It all depends on what you like or what you have on hand. But make sure you don't use wine, cider, or beer, those are not a spirit or distilled alcohol - which is needed to make a liqueur. Ume, or plums, are a rare and beloved fruit brought to Japan from China in this manner. But plum blossoms were prized for more than just their aesthetic appeal. Ume fruit has been consumed widely throughout history since it has numerous health advantages according to the Ume Kenkyukai (Ume Research Institute). Around the end of the third century, they first introduced ume to Japan. In Wu, China, during the Yamato period of Emperor Kinmei, there is one belief that Wani introduced this. Wani is a naturalised citizen from Baekje, and another theory brought by a high priest. Umeshu History Created by bartenders for bartenders; this vibrant colour Japanese liqueur was inspired by the ingenious Shinjiro Torii, founder of Suntory brand. His life-long dream was to develop a colourful drink, which inspired the creation of Midori liqueur. Japanese brewing and distilling company Suntory was founded in 1899 in Osaka and is one of the oldest alcoholic beverage companies in the country. Throughout the decades of successfully growing and expanding their business, Suntory became one of the largest distilleries in the world. Homemade sweet liqueurs like this plum liqueur, are more roughly around 25% ABV or 50 proof. The calculation will depend on how much juice is extracted from the plums and how much sugar you end up using.

Dark, burgundy red colour liquid comes presented inside a round-shaped bottle design of which is based on the globus cruciger. The bottle, decorated in a gold-lettered ribbon across the middle, is topped with a gold-colour cap. Endless West analyzed which molecules were responsible for the desired characteristics of a perfect plum liqueur, including fruitiness, tartness, sweetness, acidity, aroma and mouthfeel. Next, they went to work extracting identical molecules from plums, grapes, dark cherries, and other all-natural sources. UME’s stunning purple color? That comes from anthocyanin — a natural pigment found in red cabbage, lavender, and butterfly pea flower. Due to anthocyanin’s unstable pH, UME has a mesmerizing color-changing effect depending on the acidity or alkalinity of what it’s mixed with. Yeah, science! Slivovitz] has very distinct qualities that you cannot find in other brandies … or any other spirit, for that matter. I love how the subtle sweetness of the plum breaks through the heat of the alcohol, giving [it] a very hot, slightly fruity body.” If you have a couple pounds of plums this summer and vodka, add sugar and aromatics to fashion you own plum wine for the holidays. This is something to make now for drinking later.

Often called “Arctic gold”, the unique flavour cloudberries are praised for their creamy, bittersweet taste. Plum liqueur comes to us courtesy of Diana Henry’s Salt Sugar Smoke, a treasury of recipes designed with germophobic American preservers in mind. I've also got a million ideas for other fruits, but I'm keeping that for other blog posts! In the meantime, enjoy my blogger friends' beautiful cranberry liqueur and kumquat liqueurs- and don't forget my limoncello! Scroll below to find a printable recipe card.

It is quite different from this homemade plum liqueur. It is a brandy and not a sweet liqueur as we are making here. Which also explains the different levels of alcohol in the two.In all seriousness, I hesitated before offering another liquor recipe. But why lie? I wanted to make this, so I did. Besides, there are plenty of rhubarb recipes floating around the blogosphere right now. Do you really need another one from me? Yes, like a form of Benedictine. It’s delicious, brilliant,” she responded. We drank some more of it. Crafting from carefully selected fruits, the brand uses a technique similar to winemaking, to produce a beautifully intense, fresh flavour drink.

In 1946, Diego Zamora together with his brother, sister and her husband, began the exciting journey of the Diego Zamora Group. Following their hearts, passion and belief they started the production of an aromatic golden colour liquid based on the recipe invented by Diego Zamora. Alcohol - any pure spirit is perfect for liqueurs. Here I like to use either rum or vodka. Vodka is neutral, so it's usually the first option to go for. But whiskey is a nice touch that also works well with plums!

In Japan, we have a liquor called “White Liquor” (ホワイトリカー), whichwe use for making plum wine or fruit wine. If you can’t find it, don’t sweat it and use shochu or vodka. It’s perfect for sipping on its own,” she declared. “I can see this being served around the holidays.”