Taking the bite out of Everclear

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Hey all,

Looking for some suggestions on how to take the bite/burn out of Everclear without diluting it much. What would you recommend?

Vanilla?
Citrus?
Certain spices?
Honey?

Need your help...

Thanks in advance,
Pewter

 

[Dan McFeeley]

Looking for some suggestions on how to take the bite/burn out of Everclear without diluting it much. What would you recommend?

OMG -- You're going to drink it straight?!

;D

I came across the idea of using a water filter on cheap vodka. Here's an account of the experiment:

http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/index.php?p=4

I've never tried this myself so I can't vouch for its effectiveness.

An alternative is the natural route. Drink enough of the stuff and you won't care, or even notice anymore. ;D

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Dan,

This deserves an explanation. I am involved with a group of friends that are pirate personnaes in the SCA. I will see them in August at Pennsic. They are known for having titanium livers. They actually ate cherries that had been soaked in Everclear last year. The one I tried burned my mouth so much I spit it out. But I have been adopted as the Ship's Brew Master and so the challenge is for me to make something that will knock them on their arses.

When I do a cordial, I use the fruits and sugar to take the edge off of the vodka or whatever my base alcohol is. My end results generally have a 40 percent vodka ending up at more like 20 percent when I am done. I'd like to avoid that dillution. In making Hyroka (sp?), the use of honey and spices tames the alcohol a bit. So what spices take the burn out of something? Vanilla comes to mind...

I am thinking the following recipe:

1 pint orange blossom honey
3 vanilla beans
Everclear to one gallon

Mix well, age until August, remove beans, bottle, and serve at Pennsic.

What else would help?

 

[Dmntd]

Rather then taming the alcohol bite, you could mask it behind red hot chilli's.

Dmntd

 

[Dan McFeeley]

Maybe a bit more seriously, you might want to reconsider using the Everclear, especially if you add spices and only a bit of honey to disguise the bite.

Everclear is about 95% ethyl alcohol, and with no warning, just an easy slide down the throat, you're looking at a serious potential for alcohol poisoning. Somebody could unknowingly chug a lethal amount, not knowing how potent it is.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, just trying to warn about potential problems.

Put it this way -- you can make vodka jello cubes, but not using Everclear. The alcohol level in Everclear is so high it destroys the gelatin.

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Rather then taming the alcohol bite, you could mask it behind red hot chilli's.

Dmntd

Dmntd,

There is something at War referred to as Strawberry Surprise. It has no strawberries but a liberal amount of hot stuff. I am told it burns certain things the next day. So I will avoid creating something like that...

Thanks,
Pewter

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Dan,

I honestly appreciate the point of view and have no intention of trying to kill anyone with this. Everyone will know that it is VERY potent before they try it. Realize that the people we are talking about routinely go through two bottles of Jack Daniels each during an evening.

I have already announced that the night we do my stuff, that we will not be leaving camp. The format will probably be passing a 750 mL bottle of the stuff around the fire and having each person take a swig in turn. So no high volume, dangerous chugging type of thing...

And yes, jello shots with Everclear, if they'd coagulate, would be deadly... the cherry bombs are pretty potent but they BURN...

Thanks,
Pewter

 

[Dmntd]

LOL Pewter,

Just a thought. I believe honey and vanilla are a good bet.

Everclear pepper sauce. There's a reason people call me,

Dmntd

 

[Muirghein Tarot]

Well if you added heavy cream you would have an Everclear white Russian. But unless you intend to keep it in the cooler all week Pensics is a little hot for milk. I don't know if your Walmart has the same things mine does but in the wine section you might find a Oreilly's white chocolate Irish cream, small white bottle. Tastes like a vanilla milk shake. I have had it mixed with both Capt. Morgan's and with a peppermint schnapps and it covers the alcohol completely but both together don't add up too Everclear.
I like the sound of your friends! Coming from a pirate persona myself it's good to know there are other out there who's hats are not period.
At Border Raids last year I came out of my tent in full pirate garb to find that the encampment behind mine was all pirates! They called me over, we talked for awhile then one of them noticed the mug hanging from my belt and offered me some old Hob's Grog. loathe to turn down anything that would put the modern world to sleep for the weekend I accepted. O.M.G!!

The recipe I was told later was
1 bottle Capt. Morgan's tattoo,
1 bottle Everclear
2cups sugar
2lemons
3limes
blend sugar into Everclear,
pour over fruit then top with the rum
to fill a gallon jug.


It is a spiced 'Sprite' from hell.
Tarot

 

[--SEmper]

I came across the idea of using a water filter on cheap vodka. Here's an account of the experiment:

http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/index.php?p=4

It works, but Brita water filters are way too expensive. It is basically just Active Coal. So you can just run over to the fish store, and buy it there, it is most commonly used as in aquarium filters. It'll save you a whole lot of money ;D

Home distillers use it to clear up there spirit from fusel oils, and to give it less of a bite.

Further tips: first run water through it to get the Active Coal a bit cleaner (you don't want black vodka ). Also, before each run, run clear water through it. AC works better when moist.

But Wikipedia said that Everclear is already purified, so I guess that would be overkill. It works charms on cheap vodka though

 

[pain]

Easy. Loki.

1 bottle Everclear
3 oz almond extract
2 oz vanilla extract
4 cups sugar
8 cups water

High Octane Amaretto.

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Vicki,

I've heard others talk about Loki but I had never seen the recipe. Almond extract is another good possibility for taking the edge off. Have you ever had it? Is it smooth?

Thanks,
Pewter

 

[Dmntd]

Hey SEmper,

Charcoal (made by charing vegetable matter), is used for the filteration.

Dmntd

 

[pain]

Pewter, thats whats so scary about it. Its so smooth it's scary.

If they like amaretto, they *love* this stuff. Check out my Apple hooch recipe in this board too, it works the same way, and has gotten rave reviews everywhere I take it.

 

[Johnnybladers]

Alas, poor me, my elected officials (if I remember, I was too young or unconcerned to vote at the time) in their infinite wisdom decided that the citizenry simply couldn't be trusted with a product like everclear. All I have are stories from the older guys about soaked cherries. Guess I'll have to get some from a neighboring state to try some of these recipes.
Jon

 

[pain]

Johnny, use 151 rum, it works almost as well.....

 

[Johnnybladers]

Ah, 151 rum I can get. Won't the flavor of the rum come through?
Thanks, Jon

 

[pain]

A little, but not enough to matter. The beauty of 151 is that it has very little flavor. Conversely, use a high-octane vodka....

 

[--SEmper]

Charcoal (made by charing vegetable matter), is used for the filteration.

Yep, I know Active Coal = Activated Charcoal/Carbon.

As far as I remember the basic difference is that the activated charcoal has a greater surface, resulting in a more efficient filtration process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon

Wiki even links to the vodka purification URL ;D

Mmmh, for that Loki, I have got to try that one... What's the volume of a bottle of Everclear?

 

[pain]

750 ml, same as a bottle of vodka.....