Christmas Cocktails!

Get yourself into the 'Christmas Spirit's' with these festive Christmas day cocktails!

Check out these and other great recipes on our website : http://stillspirits.com/au/recipes.html

Christmas Cosmopolitian

Nothing says Christmas better than a classy Cosmopolitian!

Strawberry Daiquiri

Enjoy the strawberry goodness of this delicious Cuban cocktail.

 

Melon Ecstasy

Bright green in colour, your tastebuds will tingle with this fresh and fruity cocktail explosion!

Midori Sour

This simple cocktail will make your friends 'green' with envy!

Handcraft your very own whiskey today!

If you've tried all of our whiskey essences and you're looking to get a bit more experimental, the whiskey profile kit might be just the thing for you.

The kit contains 4 base essences as well as 10 adjunct flavour notes that all contribute to the unique character of your favourite whiskey and the great thing is not only can you replicate the flavours of well known brands, you can also tweak these to your own personal preferences. If you want it sweeter, add more vanillin! Or less smoky? Just hold off on the Peat Smoke!

Included in the kit is a handy recipe book explaining the different whiskeys made throughout Scotland, with recipes for each of these flavour profiles, as well as recipes for a few well known and well loved brands. 

There really is nothing stopping you from becoming a connoisseur now!

EZ Filter System

How does it perform and what makes it different to all other filters? Find out why this filter is the first choice for your distilling requirements.

The EZ Filter uses a specially formulated solid activated carbon cartridge to remove unwanted flavours from distilled alcohol. The cartridge eliminates the need to handle powdered or granulated carbon. The cartridge’s porous design allows the spirit to pass through and the unwanted flavours to be absorbed by the activated carbon.

FAQ: How long does the EZ Filter take to run?
Answer: On average the EZ Filter will take 4-6 hours for a run of a 9 litre batch, enabling plenty of time for another run if desired - although one run will be sufficient.
*NOTE: Time will vary depending on how tight the bottom nut is on the spindle. A firm tightness is sufficient.

FAQ: Isn’t slower better?
Answer: Not necessarily. The carbon block design with the carbon compacted to 0.1mm ensures all spirit comes into contact with the carbon, enabling the impurities to be efficiently removed. Other filters although slower, may not be of a design where all spirit comes into contact with the carbon, with time not being the key factor, the spirit exposure to the carbon giving the best possible result.

The EZ Filter is quick, efficient and easy to use and certainly takes the fuss out of filtering your spirit.

It’s the perfect product for both existing and new distillers.

Watch the EZ Filter video on YouTube

 

Still Spirits Hydrometers

Still Spirits have 3 different hydrometers that can be used to check your alcohol's finished strength. Read about them below.

Still Spirits Alcoholmeter 0 -100%

A good general purpose hydrometer for everyday use. It has a range of 0 to 100% alcohol content. As the range is so broad the scale can be hard to read especially in the lower ranges.

The Still Spirits Precision instrument range although not certified for commercial use are made to the same exacting standards.

Precision Alcometer 0%-50%

This hydrometer is ideal for use in measuring and adjusting the finished alcohol strength of your spirits. As this hydrometer covers only the 0 to 0% range on the same length of the scale it is much easier to read and ensure your spirit is at the correct strength for drinking.

Precision Alcometer 70%-100%

The perfect hydrometer for use with the Turbo 500 still and other full reflux stills. It measures in the range of 70 to 100% so is ideal for all reflux stills. As the range of 70 to 100% covers the entire scale it is in quite large increments making measuring the spirit much easier and more accurate. This helps those that wish to set their still to make very pure spirit by easily measuring the spirit to half per cent increments or less in the 90 to 100% range.

Herbal Liqueurs + Recipes

Herbal liqueurs originated in Europe and are said to have started out as medicinal tonics rather than alcoholic drinks. Two popular and well known liqueurs, Chartreuse and Benedictine are from France and were both originally made by monks for this purpose. Both drinks contain a variety of different herbs and spices, although their recipes remain closely guarded secrets. Another popular herbal liqueur is the German favourite Jagermeister which is thought to contain around 56 herbs.

Here are a couple of tasty and delicious recipes you can make using your finished Still Spirits herbal liqueurs.

Up All Night

1 can Red Bull energy drink

1 shot Herbal Liqueur

Pour Red Bull into a beer mug and drop in a shot glass of herbal liqueur - drink immediately!

Brandy Benedictine Cream

1 nip (30ml) Dictine

1.5 nips (45ml) VSOP

1 nip (30ml) cream

Add all ingredients to a shaker with crushed ice. Shake and serve with a garnish of mint leaves.

Bourbon Chips

What are they? Well they are oak chips taken from barrels that have been used to age bourbon for a minimum of 4-8 years. They can greatly enhance the flavour of your bourbon and are simple and easy to use, just leave them to soak in your spirit, drain and taste the difference!


We have 3 different kinds of bourbon chips derived from well known bourbon brands:

• Kentucky Bourbon Chips come from Jim Beam barrels
• Gobbler's Bourbon Chips come from Wild Turkey barrels
• Tennessee Bourbon Chips come from Jack Daniels barrels

Soak 1/2 packet of bourbon chips in 2 litres of filtered spirit stirring daily for a minimum of 10 days. Drain carefully and then add your favourite bourbon essence. Half a bottle for the Top Shelf essences or 1 packet of Classic essence per 2 litres of spirit.


Try experimenting with different chips and essences or even blend them all together - you may be surprised at the results!

Hot Toddy Recipe

Feeling the freeze? Hot Toddy's are a great way to beat off the winter blues. This popular hot toddy recipe will not only warm your insides, but it tastes delicious and can stave away that nasty cold or flu!

 

Ingredients (to make 2 cups)

• 80ml whiskey
• 60ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbs honey
• 2 x cinnamon sticks, bruised
• 12 whole cloves
• 250ml boiling water

Stir together all the ingredients, making sure honey is dissolved. Strain and pour into cups - drink immediately while it's still hot! 

Different Types of Stills

Pot Stills? Reflux Stills? Air Stills? What does it all mean?! This post will help you decide which still is best for you.

What is a Pot Still?

A pot still has a simple condenser fitted which condenses the vapours produced by the boiler. The alcohol content is usually lower in strength as compared to a reflux still. It is important to discard the first 50mls of liquid produced as this may contain by-products that will substantially reduce the quality of your spirit.

This still is also ideal for extracting essential oils.

What is an Air Still?

An air still is like a pot still but uses air instead of water to cool the condenser using an inbuilt fan making it great for regions where water shortages are a problem.  It is designed for water distillation, bio fuel manufacture, essential oil extraction or alcohol distillation. The Turbo Air Still's stylish and compact design makes it ideal for the kitchen bench and requires no more space than any other of your kitchen appliances!




What is a Reflux Still?

A reflux still has a column between the condenser and the pot which is packed with ceramic or copper saddles. These provide a large surface area in the column which maximises the contact between the liquid and the vapour. As the vapours rise up the column, the vapours of heavier liquids such as water, condense and fall back down. This process is known as refluxing and produces a much higher purity alcohol.

The Turbo 500 Still is the latest in cutting edge still technology and is designed and assembled in New Zealand. It can be used to produce high quality, commercial grade, clear
spirits such as Gin, White Rum and Vodka as well as any of the other Spirits and Liqueurs in the Still Spirits Essences range.

Please note in New Zealand, Austria, Italy, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine it is perfectly legal to home distil for personal use, but elsewhere it is not.

In most countries it is illegal for an individual to use a still for the purpose of making your own pure alcohol to drink. Yet it’s not against the law to own a water distillation unit or a simple ‘plug in and press start’ air-still, (under 5 litres in Australia) and many people already use these devices to distil water or to make essential oils.

Still Spirits strongly recommends that you check the legal status of amateur distillation in your country beforehand.

Shaken or Stirred?

If you've ever wondered which cocktails need to be shaken and which need to be stirred, here are some easy pointers that will answer that age old question!

Shaken?
Drinks that contain eggs, fruit juices or cream are shaken in order to freeze and break down the ingredients. The harder the shake, the colder the cocktail. Half fill your shaker with whole ice cubes, add your ingredients and shake briskly until the container feels cold to the touch. Strain and pour immediately for that perfect cloudy look.

Stirred?
Drinks made up of clear spirits only are stirred to retain the clarity. Use a long handled bar spoon and gently stir to both chill and mix the ingredients. The longer you stir the colder the cocktail will be and often the more diluted, as the ice mixes with the other ingredients. Strain and serve immediately. 

So why does James Bond prefer his martini shaken, not stirred? Personal preference? Or secret agent stubborness! It's certainly one way to make your bartender cringe!

Spirit Making Competition!

Be into win a T500 Turbo Still!
We are running a spirit making competition, all you have to do is send us 2 x 50ml samples from any of the following categories - Vodka, Dark Rum, Bourbon or Whiskey and you could be a winner!

Samples need to be clearly marked with your name, phone number and the spirit category.
Send to: Cameron Kerr, PO Box 302-860, North Harbour, Auckland, NZ.

Entries close 30th August 2011. Open to NZ residents only. Winners will be notified by phone by the 20th September 2011.

Cafelua Cocktail Recipes

Firstly, congratulations on successfully making your very own bottle of Cafelua liqueur! As well as enjoying it on the rocks, here are a few great cocktail recipes to really get you enjoying that rich and fresh Mexican coffee flavour!

Black Russian

1 Part Cafelua
1 Part Vodka
Mix and serve in a Cocktail Glass with Ice.

P.S. I Love You
1 Part Irish Cream
1 Part Cafelua
1 Part Amaretto
Pour over Ice in a Wine Glass and stir.

Coffee Orange Brandy

1 Part Cafelua
1 Part Orange Brandy
Dash of Fresh Orange Juice
Shake with Ice and strain into a Wine Glass.

Black Liquorice
1 Part Black Sambuca
1 Part Cafelua
Mix together with Ice and add a dash of Brandy. Serve in a Cocktail Glass.