Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits: Innovative Flavor Combinations, Plus Homemade Versions of Kahlúa, Cointreau, and Other Popular Liqueurs (22 page)

You could blend together a cabinetful of spices to flavor this exotic liqueur, or you could just crack open a box of chai tea bags, break apart a few cinnamon sticks, and call it a day. Chai tea, the easy-to-love spiced black tea, is an effortless way to obtain huge flavor impact with minimum effort. Because alcohol is super-adept at hooking up with flavor compounds, steeping the tea bags in hot water to release their flavor is unnecessary. Just mix everything together and let it do its thing. But take a few deep breaths before you close the jar — this one smells as good as it tastes.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups brandy (80 proof)
  
• 4 chai tea bags
  
• 4 cinnamon sticks, cracked
  
• 1 cup
  Brown Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Combine the vodka, brandy, chai tea bags, and cinnamon sticks in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
2. 2.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of spices, 3 to 5 days.
   
3. 3.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
4. 4.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
5. 5.
   Seal and store in the refrigerator. Use within 1 year.
   

Salut!
Use it to spike warm cider or make a Spiced Red Wine (
page 253
).

White tea possesses a fragile floral fragrance that is enhanced here by the essence of pale Turkish figs. It is a delicate combination that would be lost as a tea but is fine-tuned when captured in alcohol. I use dry gin, which is less aromatic than Dutch gin, to eliminate extraneous flavor elements.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) English-style gin (86 proof)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups (3 ounces) loose white tea leaves
  
• 12 dried Turkish (or any pale-colored) figs, chopped
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups
  Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Combine the gin, white tea, and figs in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
2. 2.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes subtly of tea and fruit, about 5 days.
   
3. 3.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
4. 4.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
5. 5.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Skål!
A beautiful liqueur for perfuming a gin Martini or an icy glass of lemonade.

Lapsang Souchong tea leaves are fermented into black tea and then dried over smoky pine fires, lending this highly aromatic tea a resinous flavor. In this fire-engine red liqueur, that smoky base is underscored with additions of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) and a spike of smoked black pepper. The overall effect is a knockout; use it to smoke up a Manhattan.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups peaty (smoky) Islay single-malt Scotch, like Laphroaig
  
• 4 Lapsang Souchong tea bags
  
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika (pimentón)
  
• 1 teaspoon smoked black pepper
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups
  Brown Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Combine the vodka, Scotch, tea bags, paprika, and black pepper in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
2. 2.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of smoke, 3 to 5 days.
   
3. 3.
   Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
4. 4.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
5. 5.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

L’chaim!
Liven things up with a Smokin’ Mary (
page 242
) or a Volcano (
page 248
).

Tannins are components in some plants that bind to and precipitate proteins and alkaloids, acting as a deterrent to predators and as an insecticide. When you drink tea, red wine, or some fruit juices (grape or apple in particular), tannins in those products create a drying, puckering sensation in the mouth. In excess, this reaction can be unpleasant, but when controlled, the drying effect is translated by our brains as thirst, making the liquid in the tea, juice, or wine feel more refreshing.

The tannins in Tannin Teaser come from black tea leaves and persimmons. Unripe persimmon, particularly the Hachiya variety (which is heart-shaped), is especially high in tannins.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 6 Chinese black tea bags
  
• 2 unripe Hachiya persimmons
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup (2 ounces) cacao nibs
  
• 1 cup brewed black tea
  
• 1 cup palm sugar
  

1. 1.
   Combine the vodka, tea bags, persimmons, and cacao nibs in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
2. 2.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until a taste instantly puckers the tongue, 3 to 5 days.
   
3. 3.
   While the liqueur is maturing, make tea-flavored syrup by combining the brewed black tea and palm sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture turns translucent and bubbles form around the edge. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
   
4. 4.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
5. 5.
   Stir in the tea syrup.
   
6. 6.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Santé!
Makes for a sultry Gin and Tonic or Screwdriver.

Maghreb-style mint tea (green tea with mint leaves) is a drink of hospitality throughout North Africa, served whenever there are guests. It is always sweetened. Like matcha in Japan, the serving of Maghreb tea is highly ritualized in Morocco, with the head of the house pouring tea from a long spouted pot held at an impressive height above the guest’s glass. The cascade of tea hitting its mark with nary a drop spilled is equivalent to a perfectly executed high dive. The virtuosity and refreshing comfort of Moroccan mint tea is captured beautifully in this delicate liqueur.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 6 green tea bags
  
• 2 cups dried mint
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup honey
  
• ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup
  Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Combine the vodka, tea bags, mint, and honey in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
2. 2.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of mint, 3 to 5 days.
   
3. 3.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
4. 4.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
5. 5.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Bottoms Up!
Splash over ice and add a wedge of lime when heat and humidity overwhelm.

It was a dark and sultry night, heady with the scent of espresso, cocoa, and barely burnt sugar — a night to be savored sip by bittersweet sip. This slightly opaque, naturally thick liqueur is loaded with microscopic flavor-bursting particles. If you prefer a transparent liqueur, you can strain the tincture through several layers of damp cheesecloth set in the strainer, but I advise against it. The flavor is so much fuller if you don’t, and the only downside is having to shake the bottle each time you pour yourself yet another decadent drink.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups (5 ounces) cacao nibs
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup brewed espresso
  
• 2 cups vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1 cup brandy (80 proof)
  
• 1 cup
  Simple Syrup
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup
  Caramelized Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Mix the cocoa powder, cacao nibs, and espresso in a bowl to moisten.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the cocoa mixture, vodka, and brandy in a half-gallon jar.
   
3. 3.
   Seal the jar and shake vigorously. Put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid tastes strongly of chocolate, 2 to 3 days, shaking well every day.
   
4. 4.
   Strain the mixture with a fine-mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
5. 5.
   Stir in both simple syrups.
   
6. 6.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Prost!
Makes a delicious Mocha Manhattan with a few drops of chocolate bitters.

As unadorned and sublime as a Hershey bar, this transparent, barely tinted liqueur is the disembodied spirit of roasted cocoa. The alcohol absorbs all of the nuanced chocolate flavor from cacao nibs (cracked roasted cocoa beans). Amended with the fragrance of real vanilla and sugared to bittersweetness, this is an all-purpose chocolate liqueur, great in Chocolate Martinis.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups (6 ounces) cacao nibs
  
• 1 vanilla bean (Madagascar or Bourbon), split
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups
  Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Combine the vodka, cacao nibs, and vanilla in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
2. 2.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid tastes strongly of chocolate, 3 to 5 days.
   
3. 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. 4.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
5. 5.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Salut!
Lots of options: Banshee (
page 239
), Brandy Al (
page 239
), Chocolate Xander (
page 240
), or Mocha Nut, pictured here (
page 240
).

The snobbery surrounding premium, gourmet chocolate made with high percentages of cocoa bean (70, 80, even 100 percent) has led to the brainless perception that everything in a chocolate bar’s ingredient list other than the beans (sugar, cream, vanilla, or butter) is an unwelcome adulterant. There is a certain fascist logic to striving for 100-percent purity, but by avoiding the beautiful offspring born from disparate elements, you never learn that a little sugar boldly brings the fruitiness forward, and that a touch of dairy relaxes the brittle snap of dark chocolate, softening its militaristic salute into an affable handshake. This liqueur is friendly; you’ll want to take it out for a drink.

Makes about 1 quart

• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup sweetened condensed milk
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 cup (4 ounces) cacao nibs
  
• 2 cups vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1 cup brandy (80 proof)
  
• 1 cup
  Caramelized Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   With a small whisk in a small saucepan, mix the condensed milk and cocoa powder into a smooth paste. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Let cool.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the cocoa mixture, cacao nibs, vodka, and brandy in a half-gallon jar.
   
3. 3.
   Seal the jar and shake vigorously. Put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid tastes strongly of chocolate, 3 to 5 days, shaking well every day.
   
4. 4.
   Strain the mixture with a fine-mesh strainer lined with several layers of damp cheesecloth into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
5. 5.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
6. 6.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Skål!
Pour over a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of coffee ice cream for a just dessert.