Ordinarily we fill half gallon jars with whatever fruit is plentiful. Pour brandy in to cover the fruit. Vodka works too. Shake or rotate the jar daily. For at least a month. Three months is better. Longer is not a problem when we forget about it.
Then we strain the fruit out and add sugar to taste. Jar it up in pints, label, and our most popular gifts are done!
We only need a pint of peach brandy for a gift at the end of September so we used what we had and got it started a week or so back. Canned peaches work fine, just drained off the syrup and poured brandy over the peaches to cover.
We’ll shake it daily and otherwise just leave it on top of the fridge. Heat helps it extract faster. Taste it next week and see if the flavor is coming along. Mash the peaches some to hurry it up if not.
Couple days before our friends arrive we will strain the peaches out and add sugar. Start with 1/2 cup sugar to a pint of brandy. Set the jar in hot water a while. Shake often. Taste often. Add sugar as needed until it is sweet to taste. A cup of sugar to two cups of flavored brandy is about average, depending on what flavor we put in it.
Brown sugar can be really good. Especially with peaches!
We have used cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, anise seeds and more. With spices we use a tablespoon or so per cup of brandy. When it suits our taste we strain and add sugar until we like it.
Here is a recipe for that dreamsicle brandy.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/201 ... anton.html
We cook the water down to a thick syrup before adding it to the brandy. Everybody loves this one!