Nacho's tonic

[Iluv2hunt]

Finished and going in the freezer

Guaranteed to put hair on a wooden leg. This should be good to go for a friends wedding in a couple weeks ;-)

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[Triple Creek Reaper]

Here is my version of Apple Pie using Nacho's basic method

[nachogrande]

The hardest part is waiting for it to age long enough without drinking it. & is why I usually make about 3 gallons, depending on how much fruit my trees will bear, I have 1 qt I will drink before it's time (still has too much sediment) but it still tastes great. it takes an easy 6 months for everything to stop "cooking"/whatever, the sediment to ALL settle to the bottom, be clear like in pic #1, then filtered. I filter thru 2 strainers, each with a coffee filter in it. The sediment doesn't taste bad, & is too far from the heart to kill you. We need to have a tasting one of these days. I figure mine will be done by July, started at thanksgiving. I'd like to make 6 gallons next fall. During the filtering process I suck the coffee filters, NO KIDDING, & catch a buzz.

[Iluv2hunt]

I ran it thru a paper towel. Had you sucked that and breathed on a match, you would have burned the house down.

This is just a small batch. That would be a ton of work to make a large batch. Lots of peeling

[nachogrande]

A LOT OF WORK, you can say that again, but it's a labor of love, and you forget about it, and most everything else, when it's done. This is my 4th year? making it & I think I have it right & should write it down. First batch was too strong, second batch didn't taste just right. I started using the fruit juice (separately from the rinds in vodka & simple raw sugar solution & honey, combining later with the rinds/grain alcohol & bingo), this year I added a couple oz's of raw orange blossom honey to the combined mix for smoothness, & it really helps take away any bitterness from the white on the rind you may have missed when peeling and the raw taste of the grain alcohol. My goals were: good taste, strong enough so it won't freeze/ not so strong that it will catch fire. It should end up clear enough to read through, & be able to SIP SLOWLY neat and ENJOY it. When my wife & her girlfriends (not big drinkers) love it, I know I nailed it. I drink it out of the freezer neat, maybe over ice. I haven't tried mixing it with anything as It's good as is, but maybe with club soda or tonic water? Experimenting with it is easy & fun. Hence my motto, ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH OVERDOING. when you're retired, making bullets/booze is a good way to use your time.

[Iluv2hunt]

I juiced all the lemons I had peeled and had that reserved in the freezer, and added that to it. I think this could use a bit more simple syrup as it is a bit strong, and a touch "lemony". I am not going to tinker with it anymore. I am just going to tell folks to be careful with it and will tinker more with the next batch. Next year I will do some from my oranges and grapefruit for sure

[Triple Creek Reaper]

I had originally started with about 3 lbs of organic apples, cored and cut into chunks soaking in the grain for the 1st 3 months. One of things I did to fight the sediment was at month 4, when I added the spices and sugar, I ran the apples through a blender and then wrapped it in about 4 layers of cheese cloth and added it back to the jug. I am still getting some tines but not as bad as it could be. One thing that is nice is the spigot on my jar, I can pour a tumbler full with no need to filter because everything has settled to the bottom.

[nachogrande]

I've done 1/2 lemmon & 1/2 tangerine or orange also, it's all good & each year gets better. The wife told me I've been at it more than 6 years, I really should write stuff down. I had made some for Carlos's B-day party, what year was that? Early onset Alzheimers going on, KIDDING, I thought I turned 57 last year, turns out I'm 57 this year, so it's a do over. When you retire time doesn't mean much.

[Triple Creek Reaper]

Its been six months, time to finally bottle up the Apple Pie. There has been a major change in taste over the last 3 months. Its still plenty potent but the initial burn has almost went away. Everything is cleaned up and now deciding if I make the same batch for christmas/new years or try a different flavor.

[Batemaster]

How can I go about making some of this?

[Triple Creek Reaper]

How can I go about making some of this?

Nacho has his original recipe posted on the forum, just do a search and I am sure you will find it. I took his recipe and mixed it with a recipe I found on the internet for Apple Jack, which is a quick way to make some punch. Take Nacho's advice and make sure to let the mixture rest for a good long time. There is a really good interaction between the fruit, sugar & alcohol that takes place between day 120 and 180 that mellows out the flavor without affecting the proof.

[Iluv2hunt]

Look up a recipe for a very popular Italian drink called Limoncello. That'll get you started

[Batemaster]

I will look for it. I would like to get working on something like this for Christmas and Thanksgiving time. Thanks!

[nachogrande]

Glad you guys are enjoying it. I just got released from the hospital today, after a week of pancreatitis & a gall bladder removal. 1 of the main causes of pancreatitis is alcohol, LOL. Believe it or not I only drink MAYBE 1 drink a week. They refused to rinse my innards with the tonic, which I think would have cured me permanently of most anything. I'm gonna be taking it easy for a while. once aged properly these home brews are as good sipping liquor as any 20 yr old scotch.

[Iluv2hunt]

They thought that was what was wrong with me a couple weeks ago. I still think I passed a gall stone and it had passed on thru by the time they did the sonogram. I was doubled over in pain for 2 days, and the pain abated right before I got to the ER