Making moonshine from scratch requires lots of special equipment and lots of waiting. This shortcut cherry moonshine recipe is for impatient types like me!
OK so here is the thing about moonshine: distilling your own booze from scratch is freaking awesome. It's also not super legal, and there are a lot of points where it can go wrong.
Also, there are folks out there making kickass grain alcohols and vodkas, so you don't have to!
Instead of starting from scratch, I grabbed a pint of quality booze and infused it. Boom! Cheater's moonshine!
Most of the infused moonshine recipes I've seen call for grain alcohol, fruit, and a ton of juice and sugar. This is just not my speed at all. A little sugar in a cocktail sometimes is fine, but super sugary drinks just don't sit well in my belly.
To make my cherry moonshine, I used Tito's Handmade Vodka, which seems to be pretty widely available. I was able to buy some at the package store near my house.
Tito's is a vegan vodka, and it's got a very mild flavor. That last part is key to making this cherry moonshine, because you want the cherry and vanilla flavors to shine, not the booze.
This is the moonshine after five days of steeping. It's bright red, and the cherry-vanilla taste was just what I was after at this point.
To Strain, Or Not to Strain?
Some moonshine recipes say to strain out the fruit and herbs, and others say to leave them in. You can decide whether to strain this recipe or not based on how quickly you think you'll drink your cherry moonshine.
If you're planning to drink all of your moonshine within a few weeks, you don't need to worry about straining out the fruit. Strained, though, you can keep that infused booze in the fridge or freezer for years. It's totally your call!
Cherry Moonshine Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 vanilla bean pods - sliced in half lengthwise
- 16 ounce bag of frozen sweet cherries
- 1 pint good vodka or grain alcohol
Instructions
- Use a small spoon to scrape the seeds from your vanilla beans into a quart-sized mason jar, then drop the beans in there too.
- Dump your cherries into the same jar, top off with the grain alcohol, and give the whole thing a good shake.
- Stick it into the refrigerator for at 3-6 days, shaking once a day. You can serve this up after a few days, or wait longer to let the cherry flavor get even stronger. I liked how it looked and tasted after 5 days of steeping.
- If you’re not straining: Store your cherry moonshine in the fridge. It will last 2-3 weeks.
- If you are straining: Once your cherry moonshine is as strong as you want it to be, strain it into a forever container and store in the fridge or freezer. This sucker will last for years!
Equipment
- quart-size mason jar
Donna S
I'm going to try this! Do you think this would work with blackberries, too? Would you still add the vanilla?
Becky Striepe
Ooh blackberries sound lovely! I'm feeling ambivalent about the vanilla. It could be good, but it's not the natural combo that cherry-vanilla is. For blackberry, I'm wondering if adding lime juice, to taste, after it's done steeping would be better? You may want to sweeten it, to taste, too, since blackberries tend to be more tart than cherries.
Rochelle [email protected]
Thanks again for your reply. I've finally made up my mind.... Well pretty much. Going to add red hots and about a tsp of vanilla. Decided to use rum with a healthy splash of everclear. The caramel one I'd like to add pineapple and coconut. Should I use a sweet shredded coconut(how much) then strain later? Ok last but not least, if I keep them for about a week refrigerating, shaking, etc. Is it going to be ok to send them through the mail? It takes about 3 to 5 days to get there.
P. S. How much red hots, pineapple, and coconut?
Thank you very much!
Becky Striepe
Hey! This sounds very fun! I'd definitely strain out the coconut. That texture might not be fun. As far as amounts, it's hard to say! I haven't tested with those ingredients. I'd probably start with a handful of each? But I am fully guessing!
Rochelle
I'm so sorry to bug you, but you never mentioned whether it will be ok to send through mail since it won't be refrigerated for. 3-5 days. I'd like to keep the cherries and red hots inside. I do have freezer packs if that would be ok. Thanks again.
Becky Striepe
Ooh that is a good question! I'd definitely recommend keeping it cold, especially if you're leaving the fruit in. Could you overnight it? I know that is pricey!
Jeff Jones
So is this made using pint or quart size jars?? Sorry, just confused.
Becky Striepe
You use a quart jar.
Debi
Can i use vanilla flavoring? If so how much?
Becky Striepe
I haven't tested it with vanilla flavoring, so it would be hard to say. I'd hate to guess and be wrong!
Darryl(Hog & Heifer BBQ)
Can you use fresh cherries?
Becky Striepe
Sure! It may need longer to steep, since frozen ones give off so much juice as the defrost.
Charlie
Hello, I have 3 questions.
Would this cherry infused vodka turn out stronger in alcohol percentage or is this strictly for flavor? If I left it in the fridge longer, would it be stronger over time? Also, how strong are the cherries? ? Thanks, it definitely looks yummy!
Becky Striepe
The cherries are strictly for flavor. The flavor will definitely get stronger with time! I'd just taste it every day until you get the flavor you're after. I can't wait to hear what you end up doing, timewise!
Zach P.
I know this may be a dumb question but if you strain it, do you leave the cherries in or out? Lol
Becky Striepe
Not dumb at all! If you strain it, you can discard the cherries.
Rhino
Don’t strain the fruit ever. Eat it very potent don’t waste lol
Becky Striepe
I like how you think!
Rochelle
Unfortunately I can't drink anymore ?, but I do know a good cocktail when I see one and yours look amazing. I'm going to try 2 and send them to my aunt and uncle on the west coast. My question is...what is more popular? Vodka or everclear? Don't want it to taste like gasoline. I know that she likes rum because of pina coladas. The vodka sounds good to me, but I'm sure I'd have liked the everclear. The 2 I'm making are the caramel (not apple) and the cherry with "red hots" or "hot tamales"?!?!?! Sorry, got a bit breathy. Thanks in advance.
Becky Striepe
I love your enthusiasm! I'd probably go with vodka. You actually might do this with rum, though. I bet it would be delicious!
Richie
Can I use maraschino cherries
Becky Striepe
I wouldn't. They have a different flavor, and I think it might turn out terribly. :(
Caroline
Can you just make it with cherry juice?
Becky Striepe
I haven't tried this, so I'm not sure how it would work, ratio- or taste-wise.
Heather B.
I can’t imagine fitting a pound of frozen sweet cherries into a pint jar. I’m thinking maybe a quart jar?
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad that you said something. It is a quart jar! I am just so used to typing "pint jar" that my brain swapped it without me noticing. I'm editing the post now to reflect that it's a quart. Thank you!!
Jesse
Specially, what did you use for grain alcohol? Or at least how strong was yours?
Becky Striepe
I used Everclear.
Conner
I am so happy to know that there are always other shiners out there.
Now, if I do wanna keep it for years, am I supposed to seal the jars in a pot of boiling water or are they okay as they are?
Becky Striepe
Ooh that's a good question, and I'm not entirely certain, since I've never had a jar stay full for that long! lol
Norma Brady
What size mason jar do I use? Thanks
Becky Striepe
A pint is a good size for this.
:)
If i get a bottle of vodka from the store..I won't need yeast right??
Becky Striepe
Right!
Bertha Speard
Great recipe
Becky Striepe
Thank you! It's such a treat to have a jar of this in the fridge.
Hannah
Whoa yum! We used to make limoncello (and pineapplecelllo), but it takes forever. This sounds waaaay easier and super yummy.
Becky Striepe
Woah, pineapplecello sounds super intriguing!
Laura @ the gluten-free treadmill
Umm.... So freaking awesome! Doing this too! I always love your blog, but this week you've had genius recipes and crafts! Thank you!!
Becky Striepe
Aw thank you! In working on a float recipe with this for next week. It's nice with cola!