Apple Pie Moonshine Recipe
Apple pie moonshine is an old favorite. Its sweet, pleasantly spiced apple flavor takes the edge off of especially strong moonshine, and makes it more enjoyable for people who can’t handle the kick and flavor of straight-up shine. Once you’ve tried apple pie moonshine, you’ll want to have some on hand all year long, but it’s especially good during the fall when fresh apple cider is on store shelves. Apple pie moonshine keeps very well due to the high alcohol content, and the flavor improves with age, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch since there’s no chance of it going to waste.
The Ingredients
These are the ingredients and equipment that you need in order to make 12 quarts of apple pie moonshine.
* Large cooking pot
* 12 quart-sized mason jars with bands and lids
* 1 gallon of apple cider
* 1/2 gallon of apple juice
* 6 cups of brown sugar
* 12 cinnamon sticks
* 12 whole cloves
* 2 teaspoons of grated nutmeg
* 2 cups of spiced rum
* 350ml of Everclear (or high-proof vodka), or about 1/2 of a fifth
The Recipe
There are two stages to making apple pie moonshine. The first step involves make a flavorful base out of apple cider, apple juice, sugar and spices. The alcohol is added to this flavor base in the second step, and then the moonshine is put into jars for storage. This recipe is split up into two steps in order to avoid heating high-proof alcohol on the stovetop, which can cause a fire and reduce the alcohol content of the finished product. It’s an easy recipe as long as you follow the directions carefully, and the moonshine that it makes can’t be beat.
First, add the following ingredients to your cooking pot and bring them to a boil:
* Apple cider
* Apple juice
* Sugar
* Cinnamon, clove and nutmeg
After the cider and juice mixture boils, turn off the heat and cover the cooking pot with a lid. Allow the mixture to sit, covered, until it comes back to room temperature. Once the cider and juice mixture has cooled, you can add the alcohol and stir for a moment in order to mix the alcohol well. Then use a ladle to carefully fill each mason jar 3/4 full with the apple cider moonshine and put on the lid. Optionally, you can add one cinnamon stick and one clove to each jar before storing them in order to increase the flavor of the spices over time. After 6 weeks of aging, your moonshine will taste exactly like apple pie.
Storage
For best results, you’ll want to store your moonshine in a cool, dark space for at least 2 weeks before drinking. This method of storage helps to age the moonshine and mellow the flavors, taking the edge off of the spices and letting everything meld into tasting like a delicious apple pie. After you’re happy with the taste of your apple pie moonshine, you can move it to the refrigerator in order to slow down the aging process. It can also be stored indefinitely in the freezer, although depending on the alcohol content it may freeze solid. As long as the air space in each jar is large enough, freezing isn’t an issue. But if the contents are too cramped then it’s possible to crack a jar during freezing. Refrigeration is the recommended method for long-term storage, but it’s not necessary as the alcohol content of the moonshine will stop it from spoiling.
