Why it works: Currant and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,057 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Currant Wine
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a large container, combine 3 quarts of water and 2 quarts of currant juice.
Add 4 pounds of granulated sugar and stir until dissolved.
Let the mixture stand for 2 to 3 days before transferring it to a cask.
Ferment and age
If making 10 gallons, mix in 3 quarts of brandy and 1 gallon of raspberry juice before casking.
Seal the cask but leave it slightly open until bubbling stops, which may take up to 2 weeks.
Once bubbling has ceased, seal the cask completely and let it age for 12 months.
Taste the wine after 4 to 5 months to check sweetness, as it may vary by year.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Currant + brandytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,057 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Currant + raspberrytop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together366 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl benzoate (fruity, sweet).
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Brandy + raspberrytop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together235 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-hex-3-en-1-ol (freshly cut grass green and herbaceous notes).
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Sugar + brandytop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + raspberrytop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,101 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Sugar and brandy barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Granulated sugar
- Feeds the fermentation and sets the wine's sweetness, which is checked during aging.
- Currant juice
- Provides the main fruit flavor and acidity for the wine.
- Brandy
- Raises the alcohol content and helps stabilize the wine in larger batches.
The step that matters
Leaving the cask slightly open during fermentation. Fermentation releases carbon dioxide, and a fully sealed cask can build pressure or let the wine stall. Keeping it slightly open lets gas escape until bubbling stops, and only then is it safe to seal completely for aging.
Swap the raspberry
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (currant, sugar, brandy):
- Raisinfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Figfits about as well
- Raspberrythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against currant, sugar, brandy. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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