Published in BackHome November/December 2007

For me a splash of orange-imbued Triple Sec or coffee-drenched Kahlua adds a spark of excitement to even the best drink. Yet, the cost of such liqueurs used to deter me from indulging in cocktails. With prices ranging from $17 to $40 for a bottle of citrus or coffee liqueur I invariably opted for a tried and true, inexpensive wine or beer. Once I learned how to make my own fruit-, coffee- and nut-infused spirits, though, those days of deprivation disappeared.

The practice of imbuing alcohol with herbs, spices, nuts, flowers or fruits dates back to the Middle Ages when aromatics were added to obscure the unpleasant taste of impurities in the alcohol. In the 13th century Arnaldo de Vilanova, a Catalan physician, promoted the theory that spirits suffused with herbs took on a medicinal property. De Vilanova’s claim of healthfulness did much to increase flavor-infused spirits’, or liqueurs’, allure.

As monasteries grew most of the medicinal herbs during this time, monks and other members of religious orders became credited with creating the first liqueurs. Coined bitters for their acrid taste, they are spirits saturated with herbs or roots and, during the Middle Ages in particular, used for therapeutic purposes.

By the 19th century liqueurs had evolved into after-dinner drinks that were sipped slowly either to aid in the process of digestion or simply to prolong an enjoyable night. Although they went by the serviceable name of digestifs, they had abandoned most of their medicinal claims. They had also stopped being a province of the home brewer concocting mixtures from ingredients found in his kitchen and had transitioned into commercially made products.

One of the earliest liqueurs and the most famous bitter, Angostura, got its start in the early 1820’s. Like its peers, it began as a medicinal drink. Unlike its fellow forerunners, its creator was, in fact, a physician, Dr. J.G.B Siegert, a surgeon general in Venezuelan Simon Bolivar’s South American army.

Infused with herbs and bitter root, Angostura’s popularity spread beyond South America and by 1830 it was being commercially produced and exported to such countries as England. Closely guarded, its exact formula is reputed to be known by only five people. Over the years I have searched for a recipe that mimics the unique aroma and pungent taste but have yet to find an adequate copy for Dr. Siegert’s potion.

A liqueur for which I have come across many successful instructions is limoncello. A favored apertif in Italy, limoncello offers the refreshing tang of lemons and a hint of sweetness. It is frequently made at home, particularly along the Amalfi Coast, and is quite simple and inexpensive to create.

The basic recipe for limoncello calls for seven large, organic or wax-free lemons, one cup of simple syrup, and 750 milliliters of store-bought, 100-proof vodka. It will yield almost five cups or a bit more than one liter of limoncello and cost around $10 to make.

I first scrub the lemons under hot water, making sure that no dirt or wax remains. Lemons cleaned, I grab a zester or potato peeler and remove the skin of each. A word of advice – make sure to zest only the skin and not the bitter white pith beneath it. Otherwise, you may end up with an acerbic, rather than palette-pleasing, drink.

I then place the zest in a large, clear, glass bottle possessing an air-tight lid. Zest in place, I pour the vodka over the zest, seal the bottle and store in a cool place for 7 to 10 days.

In the interim I will mix together a batch of simple syrup and refrigerate until desired. Simple syrup consists of one cup of water simmered together with one cup of sugar. I stir the two together for roughly three minutes or until the sugar has melted. I then remove the pan from the heat, cool the syrup, and refrigerate it in a sealed container.

Once the lemon-vodka has turned bright yellow, I strain the concoction into a large pitcher. Straining removes the lemon zest and any sediment that has collected. After filtering out the zest, I whisk in the simple syrup. I pour the limoncello into one large or two smaller bottles, seal it, and place in the refrigerator for another 7 to 10 days to allow the flavors to meld together. I refrigerate the limoncello so that I always have a chilled drink on hand.

Orange liqueur also results from this same method. Simply replace the seven lemons with four oranges and follow the remaining instructions. You will end up with an apricot-colored liquid that resembles Triple Sec in flavor.

Although either can be drunk on its own, together these two make a delectable and powerful cocktail known as a lemon drop. To create your own lemon drop, just place two ounces of orange liqueur, two ounces of limoncello, a tablespoon of powdered sugar and an ice cube into a blender. Cut off the skin of a lemon, halve the fruit, and toss it into the blender with the others. Turn the machine on high and mix for 30 seconds. Using a fine mesh colander, strain the drink into a cocktail glass and enjoy.

When in the mood for a berry-based refreshment, I reach for raspberry-infused vodka. To create this uncomplicated repast, I place one pint of clean, preferably organic, raspberries in an air-tight bottle. I pour in one liter of 80-proof vodka, seal, and allow the mixture to macerate for four to eight weeks, until the liquid has become a deep red. I then strain the raspberry vodka and drizzle in three tablespoons of simple syrup, stirring to combine. As with limoncello, I place the bottle in my refrigerator and allow the liquids to infuse for several days before offering as an apertif or in a cocktail.

Not all homemade liqueurs begin with vodka. All, however, must start with store- purchased spirits. In the United States distilling alcohol for use as a beverage is illegal unless you have received prior federal approval to operate a distilled spirits plant and pay taxes on the spirits, according to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

With a 750 milliliter bottle of the least expensive brandy – $9.50 — from my local liquor shop I can whip up a host of nut liqueurs. In the case of my homemade almond libation I employ two cups of brandy, two tablespoons of almond extract, and eight ounces of shelled, skinned, and roughly chopped almonds. The remaining ingredients consist of one cup of simple syrup and one vanilla bean, split lengthwise.

The steps for making this brew closely resemble those for the citrus- and raspberry-infused spirits. After chopping the almonds, I dump the nuts, brandy, almond extract and vanilla bean into a bottle, place an airtight lid on it and store in a warm, dry place. I allow the flavor to develop for at least one month. After the allotted time has passed, I strain the nuts and vanilla bean from the alcohol, pour in the pre-made simple syrup and stir until well mixed.

Some almond liqueurs derive their flavor not from the nuts themselves but from nut extracts or the seeds of fruits. When attempting to recreate Amaretto, I would need to include the stones of two apricots and exclude the chopped almonds.

Other nut-soaked spirits may call for more specialized or traditional components. The Italian, walnut-based Nocino requires the maceration of an odd number of unripe walnuts, picked on either the 24th or 25th of June in honor of the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Unless you have a thriving walnut tree in your backyard, you will have to ask your local green grocer to procure the immature walnuts for you, realizing, of course, that they may not have been culled on one of those dates in June. Similarly liqueur de noisette, or hazelnut liqueur, insists upon green hazelnuts.

Coffee liqueurs such as the Jamaican Tia Maria and Mexican Kahlua possess fairly straightforward ingredients. Both involve the infusion of rum and coffee beans. Kahlua differentiates itself by using Arabica coffee beans, nutmeg, and white sugar-cane rum.

When making this at home, I substitute instant coffee for the beans and occasionally, if I have run out of rum, replace the rum with brandy. The results are surprisingly similar and intensely coffee-flavored.

For coffee liqueur I sprinkle three tablespoons of instant coffee into a freshly made and still hot cup of simple syrup. Once the coffee-flavored syrup has cooled, I pour it, along with one cup of brandy or rum and two teaspoons of vanilla extract, into a three-cup jar, seal the lid, and shake the contents together. I can then serve it immediately. That’s what I love about this drink – instant gratification as no steeping is necessary.

Another appealing factor is the liqueur’s many uses. With my caffeine-laced creation I can spice up a bowl of vanilla ice cream or an after-dinner coffee, jazz up a chocolate pudding, toss together some White or Black Russian cocktails or just serve it on its own.

Gone are the days of skimping on beverages and refraining from a good cocktail. Since learning how to create my own infused spirits, I now indulge in a fun, low-cost hobby as well as delicious drinks.