Boozed + Infused

Infusing liqueurs at home with inspiring and seasonal ingredients

Tag Archives: Liqueur


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Hibiscus Brandy

Want to try something new and different? How about Hibiscus Brandy?

If you have ever had hibiscus tea, you know that Hibiscus flowers are a strong and refreshingly different flavor. Hibiscus tea is supposed to be quite good for your health (blood pressure, cholesterol), although I’m not sure if the alcohol negates that…

Hibiscus Brandy

2 c. brandy

1/3 c. dried hibiscus flowers

simple syrup

Place the dried flowers and brandy in a jar or glass vessel, and place in a dark location. This infuses fairly quickly. As always, I tend to infuse for a long time to see how the flavors change and enhance. I let this infuse for about 2 weeks before straining out the flowers. The color is very deep and vibrant (the photo doesn’t really do it justice).  After removing the flowers, I added about 1/4 c. of a thick simple syrup and let the infusion sit for another 2 weeks.

With only 1/4 of simple syrup, this is very strong. It is probably not something you would want to drink on its own… however, it is winter – citrus season. Hibiscus and citrus go great together. Cocktail recipes for this liqueur will be forthcoming, so go out and get yourself some hibiscus flowers and start infusing!

Can’t find hibiscus flowers? Try the Homebrew Exchange. They sell online, as well as having a storefront in North Portland.

You could also make quite a tasty liqueur with any loose leaf hibiscus tea that you can find at your local store or tea shop.


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Apple Liqueur

If you are interested in trying a simple liqueur and don’t know where to start, apples are a great ingredient. The photo above may appear to be tart green apples, but these are actually a sweet green apple, picked from my parents’ farm.

Ingredients:

Apples, sliced and cored

Brandy

Vodka

Place apple slices in a canning jar or glass vessel with a lid. Use equal parts brandy and vodka, using enough to cover your apples.

Infuse until the liquid reaches your desired taste. I let this infuse for about 4 weeks. The combination of sweet apples and brandy gave a great apple flavor, with no need for any sugars or additional sweeteners.  After infusing, strain and filter the liqueur. Bottle and enjoy!

Apples can really be used with any spirit. Looking to use up a spiced rum? We were… see below.

Related Posts:

Apple Pie Bourbon

Caramel Apple Liqueur

Apple Liqueur on Punk Domestics


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Ginger-Lime Gin

In this liqueur, the flavors of ginger, lime and agave make this spicy, yet refreshing and bright.

Ginger-Lime Gin

2 c. Gin

Zest of 1 lime

2 heaping TB chopped ginger

2 TB Blue Agave Syrup

Combine Gin, lime zest and ginger in a mason jar and let infuse for approximately 3 weeks, shaking the contents every few days. After 3 weeks, add Agave Syrup and let infuse for another week, or until it reaches your desired taste. Strain and filter, then enjoy!

Although I let this infuse for a total of 1 month, it could go much faster if you added more lime and ginger in the beginning.  The agave sweetens this lightly, with a good flavor balance to the ginger and lime.

This will make some tasty cocktails… cheers!

Ginger-Lime Gin on Punk Domestics


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Cranberry Crush! New Favorite Champagne Cocktail

Remember the Cranberry-Orange Cordial we posted a few weeks ago…

We have now tried several cocktails with this elixir and we have a new favorite Champagne Cocktail!

Cranberry Crush

2 oz Cranberry-Orange Cordial (Liqueur)

4 oz champagne

long orange twist

Ok, so maybe you haven’t made that cranberry-orange liqueur? I would suggest substituting 1 oz Fresh Pressed (not from concentrate, 100% pure juice) Cranberry Juice and 1 oz Cointreau instead of the cranberry-orange cordial.

Enjoy!! This is a keeper!


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Tropics in the Winter – Pineapple Liqueur

This photo is thanks to my sister Anne, who lives in Minnesota and just happens to be making one of the same infusions as I am.

Are you craving the warmth and sunshine of the tropics? I am… and truth be told, I will be in Mexico in a few days. In the meantime, I am infusing several tropical flavors. First on the list is Pineapple.

We did a pineapple taste test; one with Rum, another with Vodka. They both turned out delicious. It was a hard decision to come up with a winner. Both my husband and I both chose the Pineapple Rum.

Cut up a pineapple, place it in a jar, and cover with your choice of spirit. We infused for 3 weeks. After waiting (and tasting) for 3 weeks, we strained and filtered. The pineapple holds onto a lot of liquid, so you will want to press and squeeze the fruit through cheesecloth. This added a lot more liquid.

After filtering, we added 1 TB thick simple syrup to each cup of liquid for just a hint of sweetness.

Cheers!

Pineapple Liqueur on Punk Domestics


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Raspberry Bliss

This cocktail takes advantage of the raspberry vodka liqueur that we infused last summer. Knowing how delicious the raspberry liqueur turns out, we made a lot of it! There is even some to share…

Raspberry Bliss Cocktail (makes 1)

2 oz Raspberry Vodka (home infused)

1 oz Citrus Vodka

1 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Serve in a chilled martini glass with garnish of your choice.

If you don’t have raspberry liqueur sitting around, you could probably try making some with frozen berries or a store-bought liqueur. And next summer when raspberries are in season you should infuse as many of them as you can!


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Walnut Liqueur

Typical walnut liqueur, Nocino, is made with green walnuts. Unfortunately I didn’t have access to green walnuts. It is winter, after all. So I improvised and made a walnut liqueur with standard walnuts.

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. brandy

1 c. vodka

1/4 vanilla bean, split

6 whole cloves (or less – these can overpower)

2 tablespoons thick simple syrup (or to taste)

Infuse all of the ingredients (except the simple syrup) for at least 2 weeks, or longer if you wish. We let this infuse for about a month. Strain and filter the liquid well, and add the simple syrup. It was surprising how little sweetener this needed.

It is delicious on its own… and will likely be quite tasty in cocktails… any suggestions?

Enjoy!


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Cranberry Orange Cordial

1 1/3 c. Chopped Cranberries

Zest of 2 Large Oranges

2 c. Vodka

3/4 c. Sugar or simple syrup to taste

I infused this for about 3 weeks. This liqueur is perfect for cocktails! The flavor  is a bit strong for sipping on its own, but substitute it in a Cosmo or craft a new favorite. I’ve already tried several combinations… and will be sharing them with you soon.

Related Posts

Cranberry Crush! Our new favorite champagne cocktail

Pear and Cranberry Liqueur

Holiday Fun Time! – Holiday Inspired Infusions and Liqueurs


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Raspberry Caipirinha

Some years back, a friend introduced me to the Caipirinha. What a lovely and refreshing drink. Sweet, tart, and all the flavors balance so perfectly.

Last summer, I infused a bottle of cachaça with about a pound and a half of fresh raspberries, and a little sugar to heighten the raspberry flavor. I realize that raspberries are not in season right now, but you could infuse cachaça with another fruit or even frozen berries.

When I make this drink, it brings me back to the warmth of summer, despite the cold rain and snow we’ve been getting in the Pacific Northwest this week.

Raspberry Caipirinha (makes one drink)

1 lime, halved and sliced

1 Tablespoon Turbinado Sugar

3 oz Raspberry Infused Cachaça

Club Soda

Crushed Ice

Place the lime and sugar in the bottom of a pint glass or large tumbler and muddle well. Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice. Add raspberry infused cachaça, and top with club soda (just a splash). Serve with a straw so you can stir it and mix the lime and sugar into the drink.

If you don’t have any infused cachaça, substitute plain cachaça. The only thing I’d alter is to add a little more sugar.

You may have noticed that I didn’t bother to strain or filter this liqueur. Simple reason there… I’m greedy. Although I will make this drink for others in my home, it is too good to bottle for gifts. You’ll have to make your own…

Cheers!


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Persimmon Goodness

I was introduced to theses sweet little treasures when we first moved to LA.   They are sweet and silky and tasty.  I am trying to turn them into a little liqueur for a champagne cocktail for our New Years Eve toast in Palm Springs this year.   Cant wait to see how it turns out! (stay tuned)