From the velvety, sweet depths of an after-dinner glass of Irish cream to the subtle and sophisticated whisper of a custom-infused vodka martini, homemade liqueurs can be crafted to suit every mood and taste. They make ideal gifts for any occasion, they require no special equipment, and best of all, they're easy to make! If you've got a little imagination and a little patience, you can start creating your very own signature liqueurs today.
At the Base of it All
Most homemade liqueurs start with vodka . Flavoring and infusing vodka is a tradition as old as vodka-drinking itself. This spirit is an ideal base for liqueurs because it's colorless and flavorless, making a perfect blank canvas on which to paint your very own flavor creations. To the vodka, you may add any number of ingredients to create copies of your favorite name-brand libations, or craft your very own innovative new flavors. Some of the most popular liqueur flavors, like coffee (e.g., Kahlua), amaretto, and Irish cream, not to mention homemade schnapps of every description, all rely on vodka for their kick. Or, you may prefer to hold back on the sugar and simply infuse the subtle and complex essences of herbs, spices or fruit into a bottle of vodka.
Of course, you need not limit yourself to vodka infusions! Once your creativity gets flowing, you may start dreaming up intriguing new concoctions with rum, tequila, gin, brandy, and whiskey, too! Whichever alcohol you decide to use as your base, choose a decent-quality brand. There's no need to break the bank for the premium varieties, but don't use the cheapest ones, either, or your carefully crafted potions will not taste good enough to drink straight.
Pick a Flavor
Now comes the fun part: choosing your flavors! There are two ways to add flavor to liquor: either mix flavored extracts right into it, or choose the flavoring ingredients in their raw form and allow them to steep in the alcohol for days or weeks. Using extracts is the fastest way to make a batch of liqueur, and there are a few cases, such as with almond extract, where this is the best way to get the flavor you're trying to achieve. More often than not, though, you will get the best results when you slowly infuse the liquor with fresh ingredients. For example, lemon cordial made with fresh lemon zest will taste a million times better than something made with lemon extract. Using fresh ingredients also allows you to introduce more variety to your concoctions; you won't be able to find as wide a variety of extracts and essences as you will of fruits and herbs and spices.
Infusing liquor is not an exact science - the varieties and quantities of flavoring you use is largely a matter of taste. If you make an infusion whose flavor turns out to be too overwhelming, you can always dilute it with more of the liquor you used as a base. Here are some flavoring ideas:
Fruit: Orange zest, lemon zest, kumquats, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, tart apples, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, dried apricots, or dried sour cherries. Whole fruit should be sliced and/or mashed to allow the juices to escape and let the liquor come in contact with as much surface area as possible. Leave the skin on for maximum flavor.
Herbs and spices: Vanilla beans, coriander seeds, peppercorns, hot chiles, lemongrass, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, whole coffee beans, dill, thyme, basil, tarragon, rosemary, or even garlic. Be sparing with the cloves and nutmeg: too much of these ingredients can produce a numbing effect in your mouth!
Try combining a couple of different flavors in the same batch: how about apple-cinnamon, chile-lemongrass, lemon-tarragon, orange-cranberry, or raspberry-vanilla? Just don't try to pack too many different things into one bottle, or you won't be able to distinguish the flavors.
Give it a Rest
Once you've chosen your alcohol and your flavorings, you just need to combine them. You can put the flavorings right into the liquor bottle if they'll fit through the neck. (You may need to pour some of the liquor into a holding container to make room for the other ingredients.) Otherwise, any glass or earthenware jar or bottle will work as long as it has a tight-fitting lid. Put the container in a dark place and leave it at room temperature. If you don't have a dark cupboard in your house, you can just put the bottles in a paper grocery bag and stir or rotate them a couple of times a day. Depending on how potent your flavorings are, you'll need to let them steep for anywhere from a day to a few weeks. Most fruit needs a full two to four weeks for all the flavor to be transferred to the alcohol, whereas chiles, garlic, and most fresh spices only need a couple of days. Don't be afraid to smell and taste the concoction to decide when it's ready.
Strain Your Resources
If you've used mashed fruit, your infusion is now going to have bits of sediment in the bottom. To get rid of, simply line a strainer with a coffee filter and slowly pour the liquor through it. Don't try to save the fruit that's been soaking in the booze - it won't have any flavor left in it.
Add a Little Sweetness
If you'd like to turn your fragrant new creation into a sweet liqueur, now is the time to add the sugar. However, you should avoid adding sugar directly to alcohol - it will take forever to dissolve, and you won't be able to tell right away how sweet it really is. Instead, make a simple syrup of two parts sugar to one part water. Combine them in a saucepan and simmer them on the stove until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let the syrup cool to room temperature and then sweeten the infusion to suit your tastes. Once a liqueur has been sweetened, most of them taste better after they've had a chance to "age" for a month or so. Aging allows the flavors to mellow and blend.
Bottle it Up
Scour local import stores, thrift stores, garage sales or your own cupboards to find interesting glass bottles. If they don't already have tops, you can buy corks at craft stores or winemaking supply shops to fit most bottle sizes. Have fun creating your own custom labels for your fine, handcrafted liqueurs. You can "garnish" each finished bottle by dropping in a small quantity of the original ingredients (a few berries, kumquats or coffee beans; a twist of citrus zest; an herb sprig; a chile pepper, etcetera).
Most homemade infusions are wonderful when served unadorned, straight out of the freezer. Most liqueurs are also beautiful when mixed into a fresh cup coffee or drizzled over a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. Any homemade libation can be substituted in a traditional cocktail with wonderful results. Make amazing martinis with your infused vodkas, or have fun inventing your own brand new signature drinks!
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http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/all/ar鈥?/a>|||hey yourself! :o)
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|||get yourself a copy of THE COMPLETE BARTENDER it covers everything you could ever wanna know......|||i really dont no go to ask.com or google|||You start by emptying out a bottle of booze into a pitcher. You then stuff what flavors you want into the bottle add back as much of the booze as you can. Store bottle at least one week b4 reopening.
My mom has this great recipe that I'll pass along! Every year she makes rum cherries! You get some ripe Bing cherries and you put them in a wide mouth jar and cover them w/ Captain Morgans rum. She would bring these out whenever her sisters" the prunes" she called 'em, showed up and get 'em SH!T faced. Then she'd use the cherry/rum to make pound cake or rum balls with for me and dad, oh my!!
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