Home Distiller

so i have tried a few flavoring recipes for sugar wash my distillate.

i have tried making the strawberry syrup from fruit and adding it to distillate = to sweet for my taste
tried prange peel, with absolutely no pith then add sugar water solution to dilute and sweeten a bit = harsh bite and still kinda bitter ( used mandarin peels)

i dont think i am getting the mild smooth flavors that ive had from others.

my question is this though. a friend of mine who has made his own in the past said after distilled i should mix my 80% abv 50/50 with like say a strawberry wine. he said that's how he gets his not to sweet but great smooth tasting drink.
has anyone heard of mixing wine and distillate to flavor.

i think my biggest problem is i want to copy the orange and strawberry drinks ive had in the past but keep on getting sweet girly drinks that don't taste anything like the subtle sweet taste of these beverages.

if you dont like it sweet why are you adding all the sugar? that is your own fault.
yes you can use wine if that is the flavor you want,but most wine like strawberry
is back sweetened.that is juice or fruit is added after it is finished.
some to try if your after "schnapps" is to make a good neutral or brandy the cut with juice
then re distill in a pot still