Authentic Polish, aged strawberry cordial, with an intense strawberry flavor, brilliant color, and perfect clarity. It is best served chilled, with or as a dessert. Mix it with sparkling water and serve it as a light and fruity cocktail. A homemade liqueur also makes an excellent gift for any occasion.
My strawberry liqueur is made with a combination of vodka, water, and rectified spirit. Alternatively, you can use only vodka (40% or 45% alcohol). In that case, use 1 liter (34 fl oz) of vodka and skip water and spirit.
Make sure to use only mature strawberries, very red, and slightly giving in to the touch. Sort out berries with blemishes, since they can have a negative impact on flavor and color. The preparation itself is very easy, but it requires some patience. Ready to try it? Scroll down for directions.
Polish Strawberry Liqueur
Course: LiqueursCuisine: PolishDifficulty: Simple1.5
liter3
months9
daysAuthentic Polish strawberry cordial, with an intense strawberry flavor, brilliant color, and perfect clarity. It is best served chilled or as a cocktail.
Ingredients
1 kg / 2.2 lbs fresh strawberries
500 ml / 16.9 fl oz vodka (40% or 45% alcohol)
200 ml / 6.8 fl oz rectified spirit (95% alcohol)
250 ml / 8.5 fl oz water
80 ml / 2.7 fl oz lemon juice, strained (that’s the juice of about 1 lemon)
350 g / 12.3 oz sugar
Method
- Pick fresh, mature strawberries, without blemishes. Rinse the berries and remove the hulls.
- Place whole berries in a large jar. Pour in vodka, water, and rectified spirit (precisely in that order). Don’t pour in the rectified spirit first, since it is too strong for the delicate fruit. Alternatively use only vodka. In that case, pour 1 liter (34 fl oz) of vodka (40% or 45% alcohol) into the jar with the berries. Gently sway the jar several times, so that the air bubbles go up and the liquid gets between the fruit. Seal the jar with a lid and set it aside for 7 days, in a light and sunny place (I put mine on the window sill in the kitchen) to macerate. Once a day, gently sway and rock the jar.
- Strain the strawberry-infused alcohol into a bottle. The strawberries will now have a pale, pink color. Add sugar and lemon juice to the strawberries and gently stir, making sure not to damage the fruit. Seal the jar with a lid and keep it in the same place as before for 2 days, until the sugar has dissolved. Gently stir the fruit a few times per day to accelerate the process. If necessary, go ahead and wait another day, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Strain the syrup with the berries through a fine-mesh strainer, gently pressing the berries to release all of the juice. Don’t crush the fruit! Combine the syrup with the infused alcohol and filter through a fine-mesh strainer, lined with folded cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter. If necessary, repeat filtration, until the liqueur is perfectly clear. Pour into a clean bottle and place in a dark, cool place to age for at least 3 months.
