Spiced rum + Krupnik (Polish spiced honey vodka)

Two very welcome Christmas presents

I’m not sure if I’m too busy or too lazy to make Christmas presents as often as I’d like, but this year is different. I love making special drinks and these two are as simple and quick as they are delicious.

Versions of both are in my recent book SPICE/a cook’s companion, tweaked here to give you around a litre of each. Both will split nicely into two 500ml bottles, four 250ml bottles or - with the addition of a touch more booze - three 350ml bottles.

The krupnik is ready in a day, the rum in four.

If you want to see the process of making krupnik, click right here.

A little nice paper and a ribbon and you’ll be making someone very happy.

Spiced rum

That first half term of big school, I let the slope take me, hands off the brakes for once, down the cutting of the old railway line, feeling like Evel Knievel: one sniff of dark rum and I remember what gave me such unusual confidence that afternoon. These days, the pleasure this brings is perhaps more gentle but no less welcome. The key to this Caribbean classic is to not go too large on any of the spices: too much cinnamon or cloves and it’ll taste like Christmas rather than the Cayman Islands, too little allspice and everything won’t marry just so. That said, it should be to your taste: try this beauty and embellish as you like. Wardington’s Ludlow Golden rum is my favourite rum and an incredible base here, but a blend of dark and white is really superb too.

650ml dark rum

350ml white rum

1 cinnamon stick, broken

7 allspice berries, lightly crushed

2 clove

12 black peppercorns

1 lantern of mace (what it looks like whole) or plenty of mini-sticks

½ vanilla pod, split lengthways

3 good strips of orange zest

A blind cobbler’s thumb of ginger, sliced

Add everything to a jar, close the lid and shake to agitate the flavours. Leave to infuse for four days, longer if you prefer. Funnel into a bottle, using a fine sieve to catch the spices.

Krupnik

In many ways this is mulled vodka, following a process similar to mulled cider, and while similarly adaptable, the balance of spices is crucial to avoid tipping its delicate sweetness into cloying. I love this drunk as soon as it has had chance to be chilled after making, though it is differently delicious when mellower after a few months. Enjoy stone cold as a summer shot, lengthened with fizz, or brought almost to simmer in a pan as a winter warmer. 

300ml honey

300ml water

4 cloves

2 whole mace

1 cinnamon stick, broken

6 allspice berries, crushed

1 vanilla pod, unsplit

2 unwaxed lemon, halved lengthways and sliced into half moons

700ml vodka

Place everything except the vodka and lemon into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the honey. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the vodka, add the lemon, cover and allow to infuse overnight. 

Depending on your enthusiasm for a clear liquid, strain through a fine sieve or double layer of muslin into a funnel over a bottle.