Polish Blueberry Cordial (Likier Borowkowy)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 02/20/22
Berry-Flavored Vodkas

Tafari K. Stevenson-Howard / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Yield: 1 quart
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
133 Calories
0g Fat
18g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 133
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 28mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Polish blueberry cordial, known as likier borowkowy (LEEH-kyerr boh-rrohv-KOH-vih) or nalewka z jeżyn (nah-LEFF-kah zih yeh-ZHIN) is so pretty in the glass but, beware, this benign-looking drink packs a wallop. This easily prepared alcoholic beverage takes several months to mature, so make it well in advance of drinking. It makes a wonderful addition to an edible gifts basket. This recipe makes about 1 quart of Polish Blueberry Cordial. Don't skimp on cheap vodka when making this recipe. You'll taste the difference, so use good quality alcohol.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds blueberries, washed and stemmed

  • 1 quart vodka

  • 2 cups sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine 2 1/2 pounds washed and stemmed blueberries and 1-quart good-quality vodka in a large, sterilized glass container. Seal and set in a dark, cool place for 1 week.

  2. After one week, pour through a sieve, reserving blueberries, and transfer blueberry-infused vodka into a clean, sterilized glass container and seal.

  3. Add 2 cups sugar to reserved blueberries, mix well, and transfer to a separate clean, sterilized glass container and seal. Place both containers in a dark, cool place for one month.

  4. After one month, thoroughly combine blueberry mixture with vodka, strain and pour into a clean, sterilized glass container. Seal and allow to age in a cool, dark place for several months.

  5. When serving the cordial, the blueberries can be discarded or served over ice cream or pound cake the same day.

All About Polish Cordials or Nalewki

An aged liqueur or cordial in Poland is known as nalewka (nah-LEF-kah) and nalewki when plural, and literally translates to "tincture." Typically, they are made with fruit, sugar, honey, molasses, herbs, and spices macerated in vodka or rectified spirits known as spirytus rektyfikowany. Other flavors, like coffee, flower, honey, and specific spice nalewki like kardamonka (cardamom), also exist.

Nalewki names come from the type of the main ingredient used to produce them or the town where they originated. A popular nalewka named after a town is Nalewka Tarninówka, originating from the town of Tarnów near Kraków in Małopolska (Lesser Poland). It's made with sloe berries and is ruby red in color.

Many recipes are closely guarded secrets, passed down from generation to generation. The type of spirit used renders them either benign concoctions of about 40 to 45% alcohol or knock-your-socks-off varieties as strong as 75% alcohol.

Nalewka-Drinking Etiquette

Nalewki is always drunk from little glasses and often served after a meal, at celebratory occasions like weddings and baptisms. It would be an insult to your host if you bolted down a glass like a shot of vodka. A nalewka should be sipped so that its virtues can be appreciated. It should be allowed to linger on the tongue and then swirled around the mouth much as one would do with fine wine.