Tequila Imitation—Homemade Aloe Vodka Infusion


Contrary to common belief, real tequila is not made from cacti but from blue agave’s juice, which is a plant from Mexico. Nevertheless, connoisseurs of homemade alcohol have found a way out. They came up with an idea to use a plant which is chemically similar to blue agave. And it turns out that this plant is aloe vera. So, to make homemade tequila all you need are just a few leaves of flowerpot grown aloe vera.

Warning! The suggested tequila recipe only imitates its taste but in fact, does not allow making real tequila. Although, during degustation, most people can’t distinguish this vodka aloe infusion from real tequila. But still, there’s a difference in taste.

Theory. Agave contains peculiar fructan (a polymer of fructose)—inulin. After fermentation, it converts into ethanol with a distinctive herbal flavor and smell. Infusing vodka with plants high in inulins allows making beverages very similar to tequila.

Jerusalem artichoke, chickory, aloe, banana, onion, and garlic are high in inulin. The problem is that most of these plants have a persistent smell, that’s why they are unfit for homemade tequila. You can achieve acceptable results only with aloe.

Tequila Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Aloe vera leafs – 150 gr
  • Vodka (moonshine, diluted ethanol) – 3 liters
  • Sugar – 3 tsp

Recipe:

  1. Cut aloe vera into small pieces (1 by 1 cm each).
  2. Put the pieces in a jar and pour them over with alcohol.
  3. To soften the flavor, add sugar.
  4. Seal the jar and shake it well. After that, leave for 14-17 days in a cold dark place. During infusion, your homemade tequila will first become green and then golden.
  5. Filter the infusion through a cotton wool filter, bottle and let it infuse for 1-2 days.
  6. After filtration tequila will remain golden (sometimes with a green shade). If you’re not okay with that, leave tequila in a well-lit place for 20-30 days. When exposed to sunlight chlorophyll resolves, making the beverage clear.

There’s also another way of clarifying the beverage—dilute the obtained infusion with water in a 1:1 ratio and distill it in a distillation still. Although, this makes homemade tequila less flavorful.

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