This fresh Homemade Peach Moonshine recipe always get everyone talking! It is a perfect summer boozy treat! I am know in my circles for making various flavors of homemade moonshine recipes as well as other fun cocktail recipes, before I ever started this food blog.
If you follow me on this site or social media, you know that I enjoy cocktails, wine and making interesting libations like my very popular Apple Pie Moonshine, Chocolate Moonshine, Watermelon Lime Moonshine, Bourbon Slush and more. While my husband enjoys beer, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, and gin. Between us, I think we have all the bases covered, lol!
I love lots of fresh fruit, however, once peach season starts, I only have eyes for them! After I enjoyed a few perfectly ripe peaches a couple weeks ago (and yes the juice was dribbling down my chin and arms...the best), I decided to tinker with making a Fresh Peach Moonshine Recipe. And boy did it turn out delicious!
I bought a bushel of fresh peaches from a New Jersey farmer and got down to business. I let the peach moonshine sit for a week and then decided to strain out all of the pulp, which in my opinion is the best drinking experience.
Table of Contents
This moonshine recipe is flexible
- You can control just how peachy you make this as well as how strong. Play around with it.
- Like I always say taste and adjust. If it's too strong, add water. Too weak add more of one of the alcohols.
If you are looking for something fun to make that has a kick! Try making a batch of this Fresh Peach Moonshine Recipe. I served it in disposable shot glasses. Just tell everyone to hold on to their glass, lol! Because the will most likely want more!
Ingredients needed
- Water
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Peaches (fresh or frozen)
- Peach Schnapps
- Everclear (grain alcohol)
- Peach juice (I have used a variety of peach juice's and nectars over the years, see notes in the recipe card below)
Tips when making Peach Moonshine
- Always let your mixture cool down before adding the alcohol. You don't want any of the alcohol to burn off.
- After it sits for a night in the fridge, taste and adjust if you feel you want it stronger or weaker.
- To make it stronger, add more Everclear.
- If you want it less potent, add more juice.
- If it's not sweet enough, add in some extra simple syrup. or Peach Schnapps.
- You can enjoy this as soon as its cold, you don't have to wait a week.
- I keep my homemade moonshine in the freezer so its ICE COLD. See notes.
- Outside of peach season I uses a bag of frozen sliced peaches. It's just so easy and the frozen peaches hold up really well.
- I usually place 5 slices or so into each jar and we eat them when the jar is empty YUM!!!
- Just use new wide mouth jars that have never been used for canning and leave an inch or so head space.
- I love eating the peaches right from the jar after its empty. That's best within a few days.
Its really simple to make homemade flavored moonshines using grain alcohol (Everclear) as the base. I keep all my moonshines after I make them in the freezer since we love them ice cold and that pretty much keeps them indefinitely (even though they never last long). They never freeze fully due to the alcohol.
Can I freeze Homemade Moonshine?
- Only use quality Mason jars. I typically use 32oz wide mouth Ball Mason Jars which you can grab at the grocery store or wherever you shop. A 12 jar pack at Walmart is typically under $15.
- Use jars that have not been used before for canning.
- Always leave about an inch if headspace (meaning don't fill the jar to the top). Liquids expand as they freeze/partially freeze.
- This will either stay liquid, turn slushy or freeze based of of the amount of alcohol you use and what proof. If it does mostly freeze, it will that very quickly once removed.
This peach moonshine and all of the flavors of moonshine I make all taste best ice ice cold in my opinion.
How to serve
- Serve ice ice cold in small shot glasses
- Pour over ice as a drink
- Mix over ice with club soda or seltzer
If you enjoy making homemade moonshines and other fun boozy recipes for parties and food gifts, check out my Apple Pie Moonshine (one of the most popular recipes on Soufflé Bombay. An oldie but a goodie! I call it "A party IN a jar!"
ALSO, I KNOW this is not moonshine from a still in the woods or backyard. Many consider moonshine ONLY that which is made that way and that taxes are not paid on.
Well, my view is that when one does NOT have a still and is not a moonshiner we improvise! We make something delicious and fun ourselves the only way we can. AND guess what?? Thousands of people that have had my moonshine recipes would agree! Not that I would mind a taste of the real thing...Just sayin'
Cheers! XO Colleen
Moonshine Recipes you will LOVE!
Recipe originally published July, 2018. Some text updates were made September, 2020.
Colleen Kennedy is the author of 3 cookbooks and has appeared on QVC and other shows inspiring home cooks of all levels. She has a popular TikTok channel @ColleensCooking with hundreds of short recipe videos. Colleen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and kids, she started the food blog, Soufflé Bombay in 2009. Read more about her here.
Fresh Peach Moonshine Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar or sugar in the raw you can also use white sugar DEPENDING on the juice you use and its sugar content, reduce sugar if it is sweet.
- 4 cups or more to taste Peach juice
- 4 large peaches or a bag of frozen sliced peaches each cut into six slices
- 2 cinnamon sticks (optional) if you want a kick of cinnamon You can add in some vanilla as well. Either or or both.
- ¾ cups Peach Schnapps
- 1 ¼ cups Everclear or more to taste. Here in PA I can get 151, however some of you may be able to get the 190 so taste and adjust
Instructions
- In a medium pot, combine water, sugar, peach slices, juice (and cinnamon sticks if adding). Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit until cooled to room temperature.
- Pull out the cinnamon sticks.
- If you want this totally smooth with no fruit, strain liquid into a large jar or container (with lid), pressing on solids to get every bit of liquid. OR place a some of the peaches in your jars (or large container) and pour in the liquid)
- Add in the Peach Schnapps and Everclear
- Stir or shake to combine.
- Refrigerate for a day, then taste and adjust. Store in your freezer if not using within a couple of days. See notes about freezing.
- Taste and adjust to your liking by adding more Everclear or Schnapps OR if you feel its too strong, add in ¼ cup of water or juice (or more) until it's to your liking.
- Keeps in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. However before serving place it in your freezer (if it wasn't already there) for ice cold moonshine, YUM!!
Jamie Ostland says
My wife thought she was a hillbilly like her late father. She put 5lbs of peach slices split in 2 pots. She used yeast and sugar and say sealed on porch two months maybe
We strained pulp with cheese cloth
and Walsh,sour water after months
HELP lol
Kelci says
Is there a reason this wouldn’t keep longer?
Colleen says
I am being conservative. Plus it never lasts long. I am sure it would keep longer. Especially if stored in the freezer.
Tyler says
It sounds to me like your yeast died. This happens when there is not enough sugar. The recipe being used has to be exact, do perfect measurements. For gallon of water of water being used, it goes the same for your ingredients. For instance if you are using 5 gallons of water, u need 5 lbs of sugar, 5 lbs yeast, and 5 lbs fresh or canned fruit. On top of 5 gallons water. If u boil all ingredients together it will cut down the fermentation time. Its 7 - 14 days to ferment. Then strain and enjoy
AFknGustavo says
5 lbs of yeast or yeet?
You definitely do not need 5 lbs of yeast
Boyd Kobe says
That sounds like a delicious drink! Definitely, want to give this a try. cheers!
Colleen says
Hi Charlotte and Thank you! I can print them out fine by hitting the print button without an issue. Let me ask a few friends to try it as well and see what happens. I AM about to change the software for my recipe cards, hopefully, that fixes the issue for any that are having it. In the interim, maybe just a cut and paste for you to see it clearly?
Ruth says
I was at a tasting at Kalifornia distillery, and bought some peach pie moonshine. Can you tell me the ingredients for a cocktail with that? I tried once and did not have the right equivilants., So would appreciate a recipe
Thanks for your time!
Clare says
I just prepared it and it made my house smell so nice
The taste is amazing thanks...It was easy to do....and my family will enjoy it this weekend
Colleen says
Awesome! Cheers!!
Rebecca Alvarado says
What does 1 cup + everclear mean?
Colleen says
Hi Rebecca, I must have hit the plus symbol by accident! I removed it, thanks for pointing that out. It's just 1 cup of Everclear.
Ann says
Since we don’t mind the pulp I used Peach nectar juice and it was delicious! Next time I will leave a few peach pieces in the jars as well 😃
Colleen says
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed Ann!
Barry says
How long will this peach moonshine keep in the fridge I kept others in a fridge for up to a year
Colleen says
I always keep my homemade shines in the freezer, I have had some there for up to 5 months.Problem is they never last long.
Big Willy says
Yeah.... This is not moonshine. This is, at best, a cocktail. At worst, this is cinnamon and schnapps flavored turpentine. You want to make some good peach shine, soak the peaches - sans skin, unless you like carpet in your drink - in a good quality high-alcohol moonshine such as white lightening or ole smokey blue fire for a few weeks. Everclear is for frat-parties and making extracts, but that's another story.
Colleen says
I know its not real, made-in-the-woods moonshine, lol! However for home cooks this is delicious and better than the super-strong real shines I have had the chance to taste. Just having fun with booze here 🙂
Jersey Girl Cooks says
I want some peach moonshine! This looks fabulous!
Colleen says
You've got this!! Thanks!
jonah hill says
Perfect post. I like a post you are the most valuable information and This is really great work. A friend gave me fresh peaches so there was my solution.
Lynne E Odom says
what do you think about adding a 1/2 cup french vanilla coffee cream to the mixture to make it peaches and cream...do you think that would work or be ok to do?
Colleen says
Hi Lynne, I have no experience with coffee cream sadly. It does sound yummy however. Maybe experiment with it after its made as is and make that by the glass?
Brian says
I have used French vanilla creamer in my orange creamsickle moonshine and it tastes great
Colleen says
That sounds delish!
denny says
Awesome post….Thanks for sharing this awesome article
breakfasthours says
Perfect post. I like a post you are the most valuable information and This is really great work.
dunkin donuts says
That sounds like a delicious drink! Definitely, want to give this a try. cheers!
Dianna says
What process would I go about if I want to can it where I don't have to put it in the refrigerator?
Colleen says
Hi Dianna, I don't know. I have never canned food other than a quick pickle.
Samantha milligan says
well made mine with store bought moonshine.only used 2 cups and 3/4 cup of snaps.i put it all in jars and stuffed them in the fridge.in a day or 2 I will takeout the peach and cinnamon sticks.think I will keep mine in the freezer
Colleen says
Cheers Samantha! Hope you enjoy!!
Kathie says
Simply amazing! I made 6 jars full and everyone loved it at my sons college graduation party. Wish I made more! Eating the peaches in the jars after was so so good! This will be our drink of the summer! TY
Colleen says
It really is delicious! Glad you enjoyed it, cheers!
Peggy White says
I have made this 3 times. it just keeps getting better.
Colleen says
LOVE hearing that! Thanks Peggy & cheers!!