Boozed + Infused

Infusing liqueurs at home with inspiring and seasonal ingredients

Author Archives: Alicia


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Kentucky Apricot

Last summer I picked up a bunch of apricots at a farm stand in Central Washington. They turned out to be a little bland, but I decided to try making an apricot-vanilla liqueur. So with a pound or two of apricots, some sugar, half a split vanilla bean, and a bottle of vodka, I let the mixture infuse for two months. It still wasn’t a strong enough apricot flavor for my taste, so I added a half pound of chopped, dried apricots, and let it infuse another three weeks. It was very tangy and had a very strong apricot flavor.  This cocktail recipe uses that apricot-vanilla liqueur.

Kentucky Apricot

1 1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur

1 1/2 oz Kentucky Bourbon

3-4 dashes cranberry bitters (or other tart/fruity bitters) we used our house made bitters

long lemon twist

Shake with ice, strain and serve with lemon twist.

What I really like about having all of our house-made liqueurs is being able to experiment with new cocktail flavors.  I am certainly no mixologist. But I do have fun trying new cocktails and mixing up something new! My cold Friday evening just got a little warmer…

Cheers!


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The Choices of Winter

I used to think that summer was the best time of year for making liqueurs. With all of the fruits and berries in the area, it can be daunting to decide what to infuse.

For the winter, we started infusing other items like tea, herbs and spices, nuts, etc. When Eileen and I started thinking about infusing winter fruits, we found a lot more than we thought we would.

Here are a few ideas to take advantage of while it is cold outside. Remember, the sooner you infuse, the sooner you can enjoy!

Cranberries

Persimmon

Pomegranate

Lemons

Oranges

Pears

Apples

Dried Fruits

We could go on forever! Instead, I will share a simple winter infusion to warm your evening…

Holy Tea Infusion on Day 1

Holy Tea Tonic

3 Tablespoons of Herbal Tea (I used a lovely blend from a friend that included Star Anise, Vanilla Bean, Angelica, Basil, Solomon’s Seal, and Saigon Cassia)

2/3 c. Brandy

1 1/3 c. Vodka

3 Tablespoons Honey (or to taste)

I infused the blend for about 2 weeks before adding any honey. At 2 weeks, I added the honey and let it infuse for another 3 days before straining.

Can be enjoyed plain, in a cup of hot water or tea (with a squeeze of lemon) or in a favorite cocktail.


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Champagne Cocktail Taste Test

While we love a good champagne cocktail, we wanted a twist on the traditional favorite. With our bounty of fruit liqueurs from this year, we decided to do a taste test and see what we should serve at our holiday party.

The line up: Raspberry Liqueur, Royal Anne Cherry Brandy, Honey & Saffron Liqueur, and Apricot Vanilla

We took 1 oz liqueur, 4 oz Extra Dry Champagne, and tasted away

And the winner is…

Royal Anne Cherry Brandy

Try your favorite liqueur with champagne and a brandied cherry for garnish (and an added festive flair). If you don’t have home infused liqueurs in your pantry, check out your local liqueur store. Here in Portland, Oregon we are very lucky to have local fruit liqueurs made by Clear Creek Distillery.

Please enjoy and ring in the New Year with a new favorite…


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Happy Holidays

Home made goodies to celebrate the season… Happy Holidays to you!


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Bit-o-Honey

Do yourself a favor, and make the Honey & Saffron Liqueur highlighted on Eat Boutique. (Maggie Battista adapts a recipe from June Lawson’s “Snowflakes and Schnapps”.)

I made this Honey and Saffron liqueur a few months ago and have been very happy with it. We used it in a Champagne Cocktail taste test (more on that later) but most recently trialed a new cocktail that we’re calling (for now) the Bit-o-Honey.

Bit o Honey Recipe (makes 2 cocktails)

3 1/2 oz Martin Miller Gin

1 1/2 oz Honey Saffron Liqueur

1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

* lemon twist
Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Strain into chilled martini glasses, and add a lemon twist.

If you don’t have Martin Miller gin, you can likely substitute whatever gin you have. But if you can find it, give it a try. It has a much cleaner, lighter taste than most gins. The juniper flavor is almost absent with a very light floral scent.

We tried this cocktail last night and couldn’t resist having a second…

Enjoy!


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Fig Manhattan

Step 1: Make a home-infused Fig Bourbon

Our recipe for Fig-Infused Bourbon:  750 ml bottle of Bourbon (we used Jim Beam), 12 oz dried Black Mission Figs. Place the figs in a large canning jar, pour bourbon over the figs and let them marinate for approximately 1 month (or until it reaches your desired taste). Strain and enjoy!

Step 2: Drink the fig bourbon as a straight liqueur at room temperature (sweet enough for a dessert beverage) or use it in cocktails. Our first cocktail attempt is a keeper – the Fig Manhattan. Essentially, we replaced Sweet Vermouth with Fig Bourbon.

Recipe:

2 oz Whiskey/Bourbon

1 oz Fig-Infused Bourbon

1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

Dash of Angostura Bitters

* Brandied cherry (add at the end)

Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and add a brandied cherry.


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Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

It took a month for my Cranberry bitters to fully infuse. Now that they are done, I am ready for the holidays! I started with simple tinctures of Cranberry, Bitter Orange Peel, and Wormwood (all infused with Grain Alcohol). I eventually added some sugar, and added only part of the Wormwood tincture to the cranberry. The final liquid is… well… quite bitter. With a few dashes on a sugar cube, dropped into a glass of champagne, the result is a lovely hint of cranberry in a tasty glass of bubbly.

For those of you who have not yet made your own bitters, try a dash of Angostura bitters on a sugar cube in your favorite champagne.