Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits: Innovative Flavor Combinations, Plus Homemade Versions of Kahlúa, Cointreau, and Other Popular Liqueurs (18 page)

Hazelnuts (a.k.a. filberts) are undistinguished when raw, a bit starchy and bitter, making their popularity seem unfounded. But when you taste them toasted, their fame pops into focus. The main aromatic compound in hazelnuts, heptanone, increases 700-fold when the nuts are toasted. The flavor of toasted hazelnuts is so vibrant that no augmentation is necessary.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 pound blanched hazelnuts
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups brandy (80 proof)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups bourbon (80 proof)
  
• 1 cup
  Brown Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the hazelnuts and stir until the nuts are aromatic and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Dump onto a baking sheet and let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Rub the skins off with a clean dishtowel.
   
2. 2.
   Chop the nuts finely; it’s easiest to use a food processor. Put the nuts into the work bowl of the processor, and chop using 3-second pulses until uniformly finely chopped, like coarse sand.
   
3. 3.
   Combine brandy, bourbon, and hazelnuts in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
4. 4.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of hazelnuts, 7 to 10 days.
   
5. 5.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. You should have about 2
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cups.
   
6. 6.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
7. 7.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Bottoms Up!
Use this knockoff in a Mother Superior (
page 253
), as pictured above.

Chestnuts look like nuts in that they are large, round, and have a shell, but unlike all other nuts, chestnuts store their energy as starch rather than as oil. This gives them a mealy texture, and when they are roasted they become sweet rather than nutty. In this golden liqueur, that sweetness is underscored by infusing the chestnuts into bourbon and rum and sweetening the liqueur with caramelized sugar syrup.

Makes about 1 quart

• 24 fresh chestnuts
  
• 2 cups bourbon (80 proof)
  
• 1 cup dark rum (80 proof)
  
• Pinch of sea salt
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups
  Caramelized Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
   
2. 2.
   Cut a cross through the shell on the flat side of each chestnut, cutting through the skin beneath but not into the flesh of the nut. Put on a baking sheet, cut side up, and roast until browned and aromatic, about 35 minutes. Let cool; remove the shells and skins and chop the flesh finely.
   
3. 3.
   Combine the bourbon, rum, chestnuts, salt, and simple syrup in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
4. 4.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of chestnuts, 7 to 10 days.
   
5. 5.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
6. 6.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Sláinte!
Mix with cream and serve over ice.

In the miniaturized world of seeds, coconuts are ginormous, housing enough food to feed a developing coconut palm embryo for a whole year. Coconut meat is about 35 percent fat, on the low side for most nuts, so coconut-flavored liqueurs don’t tend to separate as much as other nut liqueurs. Highly drinkable, this liqueur tastes like an Almond Joy, minus the almonds and the shreds of coconut stuck in your teeth.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) light rum (80 proof)
  
• 3 cups lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups (7
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  ounces) cacao nibs
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  vanilla bean (Madagascar or Bourbon), split
  
• 1 cup
  Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Combine the rum, coconut, 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 smells and tastes strongly of coconut and chocolate, 7 to 10 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.
   

Cheers!
Substitute for chocolate liqueur in a Brandy Alexander and finish with a splash of canned coconut cream.

Along with walnuts, pecans have a very high oil content, which, in the world of nuts, goes along with fragile texture. Pecans are easily bruised, which causes their oil to seep onto the surface, where it oxidizes and turns rancid. Always smell or taste a batch of pecans before you buy. Toasting helps bring out the nuts’ sweetness and diminish rancid notes. However, once pecans are toasted, use them immediately. Like bruising, toasting encourages oil seepage, which shortens their shelf life.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 pound pecan pieces
  
• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) dark rum (80 proof)
  
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups
  Brown Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the pecans and stir until the nuts are aromatic and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Dump onto a baking sheet and let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
   
2. 2.
   Chop the nuts finely; it’s easiest to use a food processor. Put the nuts into the work bowl of the processor, and chop using 3-second pulses until uniformly finely chopped, like coarse sand.
   
3. 3.
   Combine the rum, pecans, and orange zest in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
4. 4.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of nuts, 7 to 10 days.
   
5. 5.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.
   
6. 6.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
7. 7.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Santé!
An elegant addition to nearly any bourbon- or rum-based cocktail.

Cooks have been coating nuts with candy since the seventeenth century, and pralines — almonds coated in caramelized sugar — were one of the earliest types. The inspiration for this caramel-nut liqueur is Southern pralines, which are made from untoasted pecans stuck into a puddle of caramel-flavored fudge. With no roasting or toasting, this nut-based recipe is particularly quick and easy. The result is sweet and savory, a delicious spike to warm apple cider or an easy way to gussy up a glass of bourbon.

Makes about 1 quart

• 1 pound pecan pieces
  
• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) bourbon (80 proof)
  
• 1 vanilla bean (Madagascar or Bourbon), split
  
• Pinch of fine sea salt
  
• 1 cup
  Caramelized Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Chop the nuts finely; it’s easiest to use a food processor. Put the nuts into the work bowl of the processor, and chop using 3-second pulses until uniformly finely chopped, like coarse sand.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the bourbon, pecans, vanilla, salt, and simple syrup in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
3. 3.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of pecans, 7 to 10 days.
   
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.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Salut!
Try a Glazed Wild Turkey (
page 246
).

A relative of the cashew, but slightly oiler and much more flavorful, the pistachio is unique in nutdom for being green when ripe. The color comes from chlorophyll, which stays bright if the pistachios are handled in a way that preserves the pigment. They must be grown in a relatively cool climate, and they must be picked while still slightly immature. The nuts are then roasted at low temperatures to keep them from browning, which would cause their color to fade.

Although pistachio liqueurs are frequently dyed green, I have found that a good amount of chlorophyll enters the alcohol during tincturing, yielding a beautiful, soft, and natural tint.

Makes about 1 quart

• 12 ounces shelled pistachio nuts
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups dry vermouth (18% ABV)
  
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  
• 1 cup honey
  

1. 1.
   Chop the nuts finely; it’s easiest to use a food processor. Put the nuts into the work bowl of the processor, and chop using 3-second pulses until uniformly finely chopped, like coarse sand.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the vodka, pistachios, vermouth, lemon zest, and honey in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
3. 3.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of pistachios, 7 to 10 days.
   
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.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Cheers!
Makes a sophisticated stand-in for amaretto and is delicious drizzled over ice cream.

The process for making sesame liqueur is almost identical to the process for making Black Poppy (
page 149
), except that sesame seeds must be toasted to enrich their flavor. They have a similarly high oil content to poppy seeds and yield a liqueur that is equally rich. The main difference is the flavor. Sesame seeds are decidedly nutty (high in protein), while poppy seeds tend to be more acrid (high in alkaloids) before they are sweetened. Although sesame seeds come in a wide variety of colors, paler seeds have a better flavor for making liqueur and yield better color after toasting. Sesame liqueur mixes well with orange, ginger, and coconut flavors when making mixed drinks.

Makes a scant fifth

• 1 pound white sesame seeds, about 3 cups
  
• 1 fifth (750 ml/3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups) vodka (80–100 proof)
  
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup honey
  
• 1 cup
  Simple Syrup
  

1. 1.
   Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir until aromatic and lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Dump onto a baking sheet and let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the vodka, sesame seeds, ginger, and honey in a half-gallon jar. Stir to moisten everything.
   
3. 3.
   Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of sesame and ginger, 7 to 10 days.
   
4. 4.
   Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid. You should have about 2
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cups.
   
5. 5.
   Stir in the simple syrup.
   
6. 6.
   Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.
   

Santé!
Substitute for fruit liqueur in a Mai Tai or a Cosmopolitan.