Spiced Pum Brandy

Warm Greetings of New Year to everyone!!!!!

In the coming year we plan to make this place more exciting, innovative and interactive. To all my friends i would insist please ask your friends and family to go through our blog. At this stage your feedback is crucial and highly valued.

During this Christmassy New year season, we had a segment of special sparkling cocktails put on the menu. An array of various innovative sparklers was offered to the guest with options of several fruits, liqueurs and bitters. I am going to tell you about my contribution to this list. The Spiced Plum Sparkler. Well the recipe is simple. Put 60 ml of SPICED PLUM BRANDY in the tulip and tops it up with Sparkling wine.

The real creation is not the cocktail but the brandy. I made it in-house for my restaurant. But fellas you can make it in your house. Well, to begin with I have this endless attraction towards liqueurs. Their making process is something which keeps me hooked up to them with all the inquisitiveness. I always look forward towards trying and discovering new cocktails. This winter my eyes got glued on to the crimson plums in the fruit basket. The color is relishing and the fruit is beautiful in terms of taste and aroma.

So I thought how about plum brandy. It would be a task and fun also. But just plum wont be enough, so blended in the sweet spice Cinnamon. The task goes as follows

• 480 ml Brandy (a local honey bee would also do)
• 50 gm Castor sugar
• 285 gm Plum(Cut them into quarters, throw the seed out). For best results use imported plums, they are a little expensive but are the best.
• 1 stick of cinnamon (about)1 1&1/2 inch

1. Take an empty 750ml bottle, a glass bottle or even porcelain jar would do. Avoid using plastic.

2. Rinse the bottle clean with hot water and dry it.

3. Now add half of the sugar in the bottle, roll the bottle.

4. Add the pieces of plum. Press them slightly while putting them in the bottle so they release little juice.

5. Now add the brandy into the bottle

6. Keep this in a cool place like a cupboard or refrigerator where the temperature doesn’t vary during the day.

7. Wait patiently for 15 days.

Taste it then. Shake it and put it back for another 2 weeks and its ready.

This can be used as a flavoring for any cocktail. It can be drunk straight with a piece of plum cake.

Cheers!!!!

Asmita