Black currant schnapps

Black currant schnapps - based on fresh, wild or cultivated black currants and leaves - has a rich, fruity taste and a beautiful deep red colour.

Serve with cheese, cream cheese, cheese cake, ice cream, pancakes and desserts.

Or use a little schnapps in your jams, marmalades and fruit sauces. Very fine as after-dinner drink.

Blends very well with...
cranberry schnapps · raspberry schnapps · almond schnapps.

Also, see how you can easily...
turn your black currant schnapps into a liqueur.

Black currant

The black currant plant is also known as quinsy berry. It's a small shrub or bush.

It has green leaves with small, yellow fragrance glands on the lower leaf surface.

The flowers are green-white and red and hanging in clusters.

The berries are round, black, juicy and strong-flavoured.

They contain high amounts of vitamins and antioxidants.

Here in Denmark, black currants grow wild in moist woods, shrubs, hedgerows and alder swamps.

Mostly found on the islands of Funen (Fyn) and Zealand (Sjælland).

Among other uses, the berries are used for making wine and liqueurs - and to flavour wine vinegar.

More information about the black currant plant

Recipe

You can use both wild and cultivated berries when you make this schnapps. Cultivated berries are just as strong-flavoured as the wild ones. Just remember to pick or buy the berries when they are big, juicy and most ripe.

Pick also a couple of young, fresh black currant leaves and add them to the vodka. The leaves will enhance the wonderful berry flavours.

Direction:

• Rinse black currant berries and leaves carefully.
• Leave them to dry in the shadow - on paper towel.
• If your berries are frozen - defrost them in the vodka.
• Use a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Fill half the jar with berries - plus a couple of leaves.
• Fill up with clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% alcohol content (80 proof).
• Steep for 3-12 months in a dark place at room temperature, 18-20°C (64-68°F).
• Shake lightly and taste it from time to time.
• Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.

You can serve your black currant schnapps after it has settled for a couple of days. Or you can store (age) it up to a couple of years in a dark place at room temperature before serving.

Note: If for some reason you are not satisfied with your infusion, there are ways to adjust both taste and flavours - click here to see how.

Serve your black currant schnapps at room temperature in suitable glasses. And remember to keep your schnapps bottle tightly closed and in a dark place before and between servings.