Anyone ever make their own liqueurs?

[supernova]

I'm thinking about making liqueurs as a present. I know I need to do it soon, as the longer they sit the better they are.

If you've done it, what did you do? How did it work out?

Any recipes to share?

[flamingyouth]

1. We used to make plum cordial when I was a kid

I'd have to ask my mom, but I remember using vodka as the base for it. It took months too - we'd make it during the summer, then give it as gifts for the holidays. I wonder if she still has the recipe? It was good stuff.

[demosincebirth]

2. We made pruno

[ET Awful]

9. LOL . . . where' d you grow up? San Quentin? :) :) :) n/t

[supernova]

11. Begs the question

What is pruno? Inquiring minds want to know.

[ET Awful]

14. Jailhouse alcohol. Usually brewed using Sterno fuel :) n/t

[demosincebirth]

24. Close by

[name not needed]

3. I made my own wine once

It tasted like shit, but it got me drunk!

[EstimatedProphet]

4. Yes I have

Many homebrewing stores have liquer making kits, which is what I used. I wouldn't really recommend them, because they don't really come out any better or cheaper than the commercial brands they imitate.
I haven't tried making anything from scratch though.

[supernova]

12. From scratch

is what I'm after.

I'm getting the general idea that vodka, fruit and some sugar is involved.

[Bjornsdotter]

17. Basic Recipe

This basic recipe can be altered...but it will give you an idea of how to start.

You can use vodka or grain alcohol....I use vodka.

Wash your fruit....peel, slice, chop as necessary...some fruits will only require washing.

I use a 2 liter glass milk bottle...fill the fruit anywhere between half to three-quarters of your container. Pour sugar over fruit, and shake down...how much sugar you use depends on how sour the fruit is...but you will use a lot.

Pour the alcohol over the fruit and sugar....cap the bottle and shake.

Shake the bottle twice a day. Some mixtures are ready in a short period of time (Strawberries, raspberries) and some (black current) take months.

Second method...use this one if you are going to flavor your liquor with fruit and spices.

Make a simple syrup...for example I use this with crabapples.

Add crabapples and cinnamon sticks..bring to syrup stage, let cool.

Add syrup to alcohol let sit at least 2-3 weeks. I would suggest if you are going to use the syrup method that you make a small batch first to see if the flavors are correct.

My favorite is the fresh fruit method, but the other allows you to make various fruit and spice blends.

Cheers,
Kim

[sundog]

5. See, I knew you were a party animal

[supernova]

8. Hey, there's LOTS of me

to explore!

[SmokingJacket]

6. Cherry Bounce is currently brewing in my fridge.

In July I mixed up some cherries from the farmer's market, sugar, and cheapo vodka. I could have left it on a shelf but I had more room in my fridge.

It's supposed to be ready by Thanksgiving. Wheeeee!

I love to drink.

[Bjornsdotter]

7. I do....

What kind are you interested in? I'll be happy to share!

Cheers,
Kim

[supernova]

10. Well, peaches got me started

but perhaps this time of year maybe pomegranate?

Plum sounds good also.

[Kali]

13. MMM good liquers take time

Don't laugh - prune or plum is one of the best I have ever tasted. I have tried making kirsch with vodka and natural cherry concentrated flavor but it didn't come out too good.

I have also seen a recipe for home mouthwash with everclear, and fresh mint - dilluted after "soakeing" (blanking on the proper terminology) with distilled water.

[ze_dscherman]

15. My grandma used to make black currant liquor

She filled the berries in bottles, added some spoons of sugar, and filled it up with schnapps. Then she put the bottles in her windows for a couple of weeks, letting them bake in the sun.

I loved to snatch some berries when I was a kid, getting some nice buzz. She never noticed it ...

And no, I didn't become an alcoholic.

[Bjornsdotter]

16. Lol....

I made seven bottles of black currant liquor this summer....it's gonna be a merry x-mas around here.

Cheers,
Kim

[ze_dscherman]

19. Unless

... some friends of your teenage kid raid your house, drink half of it, and replace it with black currant juice.

Actually, we did that to the delicious sloe wine a friend's father had made. Confession time today.

[Bjornsdotter]

23. Same here...

...when I was in college one of my professors used to have the best parties...her husband was a wine collector and she used to open up the really expensive bottles and we would drink them and fill them up with cheap crap. To my knowledge he never found out.


Cheers,
Kim

[yvr girl]

18. My mom made Tia Maria which was good

The base for that was Whiskey. I think that there was coffee in it too.

A good friend of mine makes Bailey's which is quite yummy. It needs to be refridgerated though.

[Midlodemocrat]

20. I made my own Bailey's once

It turned out great. If I can find the recipe, I will send it to you.

here are some recipes I just got off the web. For the Bailey's, it looks similar to my recipe, but I would leave out the raw eggs.

http://cocktails.about.com/library/weekly/aa110800c.htm

[bif]

21. Make my own raspberry liqueur

With raspberries that we pick and vodka and just a bit of sugar. Turns out great.

[MissB]

22. I made Kahlua a few years ago

Good stuff. I'll dig around for the recipe, if you're interested.

Very easy to do. Involved vodka (of course), vanilla beans, coffee.

[no name no slogan]

25. We did that a few years ago

The important thing, IIRC, is to make sure the bottles seal up tightly. Make sure the corks fit tight. Otherwise, they spoil easily. We lost a couple of bottles that way.

[Bozita]

26. I did that one years ago ... Recipe called for instant coffee

End product was quite good.