The following section details the method I use for creating krupnik, and the source excerpts justifying my choice of ingredients and methods. For brevity’s sake, I have listed the general recipe and method below.
Items and Proportions Required
*This can vary. If you are steeping herbs, spices, teas, or peels in your krupnik, this cup is nonexistent. If you use fresh fruit, it will be decidedly more than one cup. Choose your resting vessel accordingly.
Method
Step 1:
Combine 1 cup of water and 2 cups of honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat mixture until it reaches a low boil or high simmer. Froth and scum will collect on the surface. Skim this off until clear. Once clear, take off heat and let cool.
Step 2:
Prepare your flavoring. If using fruit, cut or mash into small pieces and heat gently until simmering. This breaks down the fruit so more flavor can be extracted. If using warm spices (cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, etc.), toast briefly in a frying pan. If using herbs or tea, skip this step unless you like very bitter things.
Step 3:
Take honey and water mixture and combine with your flavorings of choice into a large vessel that can be stored with a tight seal (bottle, growler, carboy). To this, add four cups of rye vodka. Seal and store away from the sun, shaking the vessel once a day for two weeks. After two weeks, taste the liquid and see if it needs adjusted with more flavors. If it does, adjust and wait two more weeks. If not, proceed to step 4.
Step 4:
Decant your krupnik into smaller bottles, straining out all solids with cheesecloth placed in a funnel. Drink straight, mixed into tea, or club soda.