If you’re looking to add more fruit moonshine to your home bar, I’ve got a bunch of tasty recipes you can try. From apple and peach to strawberry and banana, I’m certain you’ll find one that will satisfy your preferences.
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What Is Fruit Moonshine?
Fruit moonshine is an alcohol made by fermenting and distilling fruits. Popular choices include apples, peaches, strawberries, and many others. The final product is a tasty and potent spirit with the essence of the fruit used. If you prefer, you can age your spirit using oak chips for that final stamp of authentic brandy.
Our Overall Favorite Fruit Wash
Apple moonshine is our go-to recipe! We get to play around with various types of apples, regardless of the time of year. The end result carries the taste and aroma of fresh fruit, which allows us to add spices and botanicals reminiscent of an apple pie.
Our 6 Best Fruit Moonshine Recipes (Try These)
Here are the best fruit moonshine worth giving a try.
Recipe 1: Banana moonshine
This recipe yields delicious banana brandy with enhanced aromas and taste. For a creamier experience, you can bake the bananas so they release their sugars and flavors. From here, you ferment the fruit, distill it, and age as you wish for a pronounced spirit. Head over here for the full recipe!
To make:
- Mash bananas: Peel the bananas, toss them in a fermenter, and mash them until they form a smooth pulp.
- Add water: Add inverted sugar and enough water. Make sure you leave enough headroom.
- Pitch yeast: Add yeast and yeast nutrient.
- Ferment: Ferment at 25℃ (77℉). When your hydrometer reads 1.100-1.120, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer.
- Distill: First, perform a stripping run, followed by a spirit run.
Learn More: You can read the full banana moonshine recipe here.
Recipe 2: Blueberry moonshine
These vibrant berries pack a well-rounded burst of flavor. There are two versions you can try: infused and distilled The former requires minimal ingredients. Simply combine blueberries, water, Everclear, and white sugar. Let it steep, strain, and enjoy! Alternatively, you can distill fermented blueberries for a more refined spirit. Check out the full recipe here!
Recipe 3: Peach cobbler moonshine
Mix peach concentrate, Everclear, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and fresh peaches for an easy, no-distillation version. Let the mixture sit for a couple of days and strain the solids. Or for a truly authentic moonshine, you can distill your own. All you need is to get your hands on the ripest peaches and good-quality yeast. From here, you ferment the fruit and distill the wash. Here’s a step-by-step guide for both variations.
Recipe 4: Apple pie moonshine
Apple moonshine is revered for its warm spicy notes, making it perfect for gifting or to enjoy on a chilly day! To have your spirit ready within a week, combine Everclear, apple juice concentrate, fresh apples, spices, and optional rum. Let it sit, strain, and it’s ready to be savored! For an authentic spirit, ferment preservative-free apple juice, distill, and you can add spices to create a spicy apple pie flavor. Head over here for the full recipe.
Recipe 5: Strawberry moonshine
Another one of my favorites, strawberry moonshine! It tastes like summer and it’s incredibly refreshing. You can create the no-distillation version by making syrup with strawberries, water, and sugar. To this, you add Everclear, let it sit for a week or two, and enjoy the fruity goodness! If you prefer an authentic version, use strawberries, sugar, yeast, and pectic enzyme. After fermentation and distillation, you can age the moonshine using oak inserts. Check out the full recipe here.
Recipe 6: Pineapple moonshine
Pineapple moonshine is an excellent tropical spirit to add to your home bar. Make a quick version by combining pineapple, sugar, and Everclear in glass jars. Let it infuse for a week or two, strain, and savor the tropical flavors! To experience the joy of distilling from scratch, create a wash by fermenting fresh pineapples or preservative-free pineapple juice, distill, and age. Ready to whip up this yummy concoction? Head over to the recipe!
5 Tips To Get The Perfect Fruit Moonshine
1. Use fresh fruit
Use fresh produce to enhance the taste of the final product. For example, when making banana moonshine, you’ll achieve a rich and caramelized drink and when making pineapple or berry versions, you’ll experience a satisfyingly sweet and tart spirit when you use fresh fruit instead of frozen varieties.
2. Use a good quality yeast
A good quality yeast will help you achieve a higher alcohol yield and produce a smoother-tasting spirit. Select one that’ll complement the flavors you’re looking to achieve.
3. Clarify your wash before distilling
To achieve a clear and high-quality brandy, clarify your wash by filtering any sediments that might burn and affect the taste of your final product.
4. Perform a stripping run
A stripping run removes any impurities present in the wash, resulting in a cleaner and purer final product.
5. Age your moonshine
To produce authentic brandy, age in an oak barrel or use inserts for a few weeks to allow the flavors to meld and for the tasty oak compounds to impart into your drink.
How To Age Fruit Moonshine
To achieve a beautiful golden brown spirit packed with caramel and fruity notes, we recommend you age your moonshine. You can use an oak barrel or inserts.
Using inserts.
- Pour 750ml brandy into glass jars.
- Add 20 mg of chips or 8 cubes into the jar.
- Seal your glass with a coffee filter and keep the filter in place with an elastic.
- Taste your brandy every two weeks until desired taste is achieved.
- Strain the brandy into a glass jar, seal it tightly, and store it.
Aging in barrels
- Pour the spirit into the barrel.
- Close the top of your barrel, and place the barrel in a cool, dark place.
- Check the barrel every week to ensure the liquor is not leaking. You can also rotate the barrel once a week to ensure all the alcohol gets nicely blended.
Read more on both these teqniques here
Our Final Thoughts
Fruit moonshine offers a fantastic way to enjoy your favorite fruits in a spirited form. From the rich and caramelized notes of banana moonshine to the refreshing taste of strawberry moonshine, there’s a recipe to suit every palate. Whether you prefer the simplicity of a no-distillation version or the authenticity of creating your own wash and distilling from scratch, the recipes in this post will help create a drink you’ll enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do you add fruit flavor to moonshine?
You can infuse your fruit of choice in moonshine and let the mixture sit for a week or two so the alcohol can draw out the fruit’s flavor.
Q. Which fruit makes the best moonshine?
Apples make the best moonshine. They come in a myriad of varieties, so you can mix and match a few of your favorite apples for a complexly flavored spirit.
Q. How do you keep moonshine clear and flavored?
You can add oak cubes or fruit to your spirit. Strain the solids after a couple of weeks (using a cheesecloth or coffee filter) to retain the flavors while removing any sediments.
Q. How long does fruit infusing in moonshine last before it goes bad?
Flavored moonshine generally has a shorter shelf life compared to its plain counterpart; the fruit will last between 6 months to a year.
Q. Does fruit moonshine need to be refrigerated?
You don’t have to refrigerate fruit moonshine unless the recipe calls for it.
Q. How long will apples last in moonshine?
Because alcohol is a great preservative, apples can last for 6 months to a year in moonshine. Ensure you store the jar in a cool dark place.
