Apricot Brandy: The Austrian Way To Make It

Apricot brandy is a popular drink with a rich history, appearing in cocktail books as early as 1930. It is made by distilling fermented apricot juice or using apricot flesh and kernels. Apricot brandy can be crafted at home with a few key ingredients and a lot of patience, as the process can take up to 12 months. The end product is a sweet, potent, and slightly syrupy drink that can be enjoyed on its own or mixed with champagne or mimosas. It is also a versatile ingredient in baking and cocktails, adding a unique apricot twist to classic drinks like the Baltimore Bang, a whiskey sour with an apricot kick, or the Hotel Nacional Special, a Daiquiri variant with a luscious stone fruit flavor.

How to make Apricot Brandy like in Austria

Use ripe and dried apricots

Apricot brandy is a liquor distilled from fermented apricot juice or a liqueur made from apricot flesh and kernels. While there are a few "true" apricot brandies, most apricot brandy is a neutral spirit flavoured with the fruit.

If you want to use ripe and dried apricots to make your own apricot brandy, you can follow a recipe that combines tart fresh apricots and sweet apricot jam. Place ripe and dried apricots in a clean bottle or mason jar. Then, make a syrup by heating water and jam in a microwave-safe container on high for about 1 minute. Stir, then heat again for about 30 seconds until the syrup mixture boils. Pour the syrup over the apricots and top up with vodka. Cover and leave to steep for 7 days at room temperature. Finally, strain the mixture through cheesecloth and enjoy your homemade apricot brandy in cocktails like a Golden Slipper or a Yellow Parrot.

Alternatively, you can make a simple preserve of apricots in brandy. Place 400ml of water in a large pan and add sugar and spices, including a vanilla pod. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer to dissolve the sugar. Add the apricots and leave them to poach for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Turn off the heat and allow the fruit to cool in the syrup. This can be served with simple cakes, on top of yoghurt or ice cream, or on its own with crème fraîche.

If you want to make a more traditional apricot brandy, you can follow a recipe that uses a pound of loaf sugar for every pound of apricots. The apricots should not be ripe yet. Cover the apricots with water, then boil and simmer them so that their skins can be removed. Clarify and boil the sugar, then pour it over the fruit. Leave this for a day, then bottle and fill with equal parts syrup and brandy. Cork the bottles and leave them for twelve months before use.

Prepare a syrup

To prepare a syrup for apricot brandy, you will need apricots, water, and sugar. The apricots should not be ripe yet. Cover the apricots with water and boil them. Then, simmer the apricots so that their skins can be removed easily. Next, clarify and boil the sugar, and pour it over the fruit. Leave this mixture for a day before bottling it.

For a syrup with a more complex flavour, you can use a combination of tart fresh apricots and sweet apricot jam. Place water and jam in a microwave-safe container and heat on high for 1 minute. Stir, then heat again for about 30 seconds, or until the syrup mixture boils.

Alternatively, you can make a syrup with dried apricots and vodka. Place the dried apricots in a clean bottle or mason jar. Prepare the syrup by heating water and apricot jam in a microwave-safe container on high for 1 minute. Stir, then heat again until the syrup mixture boils. Pour the syrup over the apricots, then top with vodka. Cover and allow the mixture to steep for 7 days at room temperature.

If you prefer a stronger apricot flavour, you can use ripe and dried apricots. Place the apricots in a clean bottle or mason jar. Follow the previous syrup preparation method and pour the syrup over the apricots.

For a stronger alcoholic content, you can adjust the ratio of syrup to brandy. Instead of equal parts syrup and brandy, fill the bottle with more brandy than syrup.

Combine with vodka

Apricot brandy can be made by combining apricots with vodka. This can be done in several ways, one of which involves steeping apricots in syrup and then adding vodka. Here is a step-by-step guide to making apricot brandy with vodka:

Firstly, prepare the apricots. One method suggests using unripe apricots, which are covered in water, boiled, and then simmered to remove their skins. Another method uses ripe and dried apricots, which are placed directly into a clean bottle or jar.

Next, prepare the syrup. This can be done by combining water and apricot jam in a microwave-safe container and heating it until it boils. Alternatively, you can use a pound of loaf sugar for every pound of apricots, boiling the sugar with water, and then pouring the syrup over the fruit.

Once the syrup is ready, pour it over the apricots in the bottle or jar. Then, top the mixture with vodka. Cover the container and allow it to steep. The steeping time can vary from 7 days to 12-14 days, depending on the desired strength and flavour.

After steeping, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth. The resulting apricot brandy can be enjoyed straight or used in cocktails. Note that this is not a traditional Austrian method, but rather a general approach to making apricot brandy with vodka.

Bottle and cork

Once you've made your apricot brandy, it's time to bottle and cork it. To do this, you'll need to make sure you have the right bottles, corks, and corker.

First, select your bottles. Not all bottles are meant to be corked, so make sure you choose bottles with a cork-finish and a standard 3/4-inch opening. These bottles are designed to take a cork.

Next, choose the right corks. There are two main types of corks: straight corks and tapered corks. Straight corks are cylinder-shaped and provide a maximum sealing surface. Tapered corks, on the other hand, only seal at one point where the cork meets the glass. For wine bottles, straight corks are generally recommended as they provide a better seal. Straight corks are available in different diameters, with #9 being the standard size used by commercial wineries. If you are using a hand corker, you may need to use a smaller size, such as #8, to avoid pinching or mangling the cork.

Now, let's discuss the corking process. If you have a corker, whether it's a hand corker or a floor corker, follow the instructions for your specific model. If you don't have a corker and are corking by hand, there are a few methods you can try. One method is to soak the corks in boiling water for about a minute to soften them, then use a coffee spoon's handle to push the edges of the cork into the bottle, and finally push in the rest of the cork by hand. Another method is to use a rubber mallet to tap the cork into the bottle. You can also look into alternative cork options, such as mushroom corks or Zorks, which can be pushed into the bottle by hand. However, keep in mind that these may not provide as tight of a seal as traditional corks and may not be suitable for long-term aging.

Finally, store your bottled apricot brandy in a cool, dark place for at least twelve months before consuming it. This will allow the flavours to develop and mature, resulting in a smoother and more complex brandy.

Leave to mature

Once you have completed the fermentation and distillation processes, it is time to bottle your apricot brandy. This marks the final stage of your apricot brandy-making journey. This step involves transferring your carefully crafted spirit into bottles for storage and maturation. A tight seal is vital to prevent any potential contamination or oxidation. The bottles should be stored upright, in a cool, dark place, away from any heat sources.

Proper storage conditions ensure your apricot brandy continues to age gracefully, enhancing its flavours and aroma. It also allows the flavours to meld and mature over time, leading to a smoother, more balanced brandy. A well-stored bottle of apricot brandy can last for several years, its flavour deepening and improving with time.

If you are using fresh apricots, with their delicate, sweet-tart flavour, your brandy will have a refreshing and mild character. They provide a more subtle apricot flavour that is perfect for those who prefer a light and fruity brandy.

If you are using dried apricots, your brandy will have a more intense and concentrated apricot flavour. This is because the drying process removes some of the water content from the fruit, resulting in a more potent flavour.

It is important to note that the maturation process can take several months to a year or more, depending on the recipe and your desired outcome. The longer you leave your apricot brandy to mature, the more complex and nuanced its flavour will become.

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