Homebrew Underground

Finding a steady supplier for dried black currants in the U.S. has been a challenge. Since I made my last post on this topic in September, 2010, the supplier I was using at that time (Good Sense) has stopped carrying them. Lucky for me, though, there is a currant farm in New York that has an online store where you can buy dried black currants in quantity.

The company is called CurrantC™ and it is managed by Greg Quinn. I am very happy that the company is offering dried black currants and that you can buy them in quantities. The are available in 1 lb, 5 lb and 10 lb bags.

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It’s been awhile since I posted the recipe for Black Currant Liqueur (crème de cassis). When I first made the liqueur, dried black currants were readily available. I just happened to get lucky when I put together the recipe for the first time and the liqueur turned out really well.

I originally obtained the dried black currants locally from Trader Joe’s (image to right). The dried fruit was of exceptional quality. I was disappointed to find out later that Trader Joe’s decided not to sell them anymore. They said it was due to low sales. I suppose that’s because black currants are not very well known in the USA and people were just not used to buying them. Read Full Story

The Mediterranean Holiday is a sweet, fruity cocktail made with four basic ingredients: vodka, sweet and sour mix, pomegranate juice and homemade Black Currant Liqueur (or Creme de Cassis). You can make your own sweet and sour mix. Use 100% pomegranate juice (natural, unsweetened) for best results.

This is an unusual recipe for a thirst-quenching non-alcoholic drink. It’s sort of like a fizzy non-alcoholic margarita. It is made with fresh squeezed lime juice and fresh squeezed lemon juice and sweetened with Stevia and blue agave syrup. Blue agave syrup is a healthy alternative to sugar because it is natural, it is lower in calories than sugar and has a low glycemic index.

This is another non-alcoholic drink made with fresh squeezed lime juice and sweetened with blue agave syrup. Blue agave syrup is a healthy alternative to sugar because it is natural, it is lower in calories than sugar and has a low glycemic index. Cranberry juice concentrate is available online from a few sources. It is 4 to 5 times more concentrated as regular fruit juice – depending on the brand.