kit. That depends on the person / company / website offering the kit and what they decide to put in the package. Commonly, the last 6 items I mentioned above are considered “optional objects”, meaning they are viewed as part of any household or you need to buy them on your own, separate from the grand kit.

Take a look at some of the kits you find out there and check out what items each has to offer, as well as if they give discounts or special offers if you buy the optional objects from them, too. And do not forget to check your package the moment it has arrived, to see if everything you need is in there.

Still kits can be quite helpful for beginners in the art of moonshine whiskey, but also for the more advanced moonshiners, as they teach you how to build your own still, thus putting a special print on it and helping you better understand how all the elements of a whiskey still work.

As I mentioned before, I always like to find new moonshine recipes and I am particularly fascinated by fruit-based ones. Now, apple is a true classic when it comes to baking, cooking or even mixing in your drink (alcoholic or not). But, there are other fruits which you can try, too.

I enjoy very much watermelon, because it has a special taste that lingers in your mouth for a while after you finished eating it. Moreover, I always think of summer, sunny beaches and lots of good drinks (based on whiskey, how else) when I taste it.

So, while I was playing with my whiskey still one day an idea came to me: why you should I not make some moonshine based on watermelon? This led me to search for recipes and I discovered not one, but two great recipes. And, as a bonus, they both combine watermelon with other fruits, meaning elderberry and grape.

For the watermelon and elderberry one you will need the following ingredients:

•    watermelon (32 lb.)
•    elderberries (dried ones, 1 ¼ lb.)
•    water (preferably use a 5 gallon)
•    lemon juice and zest (better buy 10 lemons and squeeze them yourself)
•    sugar (if possible, granulated one; around 36 cups)
•    distiller’s yeast / wine

Now, once you have all these ingredients, start with the melon first and cut it into medium-sized cubes (around 1 inch). Make sure you cleaned all the seeds and then put the fruit and all of its juice in the bowl. Add to that the freshly-bought-and-squeezed lemon zest and juice. Mix the elderberries, too, and add the water on top of everything. Stir the sugar in, until it dissolves. Cover everything with a textile and leave it like this for 12 hours. Then, add some wine or distiller’s yeast. Cover again and then leave it for fermentation for 3 days (but do not forget to stir every day). Then put the juice in a bottle and close well. Leave it for fermentation for a month.

And that’s the first recipe. The second one, with watermelon and grape, is tad similar, but it presents certain differences which you need to pay attention to.

First, the ingredients:

•    watermelon (30 lb., not 32 like in the previous one)
•    grapes (red or green, as you prefer; 7 ½ lb.)
•    water (preferably use a 5 gallon for this one, too )
•    lemon juice and zest (same quantity and rule as in the previous recipe)
•    sugar (granulated one; around 24 cups, which is less than in the above-mentioned recipe!)
•    distiller’s yeast / wine

Follow the same indications for melon and lemons as written above. Next, focus on the grapes: wash them and crush them in a container. Add them and their juice to the watermelon and lemon mixture. Put water and sugar and stir, just like mentioned before. Now, after you cover the vessel with a textile, leave it like this for one full day this time. After the time has passed, add the yeast and leave it for fermentation for 5 days, stirring every day. At the end of those 5 days put everything into a bottle, cover it well and leave it to ferment for 30 days.

As you can see, both recipes are quite easy. However, the watermelon and grape one needs more time to ferment. But, no worries, as long as you follow the indications, you will have no problem in making any of these two top moonshine recipes.

Enjoy and let me know what you think, too!