Apple Brandy Recipe

The following Apple Brandy recipes will help guide you to make your own, we’ve listed three options below, making it easy for anyone to give it a try at home!

A little history about Apple Brandy

Apple brandy (or “Calvados” as it is often called) for a long time was considered an alcoholic drink of commoners, as this drink was prepared from the most ordinary apples. However, the tables have turned after famous writer Remarque started mentioning this drink in his works. The elites were becoming more and more interested in apple spirits infused in barrels or large vats, and soon enough apple brandy gained popularity. There are two fairly simple ways of preparing this drink at home: as an infusion which imitates apple brandy taste or as a quick drink based on the juice.

Apple Brandy Recipe (using whole apples)

Ingredients:

• Apples – 2kg
• Vodka – 1lt
• Sugar – 200 grams
• Water – 150 ml
• Vanilla sugar – 20 grams

If you don’t have enough time to prepare the original beverage you can make an imitating drink. The recipe for apple brandy shown below will let you make a delicious and fairly cheap drink in a fast manner.

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash and core the apples, remove seeds and dice the apples.
2. Place the diced apples in a container and pour them over with vanilla sugar.
3. Add vodka, seal the container and leave it in a dark place for 2 weeks to infuse at room temperature.
4. After infusion is finished, take out the apples from the liquid and squeeze them. Now filter the infusion through several layers of cheesecloth.
5. Mix sugar with water and bring to a boil in a cooking pot with a thick bottom, cook for 5 minutes until it starts foaming. Skim off the foam.
6. Let the syrup cooled down to 30°C and then pour it into the apple infusion and stir.
7. Bottle the infusion, cork it and infuse for 3 more days in a fridge. You will end up with a sweetish apple brandy. This beverage has 32-35% ABV, and it can be stored up to 3 years.

Apple Juice Brandy Recipe

It’s possible to accelerate the process of infusion and aromatization of the alcohol base by making brandy from apple juice.

Ingredients:

• Apples – 1.5 kg
• Vodka – 1lt
• Sugar – 150-250 grams
• Water – 50 ml

Depending on the desired sweetness and strength you can make brandy with apple juice in different ratios. If you want the drink to turn out more sweet you should increase the amount of sugar. It is also worth to note that the variety, sweetness, and sourness of apples affect the final result as well.

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, core, and grind the apples. Squeeze them to obtain fresh apple juice.
2. Mix sugar and water. Cook a syrup, cool it down and add to the juice.
3. Pour the mixture into a container. Add vodka, seal, and infuse for 7 days in a dark place.
4. Filter the drink and cool it down before sipping.

If you want a really delicious and fragrant beverage you should take picking raw materials seriously. The best infusions can be made from late varieties of apples. Fruits should be hard, ripe and fragrant.

As for the alcohol base, it’s preferable to infuse apples with high-quality vodka, clarified moonshine or diluted ethanol. Make sure that liquor has no less than 40% ABV. You can also infuse apples with brandy—the final drink will have a quite peculiar taste.

Apple Infusion with Vodka or Moonshine

This tasty and fragrant apple infusion is a great addition to any festive table. If you like less strong and less sweet alcoholic drinks this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:

• Apples – 1kg
• Vodka or moonshine – 1lt
• Sugar – 300 grams
• Cinnamon – 2 sticks
• Vanillin – 3 grams

Directions:

1. Peel the apples, remove any spoilt parts, seeds, and cores.
2. Slice the apples, put them in a container, add sugar, cinnamon, and vanillin, and then pour over with alcohol.
3. Seal the container and leave it for 50 days in a dark place with a temperature of 18-20°С. Shake the infusion every day until sugar is fully dissolved.
4. Drain the apple infusion and filter it through 4 layers of cheesecloth. Bottle it and cool it down.
5. You can pour the fruits with vodka or moonshine once again to get a second less fragrant batch of this infusion. Add sugar and vanilla to taste.