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If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably know that I am all about making fun, delicious moonshines in all sorts of flavors. Today I am super excited to share one of the most festive batches we’ve made yet- Cranberry Moonshine!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
Spunky Cranberry Moonshine
This cranberry moonshine makes a great group gift. I like to hand out flavored moonshines for Christmas gifts for my husband’s employees because I can make a large batch all at once, and they are so beautiful!
For this recipe you will need
- Cranberry juice – cranberry juice has a super sharp flavor that pairs well with the alcohol and makes this moonshine give drinks a sharp hit.
- White sugar – you need sugar to balance out the intensity of the cranberry flavor.
- Fresh Cranberries – fresh cranberries give this moonshine a beautiful look and a fresh intensity.
- 190 proof grain alcohol – I use everclear for this moonshine. It mixes well with the intensity of the cranberries.
How to make Cranberry Moonshine
- Bring all the ingredients except the alcohol to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Don’t let it heat for a long time or else the fresh cranberries will split into cranberry sauce.
- Cover and remove from the heat, let it cool. Sterilize your jars and prepare them while you are waiting.
- Mix the alcohol into the cooled mixture. Label it into the prepared jars, label them with the date, and let them sit for 2 weeks to 6 months.
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1 – We’re not actually sealing/canning the jars- just bringing all of the ingredients except the alcohol to a boil, letting it cool, and then adding them to sterile jars with Everclear. It is important to use Everclear for this recipe since it has such a high alcohol content. This helps keep everything from going bad!
Tip 2 – It’s best to make the moonshine ahead of time and let it sit, as the moonshine will sweeten and become more flavorful over time.
Tip 3 – Remember this moonshine is HIGHLY alcoholic- do not drive after drinking. It is not worth the risk- let’s keep the holidays happy! Please also keep well out of the reach of children. This is such an alcoholic drink it could be very dangerous if ingested by a child.
FAQs
This makes for delicious cocktails when mixed with sprite, ginger ale, or tonic.
Yes but make sure its 190 proof so the mixture keeps well.
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Cranberry Moonshine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 gallons cranberry juice
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 package cranberries, fresh
- 1 liter bottle of 190 proof grain alcohol, Everclear
Instructions
- Bring ingredients EXCEPT everclear to a boil.
- Cover and remove from heat. Let cool.
- Get sterile jars ready.
- Mix everclear into cooled juice mixture.
- Ladel into jars, let sit for 2 weeks or up to six months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Since cranberries are out of season in Michigan in Feb. Can you use frozen and add them at the end
Do you mean frozen whole cranberries? You can use whole frozen ones or you can rehydrate dry cranberries in warmed moonshine. You don’t want to heat the moonshine so hot that it burns off the alcohol but it needs to be warmed then add the dry cranberries. Hope this helps!
if its flavoured chill it for a few hours before.I find it bring out more flavour
Can you make this in the crockpot? seems it would blend the flavors better if cooked slow…
I would be very cautious using a slow cooker since it may cause the fresh cranberries to bloom which would make a lovely cranberry moonshine sauce but not necessarily what you are wanting.
This looks delicious! I’m disappointed that your other moonshine recipes are no longer available on your site. They were my favorite and I visited yearly to make them at Christmas time. ?
The site was hit wiith a bug that wiped out some of our old recipes. We’re working hard on recovering them!
Does this need to be refrigerated?
No, it can sit at room temperature for up to 6 months.
I made this over the holidays, bottled it in some fancy red bottles and gave it as gifts. People LOVED IT, I’m still getting requests for more. 4 bottles of 151 proof vodka, 4 gal of cranberry juice and 20 Bright red bottles LATER STILL getting requests.