Sweet Gale Schnapps

Sweet gale schnapps - based on fresh, young sweet gale leaves - is one of the most popular flavoured schnappses here in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries.

It's produced commercially, but the homemade schnapps tastes much, much better.

It's a sweetish and very aromatic schnapps with a wonderful taste and fragrance.

When just made the colour is light green. But during storage the colour changes to yellow or light brown.

Enjoy on its own - or serve with seafoods, soups, stews, cheese or cold dishes such as the Danish smorgasbord.

Or add it to bitter chocolate desserts.

Sweet gale schnapps blends very well with...
crowberry schnapps · southernwood schnapps · star anise schnapps.

Recipe

You can pick and use the leaves throughout the season.

But you get the best result if you pick the newly full-blown leaves during springtime.

You can freeze the leaves for later use. Just remember to defrost them in the vodka.

Click here for info about the Sweet Gale Plant

Direction:

• Rinse the leaves carefully.
• Leave them to dry in the shadow - on paper towel.

  If you dry them for one or two days you get a more strong-flavoured schnapps. Try to experiment.

• Use a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Put 1 deciliter leaves in the jar.
• Add 70 centiliter clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% (80 proof).
• Steep for 1-2 days - in a dark place at room temperature,
  18-20°C (64-68°F).

  If you use leaves that are picked later in the season you might want to steep 1 or 2 days more.

• 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 sweet gale schnapps after it has settled for a couple of days.

But the schnapps gets even better if you store (age) it for a couple of months or more - in a dark place at room temperature.

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 sweet gale 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.







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