How to Make Blackberry Brandy

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 4, 2021 References

If you have access to a blackberry patch in the summertime or autumn, you'll soon have more blackberries than you know what to do with. Since you may be tired of eating and baking with them, try turning your blackberries into a flavorful brandy. You can either make a homemade blackberry brandy liqueur using berries, water, and sugar or you can purchase brandy that you infuse with the blackberries. Your blackberry brandy is a great way to preserve the taste of summer in a simple, but decadent drink.

Ingredients

Blackberry Brandy From Scratch

7 cups (1/2kg) of blackberries
8 1/2 cups (2 liters) of boiling water
1/2 teaspoon of pectic enzyme
3 cups (600g) of granulated sugar
1 packet (5g) of wine yeast
1/2 teaspoon yeast nutrient

Blackberry Brandy By Fermenting the Blackberries

About 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of blackberries or more, as needed
About 6 cups (1.2 kg) of granulated sugar
2 cups (479 ml) of non-chlorinated water

Blackberry Brandy Using Purchased Brandy

2 cups (44g) of blackberries
3/4 cup (177 ml) of brandy
1 1/4 (355 ml) cup of vodka
1 cup (235 ml) of water
1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making a Blackberry Brandy From Scratch

1
Mash blackberries with boiling water. Place 7 cups (1/2kg) of blackberries into a clean bucket for fermenting. Carefully pour 8 1/2 cups of boiling water over the blackberries. Wear oven mitts or hand protection and mash the fruit. Cover the bucket and let it cool to room temperature.^{[1]
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- This will make 2 to 3 750-ml bottles of blackberry brandy liqueur.
2
Add some pectic enzyme. Add 1/2 teaspoon of pectic enzyme to your bucket with blackberries and water. Stir to combine the mixture and cover it back up to rest for a day.
- The pectic enzyme will keep your blackberry brandy clear. You can find it at a home brewing supply store.
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3
Add sugar. Stir in 3 cups (600g) of granulated sugar till the sugar is mostly dissolved. Sugar is used to help preserve the blackberry brandy and sweeten the tart berries.^{[2]
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- Since the sugar acts as a preservative, you shouldn't cut back on the amount of sugar used in this recipe or your blackberry brandy may spoil faster.
4
Add wine yeast and yeast nutrient. To encourage fermentation of the blackberries, stir in 1 packet (5g) of wine yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrient. Stir the mixture well and cover the bucket. Let the mixture rest for 4 or 5 days. Stir the mixture really well every day.^{[3]
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- You can get wine yeast and yeast nutrient from home fermentation stores.
5
Strain your blackberry brandy and store it. Pour the blackberry brandy out of the bucket through a clean mesh strainer. To keep all of the seeds out, line the strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth or muslin. Transfer the strained blackberry brandy to sterile bottles or a small jug. Refrigerate the blackberry brandy for 6 weeks before serving it.^{[4]
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- If you want to remove all haze or cloudiness from your blackberry brandy, carefully siphon or pour the blackberry brandy to a new sterile bottle so that the sediment is left in the bottom of the original bottle.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making a Blackberry Brandy By Fermenting the Blackberries

1
Place a layer of blackberries in a large jar. Depending on what size jar you're using (you could use several quart jars or a large gallon jar), you'll need enough blackberries to cover the bottom with a single layer. The blackberries should come up about an inch.^{[5]
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- Make sure to use a jar that has a tight-fitting or sealable lid since you'll be storing it for an extended period of time.
2
Sprinkle the berries with sugar. Take 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar and sprinkle it over the blackberries in the bottom of your gallon-sized jar. The blackberries should be covered with the sugar.^{[6]
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- If you're using two smaller jars, you may need a little less sugar over the blackberries.
3
Keep layering the blackberries and sugar. Add another layer of blackberries over your sugared blackberries. Sprinkle another cup (200 g) of sugar over this layer. Continue to add a layer of blackberries and sprinkle sugar over each layer until you're about an inch from the top of the jar. Your last layer should end with sugar on top.^{[7]
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- For a gallon jar, you'll probably end up using around 3 pounds (6 cups) of granulated sugar and about 10 pounds of fresh blackberries.
4
Add water. Pour 2 cups (479 ml) of non-chlorinated water over the top of your sugared berries. If your city treats the water with chlorine, you should use bottled spring water. You don't need to stir the berries, sugar, and water.^{[8]
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- If you're unsure if the water out of your tap is chlorinated or not, just use bottled spring water to be on the safe side.
5
Cover the jar and let the brandy ferment. Place plastic wrap over the mouth of your jar and loosely set the lid on the jar. Put your jar on a tray in a dark spot. Stir the brandy and sugar mixture every other day for the first week. To make it easier, use a long-handled spoon.^{[9]
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- The tray can contain any mess if the brandy bubbles over the side of the jar while it ferments.
6
Keep stirring and fermenting the brandy. After the first week, stir your brandy once a week for three more weeks. You can then strain the brandy through muslin or cheesecloth. Removing the blackberries at this point will prevent the brandy from becoming bitter.^{[10]
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- You can also strain the brandy through large coffee filters, but this will take more time and you'll end up with less brandy.
7
Store your blackberry brandy. Once you've strained the blackberries out of the brandy, divide the brandy into smaller bottles with screw caps or into mason jars with lids. Store your brandy in a dark place for around 3 months to improve the flavor.^{[11]
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- If you won't go through the blackberry brandy very quickly, consider using smaller bottles or jars so that the opened brandy doesn't come into contact with a lot of oxygen. Oxygen can lower the alcohol content of your brandy if it's exposed for a long period of time.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making a Blackberry Brandy Using Purchased Brandy

1
Muddle your blackberries. You'll need a large glass jar that can hold at least a quart (4 cups). The jar should have a sealable lid since you'll be storing the brandy in it and shaking it frequently. Place 2 cups (44g) of blackberries into your clean jar and smash them a little with the end of a wooden spoon to release some juice.^{[12]
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- If you like your blackberry brandy to be a little tart, add 1/2" piece of lime zest to the jar.
2
Add your alcohols. Buy an unflavored vodka and brandy. Any quality brandy will work when making homemade blackberry brandy, especially if you let the blackberries infuse the alcohol for several months. Pour 3/4 cup (177 ml) of brandy and 1 1/4 (355 ml) cup of vodka into your jar with the muddled blackberries.^{[13]
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- For a stronger brandy flavor, you can replace the vodka with more brandy or even whisky, rum, or gin.^{[14]
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3
Shake and strain the infused brandy. Seal the jar with your berries, vodka, and brandy. Shake the mixture and let it sit for 3 days. Avoid refrigerating it and keep it out of direct sunlight. After 3 days, pour the brandy mixture through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. This will catch any blackberry solids.^{[15]
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- You can throw away the blackberry solids since they'll mainly be seeds.
4
Make a simple syrup to add to the brandy. Mix 1 cup (235 ml) of water with 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Cook it over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate the syrup until it's cool. Add all of the cold simple syrup to your strained blackberry brandy.^{[17]
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- If you want to make extra simple syrup to further sweeten the brandy or to use in other drinks, you can double the water and sugar. Refrigerate your extra simple syrup for up to 5 days.
5
Store your blackberry brandy. Shake the jar so that the simple syrup and blackberry brandy completely mix. Let it rest for at least 1 day after you add the syrup. You can then serve the blackberry brandy or mix it into a cocktail.^{[18]
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- Refrigerate your blackberry brandy for up to 2 months.

Community Q&A

Question

Once I have placed the blackberries and the alcohol in a bottle, how long should it fuse prior to straining and adding the "syrup"?

Community Answer

Hold it in for at least a week. (Two weeks is ideal.) This will give the mixture enough time for the alcohol to break down the bonds in the berries and absorb the flavor without physically changing the state of the berries.