A couple of weeks ago I decided to use up the few remaining blackberries in our freezer, (my mother had foraged them last summer and she will very likely forage another haul of 3 full carrier bags later this summer again). Rather than using the frozen blackberries in my usual fashion, by muddling and fine straining them in bramble cocktails, I decided to try my hand at making some homemade Crème De Mure (Blackberry Liqueur).
A scour of the internet and a few mixology books which I possess turned up a recipe that didn’t require weeks of maceration of the berries and it also sounded like it would create a well-balanced liqueur.
Ingredients Required:
600g Blackberries
750ml Red Wine
500g Sugar
300ml Vodka
This should make around 1400ml of Crème De Mure.
1). Make sure to remove any stalks or leaves from the blackberries. Tip the blackberries into a large ceramic or glass bowl and pour over the wine. I used Beefsteak Malbec which is usually around £8-£10. I chose it because it is a wine of good depth, flavour and has a nice hint of spice for the price. Next use a potato masher to crush the fruit into the wine. Cover with a tea towel and leave to macerate in a cool place for 2-3 days, mashing the blackberries occasionally.
2). After 2-3 days pour the mixture through a plastic sieve, then pass it again through the sieve to remove any bits of blackberry from the liquid.
3). Tip the liquid into a pot and add the sugar. Heat the mixture gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then allow the mixture to simmer for 5 mins. Leave to cool before stirring in the vodka.
4). Once the liquid has cooled completely pour into bottles, seal and label. The Crème De Mure is ready to use straight away. Be sure to store the Crème De Mure in a cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight. It should keep for around a year, however, if it’s as popular as mine has been it may not last a month 😂
Initially the Crème De Mure will come out a little sweet, however, if you store it for a week the bulk of the sweetness will be removed, and it will become much more balanced with a lovely spicy after taste, it goes down an absolute treat in a bramble or simply on the rocks with some ice!