SUGAR SYRUP
1 CUP WHITE GRANULATED SUGAR
½ CUP WATER
Bring to boil and stir until all sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear.
Always cool before adding to alcohol mixture, as heat causes the alcohol
to evaporate. Makes 1 cup.
BANANA LIQUEUR
2 MEDIUM SIZE BANANAS, PEELED
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT OR 2 INCH LENGTH VANILLA
BEAN
1 CUP SUGAR SYRUP
3 CUPS VODKA
Mash bananas and add vanilla and cooled sugar syrup to vodka. Shake
gently. Stand 1 week. Strain and filter. It may be consumed now, but it
will have a richer flavor if allowed a 2 to 3 month maturing time. Makes 4
cups.
ORANGE LIQUEUR
4 MEDIUM ORANGES
2 CUPS SUGAR
2 CUPS VODKA OR RUM
Squeeze juice from oranges; reserve peel from an orange. Scrape white
membrane from reserved peel; cut peel into strips. Add water to juice to
make 2 cups. Bring orange juice mixture, peel and sugar to boil. Reduce
heat; simmer 5 minutes. Cool. Pour into large screw-top jar. Stir in
vodka and cover. Let stand at room temperature 3-4 weeks. Strain into
decanters and cover. Makes 5 cups.
COFFEE-FLAVORED LIQUEUR
2 CUPS WATER
2 CUPS SUGAR
½ CUP INSTANT COFFEE GRANULES (USE A FRESH JAR)
½ CHOPPED VANILLA BEAN
1-1/2 CUPS VODKA
Boil water and sugar until dissolved. Turn off heat. Slowly add instant
coffee granules and continue stirring. Add chopped vanilla bean to vodka,
then combine cooled sugar syrup and coffee solution with vodka. Cover
tightly and shake vigorously each day for 3 weeks. Strain and filter. Makes
4 cups.
Kahlua
2 Cups of hot strong coffee
2 Cups of sugar
½ cap of vanilla
6 coffee beans cut up in quarters
100 Proof Smirnoff vodka
Empty 1/5 wine bottle
Put in empty 1/5 wine bottle the 2 cups of sugar, add in the hot coffee and shake till sugar is dissolved. Put in half cap of vanilla and coffee beans cut up. Fill up the rest of the bottle with the vodka and let cool overnight. Cork bottle and let set min of 30 days. The longer is sets the better it gets! You can use flavored coffee. The Amaretto Gourmet coffee flavored turns out wonderful.
IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR
1 14 OZ. CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
1 CUP IRISH WHISKEY
1 TABLESPOON CHOCOLATE SYRUP
1 TABLESPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
1 TEASPOON INSTANT COFFEE CRYSTALS
1 CUP WHIPPING CREAM
1 TABLESPOON CANNED SWEETENED CREAM OF COCONUT (COCO LOPEZ)
Combine first 5 ingredients in blender; blend until coffee crystals dissolve, about 1 minutes. Add whipping cream
and cream of coconut to mixture and blend 10 seconds. Transfer to pitcher; cover and refrigerate until cold, about
2 hours. (can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Fill wineglasses with ice cubes. Pour
chilled mixture over ice cubes and serve immediately.
ALMOND LIQUEUR
½ TEASPOON PURE ALMOND EXTRACT
1-1/2 CUPS VODKA
½ CUP SUGAR
Make sugar syrup, cool and add all ingredients. Shake well. It will mature
in a matter of days. Makes 2 cups.
CHOPPED ALMOND LIQUEUR
3 OUNCES CHOPPED, FRESH ALMONDS
PINCH OF CINNAMON
1-1/2 CUPS VODKA
½ CUP SUGAR SYRUP
Combine all ingredients, shake well and steep about two weeks. Filter and
sweeten if necessary. Mature another 3-4 weeks. Makes 2 cups.
CRANBERRY CORDIAL
4 CUPS FRESH CRANBERRIES
3 CUPS SUGAR
2 CUPS GIN
Wash cranberries; strain and coarsely chop. Place in large screw-top jar.
Add sugar and gin. Cover tightly, invert jar, and let stand 24 hours. Turn
jar upright; let stand 24 hours. Repeat turning every 24 hours for 3 weeks.
Strain through cheesecloth into decanter and cover. Spoon drained berries
into a jar, cover and refrigerate. Keep berries refrigerated and serve over
ice cream. Makes 3 cups.
CHERRY CORDIAL
4 CUPS FRESH BING CHERRIES, PITTED
3 CUPS SUGAR
1 CUP Brandy
1 CUP VODKA
Wash cherries; strain and coarsely chop. Place in large screw-top jar. Add
sugar , vodka and brandy. Cover tightly, invert jar, and let stand 24 hours.
Turn jar upright; let stand 24 hours. Repeat turning every 24 hours for 3
weeks. Strain through cheesecloth into decanter and cover. Spoon drained
cherries into a jar, cover and refrigerate. Keep cherries refrigerated and
serve over ice cream. Makes 3 cups.
ANISETTE
1 QUART (100 PROOF) GRAIN ALCOHOL
2 QUARTS PLUS 1 CUP WATER
6 CUPS SUGAR
1-1/2 TEASPOONS ANISE OIL
FEW DROPS OF RED FOOD COLORING
In large pan, bring water, sugar and anise to boil and continue boiling 10
minutes. Cool. Add alcohol and coloring. Strain through cheesecloth to
absorb anise oil. It may be consumed immediately, but the longer it ages,
the better it gets. Makes 3 quarts.
APPLE CORDIAL
4 CUPS COARSELY CHOPPED APPLE
2 CUPS BRANDY OR VODKA
1 CUP SUGAR
1 (4-INC) CINNAMON STICK, BROKEN
In large, screw-top-jar, combine all ingredients. Cover tightly and let stand
24 hours. Turn jar upright; let stand 24 hours. Repeat turning process
until sugar dissolves. Store in cool, dark place 4-6 weeks. Strain through
cheesecloth into decanter and cover. Makes 2-1/2 cups.
FROZEN BERRY LIQUEUR
1 (10-OUNCE) PACKAGE BERRIES (STRAWBERRIES AND
RASPBERRIES WORK WELL)
1-1/2 CUP VODKA OR (1 CUP VODKA AND ½ CUP BRANDY)
¼ CUP SUGAR SYRUP
Add juice and berries to alcohol. Stir and steep for a week, then strain.
Crush berries through strainer and filter. Taste. Add sugar syrup as
necessary. (Many frozen fruits are already heavily presweetened. If using
un-sugared fruits without syrup, treat them as fresh fruits, but reduce
amount of water when making sugar syrup because of water content in
frozen fruits.) Makes 2 cups.
***SOME COMMON LIQUEURS AND THE INGREDIENTS THAT GIVE THEM THEIR
DISTINCTIVE FLAVORS ARE:
· AMARETTO: APRICOT PITS AND ALMONDS
· ANISETTE: ANISE SEEDS
· AUAVIT: CARAWAY SEEDS
· COINTREAU: ORANGES AND BRANDY
· CRÈME DE CASSIS: BLACK CURRANTS
· CRÈME DE FRAMBOISE: RASPBERRIES
· GRAND MARNIER: ORANGES
· KAHLUA: COFFEE
· KIRSCH: FERMENTED CHERRIES AND BRANDY
· OUZO: ANISE
· PERNOD: ANISE
· TIA MARIA: COFFEE
· VANDERMINT: CHOCOLATE AND MINT
**All fruits carry bacteria that can spoil a liqueur. If you make a clear, strained
liqueur based on spirits, you won’t have to worry about bacteria because spirits are
at least 40 percent alcohol ---strong enough to kill bacteria. If you make a liqueur
based on wine, you must blanch the fruit for three minutes to kill the bacteria
because the alcohol content is too low to do the trick. Sterilized wide-mouth gallon
and quart jars can be used for mixing and allowing the flavors to infuse into the
alcohol. Dark jars are best; if you don’t have any, cover the jars with dark cloths.
Never use plastic bottles or plastic-lined lids because the plastic will give the
liqueur an off flavor.
Most liqueurs need time to age before being placed in sterilized decorative
containers. Store wine-based liqueurs in the refrigerator; use them within two
months of opening. Spirit based liqueurs don’t need refrigeration. Once
opened, they will keep their flavor for two years.