Easy Blackberry Brandy

Gift-giving presentation, find the perfect bottle to make it special.

Homemade Blackberry Brandy

Were medieval monks the original epicureans?
No, that title might belong to the actual man, Epicurus, the famed philosopher of ancient Greece.

However, we certainly have those intrepid monks to thank for refining and sometimes originating many of our potable delights. The art of distilling and creating fruit based brandies being one of them.

Of course, it was primarily used for medicinal purposes, but one can imagine it may have also been enjoyed as a tasty treat on the sly.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh, cleaned blackberries
1/2 c sugar
3 cups brandy

Directions
Put the cleaned berries and sugar into a well cleaned/ sterilized large jar with lid, one that can accommodate 3 cups of liquid plus the berries and sugar. I prefer a glass jar.

Muddle the berries, lightly crushing them to bring out their flavor and juice. A wooden spoon works well for this.

Pour the brandy over the berries and sugar, seal with lid, shake

Wait for at least 2 weeks, storing in a cool, dark place - and shaking every couple of days.

Once your blackberry brandy is finished ‘steeping’ strain into a newly cleaned jar or smaller jars. I use a fine sieve for this purpose, a coffee filter would also work.

This gets better with a little more age, so feel free to let age a few months.

After straining it into your clean jar(s), label and keep for yourself or give as a gift.

Uses for Blackberry Brandy

Besides sipping by itself, blackberry brandy is also good in lemonade, spritzer type drinks and anything that you would use regular brandy in - a sauce, with vanilla ice cream etc.