Homemade Mastic Liqueur
Do you miss Greece? Make this homemade Mastic Liqueur and with every sip you will feel like you have Greece right there in your glass!
If you’ve never tried the Greek Mastic (Mastiha) before let me tell you that it’s one of those spices that every person should try at least once in his/her life! Its aroma and exceptional taste are unmatched!
What are “Mastic tears” also known as “Chio’s Mastic”?
Mastic (Mastiha) is a spice originating from the Greek island Chios. It is a type of resin that is produced by a mastic tree also known as “Pistacia Lentiscus” and you can find it on the market in the form of solid tears. The tears can be powdered and added to candy, pastry, sweet bread, alcoholic beverages, mastic-infused drinks/ sodas, and many other goodies.
The Mastic tears besides their unique and exceptional taste also have a lot of health benefits.
They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties but also an enzyme that is very helpful with digestion. It also has small amounts of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, and vitamin C.
You can find many products with Mastic tears if you visit Greece and the most popular of them are Mastic Chio’s chewing gum, and Mastic Liqueur.
How to serve the Mastic liqueur?
In Greece, we serve it in small liqueur glasses as it is very aromatic and it is best enjoyed in little sips. If by any chance you are from Greece or you have Greek origins and can’t visit Greece anytime soon make this liqueur and you will be instantly reminded of it.
It’s a great liqueur to serve at Greek weddings or Greek engagements (Aravones) or just enjoy with friends!
What equipment will you need to make this Mastic Liqueur?
For this recipe you will need:
- 1 big jar that can hold 2,5-3L of liquid.
- 1 Funnel tube that can fit into the bottle that you are planning to distill the liqueur
- A few coffee filters
- A big soup spoon
- Disposable Gloves so that you can protect your hands from touching the melted mastic
This recipe for Mastic Liqueur was given to me by Γιάννης Αραμπατζής (Giannis Arabatzis). He is great in the making of liqueurs and spoon sweets and I would like to thank him very much for allowing me to post his recipe! He makes amazing things so make sure to check him out on FB!
The video has subtitles in English, Greek, and more than 30 languages.
Homemade Mastic Liqueur
Ingredients:
- 10g Mastic tears
- 1L Tsipouro (without Anise) or Vodka*
- 750g Sugar, plain
- 1L Water
Instructions:
- Add the Mastic with the Vodka (or the Tsipouro without anise) in a large 3-liter jar and leave it at room temperature for 2-3 days, shaking often until the mastic starts to melt and gathers as a mass at the bottom of the jar.
- Prepare the syrup by putting the water with the sugar in a small pot and after it boils count 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Let it cool and then pour it into the jar with the mastic and vodka and close the jar tightly.
- Place the jar in the sun* (in your balcony or close to a window where it gets plenty of sunshine) for at least 40 days or even better 2 months for the mastic to melt and make the liqueur.
- Filter the liqueur from the jar into a clean bottle with the help of a big spoon and a funnel tube to which you are going to add 2 paper coffee filters like the ones we use for French coffee.
- French coffee filters aid in the distillation of the Mastic Liqueur as they collect the residue from the Mastic tears.
- After filtering the liqueur it is ready to taste its unique taste and offer it to your guests. Cheers and enjoy!
Notes:
- You can use Tsipouro without Anise or Vodka to make this recipe but if you don’t like Tsipouro I do not recommend using it. Go with the Vodka which has a rather neutral taste but make sure it has an alcoholic level of 40% or higher.
- If you live in a country without a lot of sunshine then you can do one of the two alternatives:
- 1) Turn on your oven at 50C/100F and let it heat up for 1 minute, then turn it off and place the jar covered with a blanket inside (Repeat the procedure daily for at least 1 month).
- 2) Place it close to a heater or cover it with a blanket and place it in your oven with the lights on for a few hours each day.
Keep in mind that if you use the oven and blanket method it might take more time for the liqueur to be ready.
The big jar that you will use to make the Mastic Liqueur will have to discard it after use because the mastic resin will stick to the jar and it is not washable. I even suggest you should not touch it with bare hands because it’s very sticky and you will struggle to take it out of your fingers!
