LIQUEURS

PEACH LEAF LIQUEUR

Ingredients:
•70 peach leaves
•The yellow zest of half a lemon
•A bottle of Moscato d'Asti, less one sip
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 cup grain (190 proof, 95%) alcohol
Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients in a jar and steep them
for 6 weeks, shaking the jar every now and again.
Filter the mixture, using funnel and filter paper, into a
nice looking bottle, cork it, and age the liqueur for at
least six months before breaking it out to serve it as
an after dinner cordial, or with a dessert. It will be
about 38% alcohol (76 proof).

Yield: About a quart (1 l) peschen.

ORANPEAR – ORANGE PEAR LIQUEUR

A sweet liqueur made from oranges and pears, which
is very tasty over ice cream or in fruit cocktails, and
will be a pleasant reminder of winter when the
thermometer's too high to contemplate. Alcohol
content about 30%.
Ingredients:
•1/2 pound (225 g) pears
•1 1/4 cups (270 g) sugar
•1/2 pound (225 g) peeled oranges
•1 cup grain alcohol
Preparation:
Slice the pears and put them in a jar with the sugar,
seal the jar, and set it in a warm place with lots of sun.
Leave it there for a week, shaking it every day to help
the sugar dissolve. At the end of the week peel the
oranges, cut the sections crosswise, and add them to
the jar, together with the alcohol. Put the jar in a dark
place and let it sit for a month, shaking it every now
and then. Filter your liqueur into an elegant bottle and
let it age in a dark place for at least six months before
breaking it out.

AGRUMINO – CITRUS LIQUEUR

A tasty liqueur made from lemon and orange zest,
which is a very pleasant close to a meal, or perfect
sprinkled over ice cream in the summer. It will also
be handy in mixing up cocktails. Alcohol content
about 40%.
Ingredients:
•The zest of 4 oranges
•The zest of 2 lemons
•The zest of a half a citron (a cousin of the lemon,
which looks like a lemon but is twice its size --
•use another lemon, if need be, or perhaps a lime for
variety)
•1 small mandarin orange, quartered
•1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
•1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water
•1 1/4 cups (300 ml) grain alcohol
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil, remove it from the fire, and
dissolve the sugar into it. When the syrup has cooled
transfer it to a jar with the other ingredients. Seal the
jar and let everything steep, shaking it daily, for 10
days. Filter using gauze into an elegant bottle, and age
it for 6 months before you break it out.

For an amazingly delicate variation, use the zest of a

dozen tangerines instead of that from the oranges and
lemons.

DRIED APRICOT LIQUEUR

Ingredients:
•1 11-oz (about 300 g) package dried apricots
•1 cup (225 g) sugar
•2 cups (500 ml) vodka
Preparation:
1. Boil apricots to soften.
2. Combine all ingredients in a quart jar.
3. Seal tight. Let it sit for 3 weeks.

Quick, easy, and the perfect way to bring summer into

the picture at any time of year.

AMARO ALLE ERBE – ITALIAN HERBAL

LIQUEUR

Amaro is the quintessential after dinner cordial, made

with all sorts of herbs. The major commercial
varieties include Amaro Ramazzotti, Jägermeister,
and Amaretto di Saronno, and there are hundreds
more, many made by monasteries scattered
throughout the Peninsula. This recipe yields a simple
amaro that's fairly dry and not too strong, about 30%
alcohol. A tiny glass will be very tasty at the end of a
meal, and will spread a pleasing warmth through your
insides.
Ingredients:
•5 leaves balm-mint (melissa officinalis)
•5 leaves sage
•10 leaves (not sprigs) rosemary
•A flowered top of a European Centaury plant
•15 juniper berries
•5 cloves
•1/2 inch cinnamon stick
•A piece of Florentine Iris root (orris root),
fragmented
•A piece of sweet calamus root (sweet flag),
fragmented
•A piece of yellow gentian root (bitter root),
fragmented
•A piece of carline thistle root, fragmented
•2 leaves from a flowering milk thistle
•2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
•2 2/3 cups good quality white vermouth
•3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons grain alcohol
Preparation:
Macerate the herbs in the alcohol for 5 days; if it's
sunny wrap the jar in dark paper to keep the light out
and set it in the sun. Meanwhile, combine the
vermouth and the sugar in a second jar and let them
sit in a dark place; the sugar will gradually dissolve.

Strain the alcohol into a clean bottle, stopper it, and

transfer the steeped herbs to the vermouth jar. Steep
them for another week, then strain the vermouth into
the alcohol bottle. Let the mixture sit for a day, then
filter it into an elegant bottle. Cork the bottle and let it
age in a dark place for at least 8 months.

BASIC HONEY LIQUEUR

500 gpure honey (equals about 350 ml honey, or just
under 1.5 cups)
1/4 liter water (1 cup)
3/8 liter alcohol (just over 1.5 cups)

Dissolve honey in hot water. The water should not be

hotter than 45 degrees celsius. Let the mixture cool
down, then add spirit of wine (alcohol).

You may exchange the spirit of wine with spirits like

whisky, brandy or a similar strong liquor, to get a
lighter liquor.

CORN WINE

CRACKED CORN
Cracked corn can be purchased at feed stores and
other stores that sell feed for birds or chickens. Do no
attempt to make this wine with fresh corn.

2 lbs cracked corn

1 lb chopped golden raisins
3 lbs granulated sugar
4 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp tannin
water to one gallon
1 crushed Campden tablet
Champagne or Sherry wine yeast

Rinse the corn well, checking for any pebbles or other

foreign matter. Put chopped raisins and corn in a bowl
and cover with enough water to cover the corn. Soak
overnight. The next day, pour corn and raisins in a
fine nylon straining bag, tie the bag closed, and put in
primary. Pour the soaking water into primary. Put
remaining water on to boil with sugar in it. Stir well
as water heats up until sugar is dissolved and water
comes to a boil. Pour water into primary. Add the
acid blend, yeast nutrient and tannin. Cover primary
with a sheet of plastic held in place with a large
rubber band or loop of elastic. When cooled to room
temperature, add crushed Campden tablet, recover,
and set aside for 24 hours. Meanwhile, boil a cup of
orange juice, transfer to a sterilized pint jar and set in
refrigerator 30 minutes to cool. When cool, add yeast
to orange juice and cover with plastic wrap. After 24
hours, add orange juice to primary. Stir daily for two
weeks. Remove bag of corn/raisins and allow to drip
drain (do not squeeze). Discard corn/raisins, recover
primary and allow liquor to settle overnight. Rack
into secondary and fit with airlock. Rack every two
months for six months. After sixth-month racking,
check for dryness. If not completely dry (specific
gravity of 0.990), allow another two months and rack
again. When dry, bottle the wine. May drink
immediately. [Adapted from Terry Garey's The Joy of
Home Winemaking]
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques44.asp

FRESH CORN
Freshly picked corn on the cob is so much better than
ears of corn bought at the supermarket that the
difference is like night and day. It is far, far sweeter,
has much better texture, and is more tender. I can
certainly understand why one would want to make
wine from it. So, to answer Ron's question, yes, I
have a recipe for making wine from fresh corn. The
key is "fresh." Do not pick the corn until you are
ready to make the wine. Then get right to it. This
recipe is from Doris Beck of San Antonio, as reported
by Dorothy Alatorre and adapted by the author.

4 to 6 ears of freshly picked corn

2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1-1/2 tblsp acid blend
1/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
water to 1 gallon
Sherry wine yeast
Put a large pot containing half the water on to boil.
Meanwhile, clean the corn and cut it from the cobs.
Cut cobs into 2-inch sections and put the cobs and
corn in the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain
into the primary and add 1-1/2 pounds sugar to it,
stirring until dissolved. Add remaining water to make
up a gallon less one cup. Cover primary and set aside
to cool. When at room temperature, add pectic
enzyme, acid blend, tannin, and yeast nutrient.
Recover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add
activated yeast and recover. Stir daily for 7 days. Boil
one cup of water and dissolve one pound of sugar into
it. Set sugar water aside to cool, covered. Rack wine
into secondary and add sugar water. Fit airlock and
set aside for 30 days. Rack, top up and refit airlock.
After additional 60 days, rack, top up and again refit
airlock. Set aside for 4 months, checking fluid in
airlock from time to time. Wine should be clear. If
not, treat as for starchy haze. Rack into bottles and set
aside for 3 months. Will improve with further aging.
[Adapted from Dorothy Alatorre's Home Wines of
North America]

HONEY LIQUEUR

LITHUANIAN HONEY LIQUEUR [KRUPNIKAS]

INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons caraway seed
10 whole cloves
10 whole allspice
4 sticks cinnamon
2 sticks vanilla
2 pieces yellow ginger
2 pieces white ginger
10 cardamom seeds
1/2 nutmeg
3 strips orange rind
3 strips lemon rind
1 pinch saffron
4 cups water
2 lbs honey
1 quart grain alcohol
Crack cardamon seeds and nutmeg. Boil spices, rind
and water in a covered pot until liquid is reduced to
about 2 cups. Strain.
In a pot large enough to hold the spiced liquid,
alcohol and honey, bring honey to a boil. Skim off the
foam.

Pour spiced liquid into honey and stir.

Remove from heat. Place far away from heat to

prevent flare-up or expolsion of alcohol. Slowly, and
very carefully, pour in alcohol.

Replace pot on LOW heat. Heat, being careful not to

simmer or boil, for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool in the same covered

pot overnight. Following day, pour into bottles and
allow to settle (about 2 weeks). The longer it sits, the
clearer it becomes and the better it tastes.

Note: When I make this, I let it settle for a week. Pour

off the clear liquid into a separate bottle, being careful
not to disturb the sediment. Filter the sedimented
portion (through a coffee filter) into a separate bottle.
Do this several times over the next month. You will
end up with a clear liqueur that is akin to the nectar of
the gods.
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/recipes/honey.html

VERMOUTH

I love a good martini but I’ll be honest, I’ve never

given much thought to one of the major ingredients…
dry vermouth. The Art of the Drink blog has an
article on the general idea of making vermouth and I
wanted to give it a try. You will need a dry wine,
herbs, and a liquor to pump up the alcohol content.
Vermouth was born a long time ago, arguably as far
back as the fifth century B.C. The word comes from
wermut, the German word for wormwood.
Wormwood along with other herbs and alcohol where
added to off wine to mask the flavor. Vermouth
evolved with time and by the 1800’s French (dry) and
Italians (sweet) where making incredibly drinkable
brands like Martini & Rossi, now the largest
producer. We see vermouth used in many drinks
behind the bar but vermouth on the rocks and even
the vermouth cocktail have almost slid out of sight.

Dry Vermouth Recipe:

1/2 teaspoon wormwood
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon gentian
1/4 teaspoon chamomile
1/4 teaspoon bitter orange
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon angelica root
1/8 teaspoon elderflower
1/8 teaspoon cinchona bark
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 whole clove
1 whole allspice
 1 oz (30ml) sugar (about 4% of 750ml)
1 bottle dry Riesling (I used Chateau Ste.
Michelle Dry Riesling)
Pour entire wine bottle into a pot and bring to
boil. Boil uncovered and keep boiling for 3-5
minutes to oxidize and reduce by about 100ml.
Remove from heat and add all ingredients, cover and
let cool.
After an hour or so strain the solids and add about
2 oz of vodka, pour into a screw cap bottle and
refrigerate for a day to fully infuse; then keep
refrigerated for no more than about a month. I have
done many versions since this one and will do many
more. Use this recipe as a start point for your own
house vermouth and let me know what you come up
with.

Article By: Mark Sexauer

http://marksexauer.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/makin
g-dry-vermouth/

There seems to be about 4 ways to make vermouth

which vary in temperature, time, and method for
extracting the herbal components and oxidizing the
wine. The first is to briefly boil all the wine with the
botanicals. The second is to take about a quarter of
the volume and simmer it with the herbs for a short
time. The third is a longer, unheated extraction. And
the fourth is to extract the botanicals separately in
high proof alcohol and add them drop-wise to the
wine to reach the desired effect; this fourth way is
apparently how many of the larger commercial houses
make it these days. The only common botanical in
recipes is wormwood which is how the beverage was
named after the German word for it, Wermut(h).
Some recipes have only a few while others have
twenty-something ingredients.

Most vermouths are made from white wine -- even

the sweet vermouths, save for Punt e Mes, Carpano
Antica, Barolo Chinatos, and a few others. The dark
color in most sweet vermouths is not imparted from
the grape skins but from caramelized sugar and the
botanicals. A common wine to start from is
Trebbiano.

Two last components to discuss before I launch into

how I did my batch are brandy and sugar. Vermouths
are fortified wines so a high proof alcohol such as
brandy (although I have seen recipes that use vodka)
is used to bring the alcohol content up to 15-18%. The
higher alcohol content helps to stabilize the contents
better over time. Vermouths are also sweetened. Dry
vermouths often have under 7% residual sugar left
and sweet vermouths are up to 15%. For other
information about vermouth, including their history
and other alternative recipes, please consult the links
below.

I placed the following herbs into a pot:

• 1 tsp of each: wormwood

• 1/2 tsp of each: gentian, elder flower, chamomile,
anise seed, tansy, dried orange peel
• 2 pinch of each: angelica root, fennel seed, peach
leaf
• 1 pinch of each: lavender flower, betel nut,
dandalion leaf, sassafras root bark, burdock root,
thyme, oregano, basil, centaury
• 1/2 pinch of each: licorice root
• 1 whole clove, 1/2 small cinnamon stick

Added 200 mL of wine to the pot. The wine I used

was a 750mL bottle of 2007 Cavit Pinot Grigio since
I did not see any Trebbiano wines where I was
shopping that day.

I brought the wine-botanical mix up to a boil and

simmered it covered for 10 minutes.
I let it cool for 75 minutes, and filtered through a
strainer over a coffee filter.

For the caramelized sugar, I heated up 2 oz sugar (by

volume) until medium-dark brown. I added 2 oz of
boiling water to the molten sugar to make a
caramelized simple syrup.

To the wine bottle, I poured out some into a glass

(besides the 200 mL from before) to be added later. I
added 4 oz of 80° brandy (to bring the alcohol up to
approximately 16%), the caramelized simple syrup,
and the filtered aromatized wine concentrate. I topped
off the bottle with the wine I poured off.

Lastly, I added sugar to taste: 1/2 oz by volume

seemed sufficient

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2008/11/sweet-
vermouth.html