Boozy Fruit

I come from a family of storytellers, and Boozy Fruit comes with a story of its own. I grew up on long meals around longer tables where children sat with the adults and stories lasted until long after the sun went down. Some stories were better than others, but the dinner table was the stage where tellers honed their stories and perfected their craft. The best stories, I heard told by most members of my family at one point or another and they became more and more rich and wonderful with each telling- each person had a different point of view or remembered (or added) a new detail. Of course, first person experience is not a requirement- the best stories were lived by all after years of having heard them. I am reminded of one such story, each year as I feel the days begin to shorten. It’s about me, but I was too small to remember the actual occurrence. When you grow up in rural Wisconsin, there are many tasks to be done before Winter’s onset. Bulbs must be planted, flower beds protected with piles of fallen leaves, window casings lined with plastic if they’re old and single-paned; but these are fall tasks. In late summer, the garden must be harvested and the canning must be done. Raspberries must be picked and frozen and saved for special occasions. When I was little, I followed my mother around as she undertook these tasks. Ever the inquisitive child, I asked her why. “Why are we taking down the screens and putting up storm windows?” I asked. “For the Winter,” my mother replied. “Why are we freezing the raspberries?” to which my mother replied, “For the Winter.” “Why are we canning beans and raking leaves and taking the boats from the water?” Always for the Winter. Finally, one day I mentioned to my mother that Winter must be a pretty big deal if we had to go to all this trouble just for her to visit. My mother loves to remind me of this story and share her joy in getting to teach me about life cycles and seasons. While a part of me knows that I can easily find whatever I like almost year round, I still can’t help but do a little preparation for Ms. Winter, and make this Boozy Fruit. She is a big deal. In my city apartment, I expect that Ms. Winter probably hopes for a cocktail most of all, and so I buy up some extra fruit and pack some into brandy, vodka, and bourbon so I always have some Boozy Fruit on hand.

Lots of small plums (this year, I did lemon plums and sugar plums as well as apricots)
granulated sugar
brandy
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
seeds from 4 cardamom pods

Wash plums and prick them all over with a skewer. Place them in a clean jar with a tight lid. Add cinnamon and vanilla. Measure in brandy, leaving a couple of inches at the top. Measure in 1 part sugar for every 3 parts of brandy that you used. Top with brandy. Let jar sit in a dark, cool place (but not the refrigerator) for at least 6 weeks and preferably 3 months.
When you’ve waited sufficiently, you’ll be rewarded with the best possible sangria base and a source of endless inspiration for amazing cocktails all winter long.

Good combos:
Apples and brandy: 1 cinnamon stick and peel from one lemon
Cherries and bourbon: 2 star anise pods, 8 black peppercorns and peel from one orange
Vodka and cranberries: 1 cinnamon stick and peel from one lemon (cut some of the cranberries in half so that you see their beautiful inside core in drinks.
Pears and Brandy: ½ stem rosemary and peel from one lemon
Apricots and Brandy: seeds from 4 cardamom pods and ½ or a vanilla pod; halved
Tequila and cranberries: I made this for cranberry margaritas last Christmas

Things that don’t work that well: berries, they tend to break down (I tried raspberries… they weren’t great).

Cocktails that use the base:
Plum Sparkler

Other boozy fruit in my fridge:
Kumquats
Maraschino cherries