A dry berry ferment from London bar Scout, this wine combines the late British summer burst of blackberries, seen scattered over the hedgerows across the country, with the more autumnal flavor of pine sprigs. Invented to make use of bruised or otherwise unsellable blackberries by Scout’s owner Matt Whiley, this wine harnesses the fruit’s natural yeasts, making it vital to keep the liquid at a constant temperature when fermenting. You can scale the yield of the recipe up or down as desired.
Scout’s Blackberry and Pine Wine
Matt Whiley, Scout | London
Ingredients
Yield: 1 1/4 gallons
- 1 3/4 pounds white sugar
- 2 1/4 pounds blackberries
- 5 long sprigs of pine
- 1 gallon water
Directions
- Add 1 liter of water to your ferment bucket along with all the sugar and dissolve.
- Blend or crush blackberries and pine and add to your ferment bucket.
- Add the remaining 3 of liters water and stir.
- Cover the ferment bucket tightly with muslin cloth and leave for 3 days or until small bubbles appear on the surface.
- Now place the lid with an airlock and ferment for a further 10 to 20 days depending on the temperature of the environment. Scout likes to ferment all the sugar creating a dry ferment but less time will result in a sweeter liquid.
- Once you are happy with the ferment pour off liquid being careful to leave as much excess fruit and sediment at the bottom; repeat this process over the course of 3 to 4 days to clarify the liquid.
- Bottle and keep until you are ready to drink.
Editor's Note
Equipment Needed:
Home brew kit including muslin cloth, airlock container and lid