The Best Homemade Cranberry Moonshine Recipes: 7 Options with Photos

What are the benefits of cranberry tincture?

The plant's fruits themselves are beneficial for health. They are used in dietetics and folk medicine. When creating alcoholic beverages, cranberries help:

• get rid of unpleasant odors;
• soften the taste.

Cranberries are rich in vitamins, especially beneficial during the fall and winter seasons. The tincture is made with alcohol or vodka, and a pleasant-tasting moonshine is brewed from it. All products retain the plant's healing properties, helping the body overcome many ailments. Cranberry moonshine contains:

• B vitamins;
• vitamins C and K1;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• iodine;
• citric acid.

Over several centuries of folk distilling, cranberry liqueurs have been identified as a treatment for certain illnesses. Here's a list of the beneficial properties of cranberry liqueurs:

1. Inhibits the development of infection and inflammation of the urinary tract. It is used in the treatment of urethral diseases and cystitis.
2. Swelling is reduced and the urinary system is activated.
3. Activates the heart and blood vessels. It reduces the risk of atherosclerosis (less plaque buildup in the lymph), accelerates recovery after stroke, and serves as a good preventative measure against myocardial infarction.
4. Reduces the harm of infection in throat diseases (tracheitis, tonsillitis).
5. Calms nerves, stimulates memory and other brain activity.
6. Reduces blood pressure.
7. Activates the gastrointestinal tract and strengthens the pancreas.

Contraindications and possible harm of the drink

Cranberry tincture contains alcohol, which is harmful in large doses. Besides the risk of alcohol dependence, it can cause serious disruptions to certain parts of the body. These include:

• gastrointestinal tract (fraught with the formation of ulcers, liver disease, gastritis, etc.);
• cardiovascular system (if you have low blood pressure, drinking cranberry tinctures can make the situation worse);
• urinary tract (kidney disease and urolithiasis).

It is also important to remember about allergic reactions to cranberries – moonshine made from them is contraindicated for people with individual intolerance.

Picking and preparing berries

To ensure a healthy and tasty drink, you need to select the right ingredients. It's best to use fresh berries, harvested in mid-autumn. The berries are carefully sorted, removing any rotten or damaged ones.

Frost-damaged and even overwintered cranberries are also suitable. Just make sure to select ripe, juicy-colored berries.

The selected fruits are prepared. To do this:

• the entire mass is washed - first in a bucket of water, then under the tap;
• to increase the richness, each berry is pierced with a disinfected sharp instrument (a gypsy toy or an awl);
• According to some recipes, it is recommended to put the berry mass through a meat grinder or crush it by hand.

Video: "Classic Cranberry Liqueur with Moonshine"

This video presents a master class on how to make cranberry juice at home.

Cranberry moonshine recipes

Most recipes rely on fermentation. Some produce the finished drink quickly, while others require more time.

Important: Store-bought cranberries are specially processed for storage; these fruits will not ferment. They can only be used mashed and mixed with moonshine.

Classic recipe

The base is moonshine purified from fusel oils and other impurities. The best product is considered to be:

• double distillation;
• with a strength of about 40 degrees.

In addition to moonshine, you'll need other ingredients. For 2 liters of purified product, take:

• 400 g prepared cranberries;
• 250 g sugar (for those who like sweet drinks, you can take more sugar);
• 250 ml of water.

Cooking consists of several stages:

1. Place the crushed cranberries in a clean three-liter jar, add sugar, stir, cover with gauze and let sit for 3 days in a dark place at room temperature.
2. Pour in the moonshine, making sure it covers the fruit a little, and hide the container again.
3. When signs of fermentation appear, add the remaining moonshine, stir, seal with an airtight lid and let it settle for 2 weeks.
4. The fermented liquid is poured into another jar and placed in the refrigerator. The pulp is then covered with more moonshine and left to rest for another two weeks.
5. The resulting excess must is strained and mixed with the remaining refrigerated juice (discard the pulp). If the resulting liquid is cloudy, it is filtered several times through cheesecloth until it acquires a pleasant dark red hue.
6. The strength of the drink is measured with an alcohol meter. If it's too strong, it's diluted with chilled boiled water.
7. The tincture is poured into bottles, sealed and stored in a cool place.

Improved recipe

In this case, other ingredients are added, such as galangal, ginger, or freshly squeezed lemon juice. This enhances the medicinal effect of the drink, but makes it less aromatic.

In addition, the berries are not crushed, but simply pierced, which prevents the pulp from spreading, eliminating the cloudiness of the drink.

Express method

There are recipes for quickly (within 24 hours) making cranberry liqueur. In this case, you'll need (in equal proportions):

• good quality moonshine;
• berries;
• sugar.

The tincture is prepared according to the following scheme:

1. The berries are poured with boiling water and left for 15 minutes to allow the skin to burst, then the water is drained.
2. Transfer the berry mixture into a jar, sprinkle with sugar, and stir. Add the moonshine, cover tightly, and place in a cool place for 12 hours.
3. Transfer the contents into a saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves, without bringing to a boil.
4. Let it cool, strain the liquid, pour it into bottles and put it in the refrigerator.

Use when cool.

A combination of cranberries and galangal

The combination of these ingredients gives the tincture a powerful choleretic effect, which is useful for certain ailments. To prepare, you will need:

• 800 g berries;
• a teaspoon of crushed galangal root;
• 220 ml 96% alcohol;
• 250 ml of water;
• 250 g sugar.

The cooking recipe is as follows.

1. The cranberries are crushed into a puree, mixed with the root and transferred to a glass jar.
2. Add alcohol, seal tightly and leave in a warm place at room temperature.
3. Boil the water, stir in the sugar, and cook until a syrup forms. Add this to the rest of the mixture in a glass container and let it steep for a week.
4. The wort is strained through several layers of cheesecloth – the liquid should be clear. It is poured into bottles and sealed.

From cranberries mashed with sugar

Freshly picked cranberries or pre-pureed cranberries will do. For every cup of cranberries, use a cup of sugar and a liter of moonshine. The recipe is as follows:

1. The berries are whipped in a blender or passed through a meat grinder.
2. Add sugar and stir until the crystals disappear.
3. They pour in the moonshine and let it steep.
4. Pass the liquid through a filter.

Cranberry liqueur with moonshine

You will need:

• one and a half liters of 50-degree product;
• 400 g berries;
• 200–300 g sugar.

In a glass jar, sprinkle the cranberries with sugar and add moonshine. When the berries sink to the bottom, the mixture takes on a reddish tint. Place the jar in a cool, dark place for a month. It's a good idea to turn the jar occasionally to help the sugar dissolve.

By the end of the period, the drink will be approximately 30 degrees strong.

According to the recipe of academician A. N. Nesmeyanov

He developed the first cranberry liqueur in our country, earning it the nickname "nesmeyanovka." Initially, it was prepared in a laboratory using specialized equipment, but today the requirements have been simplified.

You'll need sugar, cranberries, and alcohol (moonshine), in equal proportions. Next:

• the berries are scalded, the boiling water is drained, and they are mashed;
• transfer the grounds into a jar and fill it with alcohol;
• add sugar and leave for 2-3 days in a cool, dark place.

All that remains is to filter the drink and it’s ready to drink.

Rules for storage and use of the product

The longer the alcoholic beverage is stored, the richer it becomes. A long-aged infusion delights with its aroma and mellow flavor. The drink should always be stored in a cool, dark place. In this case, homemade 40-percent cranberry moonshine retains its quality for 2-3 years.

The generally accepted norm of consumption is 100 ml for men and 50 ml for women.

Whatever recipe you choose, you'll end up with a delicious cranberry drink. Be sure to follow the recommended dosage, and if you feel unwell, consult your doctor.