Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits: Innovative Flavor Combinations, Plus Homemade Versions of Kahlúa, Cointreau, and Other Popular Liqueurs (26 page)
Authors: Andrew Schloss
Tags: #liquor, #cofee, #home cocktails, #cocktails, #liqueurs, #popular liqueurs, #spirits, #creamy, #kahlua, #unsweetened infused, #flavored alcohol, #bar recipes, #sweetners, #distilled, #herbal, #nutty, #creative coctails, #flowery, #infused spirits, #clones, #flavorings, #margarita, #home bar, #recipes, #cointreau, #cocktail recipes, #alcohol, #caramel, #homemade liqueurs, #fruity, #flavoring alcohol
There are two main grades of maple syrup in the United States (Canada has a different grading system). The most expensive, grade A, comes in light amber, medium amber, and dark amber; it is the lightest and most nuanced. Grade B is a darker, richer, and more caramelly syrup. That’s what you want here.
The flavor of maple combines sweetness, tartness (from malic acid), and aromatics, mostly from proteins and vanillin, a vanilla-tasting by-product of wood. In this delectable liqueur, the taste is underscored by the generic fruit flavor from prunes and a floral hit of vanilla. Serve this liqueur mixed in a warm toddy (a cinnamon stick spiraled with lemon peel makes an excellent swizzle), or as the sweet element in a Rye Old-Fashioned.
Makes about 1 quart
- 1
3
⁄
4
cups dark rum (80 proof) - 1 vanilla bean (Madagascar or Bourbon), split
- 6 prunes, coarsely chopped
- 1
3
⁄
4
cups pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
- 1.
Combine the rum, vanilla, prunes, and maple syrup in a 1-quart jar. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of maple with a hint of fruit, 3 to 5 days. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
L’chaim!
Get a new perspective with a New-Fashioned Old-Fashioned (
page 249
).
- Ancho Mescal
- Black Pepper Vodka
- Coconut Rum
- Cucumber Gin
- Green-Apple Vodka
- Horseradish Schnapps
- Lemon Vodka
- Minted Bourbon
- Orange Rye
- Vanilla Vodka
Technically speaking, flavored vodkas, gins, whiskeys, and rums do not contain enough sugar to be classified as liqueurs. This lack of sweetness makes them less likely to be served as an aperitif (before a meal) or digestif (after a meal), but it makes them much more versatile as cocktail mixers.
The process of making infused spirits is identical to that of preparing liqueurs. The only difference is that little or no sweetener is added after tincturing. Because no balm of sugar is present to mediate the rough edges of the alcohol, infused spirits tend to be harsher than similarly flavored liqueurs. And yet, compared to the same spirit without flavorings, these tasty liquors feel richer and full-bodied, more substantial than a mere spirit.
The essence of a freshly peeled lemon inspires this vodka to become something more than a mere inebriant. It has a delicate and pungent perfume. The aroma comes from two volatiles in lemon rind: limonene, which gives a general tangy-fruity flavor, and citral, which gives the distinctive aroma of lemon. Lemon vodka has near- infinite uses, from Martinis to Bloody Marys to spiked lemonades.
Makes 2
3
⁄
4
cups
- 1 fifth (750 ml/3
1
⁄
4
cups) vodka (80–100 proof) - Finely grated zest of 6 lemons
- 1.
Combine the vodka and lemon zest in a 1-quart jar. Stir to moisten the lemon. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of lemon, 2 to 3 days. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
Cheers!
Some options: Black Pepper Lemonade (
page 242
), Archangel (
page 247
), or Sunshine Cosmo (
page 248
).
Too often apple flavor is relegated to the woodsy realm of cinnamon and clove, but the clean, crisp, tart pucker of green apple is the essence of freshness. Acknowledging that the apple is a fruit of great refreshment, this spare spirit wipes the palate clean. It is essential for an Appletini.
Makes 2
3
⁄
4
cups
- 1 fifth (750 ml/3
1
⁄
4
cups) vodka (80–100 proof) - 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tart green apples, coarsely grated
- 1.
Combine the vodka, lime juice, and grated apple in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of apple, 5 to 7 days. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
L’chaim!
Try it in a Caramel Appletini (
page 247
).
The glowing, brick red color of ancho chiles in this liquor gives a clue to its intoxicatingly rich earthy aroma and fruity spiciness. This is a full-flavored spirit. A small amount of agave syrup (processed from the same cactus that yields tequila) is added to counteract the bitterness of the chile and oregano. It is surprisingly good in a Bourbon Old-Fashioned, a natural in a Mexican Martini (shake with ice and serve straight up), and a no-brainer for a Bloody Matador (
page 241
).
Makes 1 pint
- 1 fifth (750 ml/3
1
⁄
4
cups) blanco mescal or tequila (80 proof) - 3
⁄
4
cup chopped dried ancho chiles - 2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- 1
⁄
3
cup agave syrup
- 1.
Combine the mescal, chiles, oregano, and lime zest in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of ancho, about 24 hours. Note the brief infusing time for this recipe. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Stir in the agave syrup. - 5.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
Salut!
Spice up your life with an Ancho Sunset (
page 250
) or a Capsaicin Cocktail (
page 251
).
Piper nigrum
, the black pepper berry, is harvested green and then blanched for a few seconds to rupture the cells just beneath the skin. These cells house the aromatics in black pepper, releasing a heady combination of piney, citrusy, woody, floral, and spicy components. The flavors in black pepper are so volatile that it only takes hours, rather than days, to infuse them into a neutral spirit. Once trapped by the alcohol, the pepper flavor stays remarkably fresh. Take a sip from a year-old batch of this stuff, and you’d swear the pepper was recently freshly ground. Chug it by the shot, spice up a Bloody Mary, or reinvent the Screwdriver.
Makes 1 pint
- 1 fifth (750 ml/3
1
⁄
4
cups) vodka (80–100 proof) - 1
⁄
2
cup cracked black peppercorns
- 1.
Combine the vodka and peppercorns in a 1-quart jar. Stir to moisten the peppercorns. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of black pepper, 2 to 4 hours. Note the brief infusing time for this recipe. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
Sláinte!
Zip up your taste buds with a Black Pepper Lemonade (
page 242
) or a Black Sunburst (
page 243
).
You need fresh horseradish root for this liquor. Jarred prepared horseradish is too finely grated, which tends to make the spirit overly cloudy. It also contains trace amounts of vinegar, oil, and salt, which would affect the clean, clear flavor.
Whole horseradish root has practically no aroma, but when it is grated, the broken cells produce mustard oil (horseradish and mustard belong to the same botanical family), which irritates your mucous membranes. The membranes weep to rid your system of the irritating oil, producing a cleansing effect throughout your skull. That effect, though moderately painful, is wonderfully refreshing.
Makes 1 pint
- 1 fifth (750 ml/3
1
⁄
4
cups) vodka (80–100 proof) - 1
1
⁄
2
cups coarsely shredded fresh horseradish root
- 1.
Combine the vodka and horseradish in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten the horseradish. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of horseradish, 2 to 4 hours. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
Note:
The liqueur will precipitate small bits of horseradish as it sits. These are not harmful, but you might find them unattractive. To cleanse your Horseradish Schnapps, follow the directions for clarifying (see
page 8
).
Santé!
Obviously this is the vodka of choice for Bloody Marys (try the Classic Bloody Mary on
page 241
). Also makes a lethal shooter.
The first mention of the mint julep (1803) describes a drink served at the Old White, the main building of The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It is a classic “smash,” a style of cocktail in which herbs are muddled, or smashed, in the bottom of a shaker or glass, mixed with sugar syrup and booze, then poured over ice. Minted Bourbon is nothing more or less than a shortcut to the historic cocktail.
Makes 2
1
⁄
2
cups
- 1 fifth (750 ml/3
1
⁄
4
cups) bourbon (80 proof) - 3 cups finely chopped fresh mint
- 1
⁄
3
cup
Simple Syrup
- 1.
Combine the bourbon and mint in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten the mint. - 2.
Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of mint, 2 to 3 days. - 3.
Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. - 4.
Stir in the simple syrup. - 5.
Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
Prost!
Pour over crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint for an instantaneous Mint Julep.