Why did the white currant vodka liqueur turn cloudy, pulpy or bitter after infusion?

Expanded Explanation

Cloudiness usually comes from crushing too many currants, pressing the fruit during straining or adding sugar and honey before the infusion has been filtered. White currants contain pulp and natural pectin that can pass through a coarse sieve. Lightly crush only a portion of the berries, allow the strained liquid to settle overnight and filter it slowly through cheesecloth or coffee filters. Do not squeeze the fruit or filters, because pressure forces fine particles back into the liqueur.

Bitterness most often comes from lemon zest that includes too much white pith, damaged currant stems, or pink peppercorns left in longer than the delicate fruit can support. Remove all stems carefully and use only thin yellow zest. Begin tasting after one week, especially if the peppercorns were cracked rather than added whole. If bitterness is already present, remove every solid ingredient immediately and allow the filtered infusion to rest before making corrections.

A slightly cloudy liqueur is not necessarily unsafe, but unexpected fermentation, fizzing, mould, unpleasant odour or pressure in the bottle indicates contamination and the batch should be discarded. Sterilise the jar, keep all fruit submerged and use clean utensils. For harmless haze, chilling the liqueur for 24–48 hours before another fine filtration often helps. Final clarity may continue improving during the four-week maturation period as suspended particles settle naturally.