Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits: Innovative Flavor Combinations, Plus Homemade Versions of Kahlúa, Cointreau, and Other Popular Liqueurs (5 page)
Authors: Andrew Schloss
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Turbinado sugar.
This is demerara sugar washed of some of its molasses so it’s not sticky.
Palm sugar.
Evaporated coconut palm sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm. It is pale brown and has a mild honey-like flavor. It has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar.
Jaggery.
This unrefined sugar from the Indus peninsula comes in two forms: Soft jaggery is made from palm sugar and is spreadable; sugarcane jaggery is solid and must be crushed or dissolved before it can be used.
Raw sugar is put through a five-step process to remove any residual color and molasses flavor.
Preserving sugar.
Large crystals (1 mm in length) made from highly refined sugar treated to dissolve easily for making jams, jellies, and preserves
Granulated sugar
(white, table).
An all-purpose sugar with medium crystals (0.5 mm in length)
Superfine sugar
(caster, ultrafine, instant dissolving, fruit, berry).
Finely ground (0.1 mm in length) granulated sugar with smooth mouthfeel; dissolves without heating
Confectioners’ sugar
(icing, powdered).
Very finely crushed (0.01 mm in length) granulated sugar, mixed with about 3 percent starch to prevent clumping
Crystal sugar
(coarse, decorating).
Large crystals (2 mm in length) about four times the size of regular granulated sugar, used for decorating confections and baked goods
Sanding sugar.
Large, clear crystals (1 mm in length), washed with alcohol to remove dust, used for making super-clear syrups and perfectly white icings, and commonly sprinkled on cookies and doughnuts
Affination.
Raw sugar is mixed with sugar syrup and centrifuged to remove any lingering bits of molasses from the surface of the crystals.
Clarification.
The cleaned sugar is heated with water to create a supersaturated solution (70 percent sucrose by weight), which is then mixed with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) and either carbon dioxide or phosphoric acid to precipitate mineral particles that absorb microscopic impurities in the sugar and are skimmed away.
Decolorization.
The clarified syrup is filtered through activated charcoal to remove any lingering color.
Crystallization.
The purified syrup is heated to supersaturation, then repeatedly crystallized and vacuum-evaporated to produce white sugar.
Drying.
The refined crystals are air-dried to produce granulated sugar that won’t clump.
Brown sugar is not the same thing as raw sugar. It is highly refined and is made either by soaking refined white sugar in molasses syrup and recrystallizing it or by coating granulated white sugar with molasses. Light brown sugar is about 10 percent molasses, and dark brown sugar is closer to 25 percent molasses.
Because molasses contains a substantial amount of minerals and some vitamins, brown sugar is slightly more nutritious than white sugar, containing up to 2 percent minerals (mostly calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium) and 4 percent vitamins and other materials, such as organic acids.
At a high enough temperature, sugar caramelizes, separating into hundreds of diverse chemicals. The colorless sweet molecule unravels, forming deep, dark pigments with a complex flavor that combines roastedness, bitterness, tartness, and sweetness accompanied by delicious aromas of butter, milk, fruit, and flowers. The more a sugar caramelizes, the more of these new flavors develop and the less sweet it tastes. See
Caramelized Simple Syrup
.
Granulated sugar is not completely soluble in alcohol, so it must be dissolved in water or some water-based liquid, like juice or cream, first. The standard formula is to dissolve equal parts sugar in water. The resulting syrup, known as simple syrup, can be stored in the refrigerator for months or at room temperature for several weeks; versions made with cream don’t keep as long. For recipes, see
page 24
.
Naturally occurring liquid sugars require no precooking. They all have flavor profiles that are more aromatic than sugar, and for that reason they are usually added early on in the tincturing process to infuse their aromas into the alcohol base. Note: I never use commercial corn syrup, which is only half as sweet as sugarcane syrups and therefore waters down the liqueur too much. I also do not recommend using artificial sweeteners, which develop bitter off flavors during tincturing,
Made from the boiled juices of agave cactus, agave syrup is pale golden, with a thin honey-like consistency, and is an all-natural alternative to simple syrup.
With its bold, floral fragrance, honey can be assertive in a beverage and should only be used when its flavor is expressly desired. Unless you want a strong honey flavor, stick to pale, mild honeys, like clover and orange blossom. Honey is sweeter than sugar and should be used in a ratio of 3:4 for simple syrup.
Boiling maple sap concentrates it into a syrup. In the United States, products must contain at least 2 percent pure maple syrup to be labeled “maple syrup.” The highest grades of pure maple syrup tend to be taken early in the sugaring season, when the sugar content is highest and the sap is lightest in color. Lower grades are taken later, when the sap is darkest, lowest in sugar, and more bitter.
Molasses is the main by-product of the production of white sugar from sugarcane and contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and flavorful micronutrients that are filtered from cane during manufacturing. It is not nearly as sweet as sugar, but it can be used to add color and richness to dark-colored liquids. The different grades of molasses (going from palest and mildest to darkest and strongest) are light, dark, and blackstrap.
Simple syrup is truly simple to make but making a quart at a time and keeping it on hand makes it even easier to whip up a batch of fruit- or vegetable-based liqueur whenever the ingredients are in season. The first three recipes can be refrigerated for up to three months, but the creamy versions only keep for a couple of weeks.
This all-purpose simple syrup is employed in the formulas for most liqueurs.
Makes 3 cups
- 2
1
⁄
4
cups water - 2
1
⁄
4
cups granulated cane sugar
Mix the water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is all moistened. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Use this dark, malty simple syrup when making whiskey- and brandy-based liqueurs.
Makes 3 cups
- 2
1
⁄
4
cups water - 2
1
⁄
4
cups dark brown sugar
Mix the water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is all moistened. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate and use within 3 months.
I love the candy-like aromas and tastes of this sophisticated simple syrup used in tropical liqueurs and those with a brandy base.
Makes 2 cups
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 cups Simple Syrup
- 1
⁄
4
–
1
⁄
2
cup boiling water
- 1.
Heat the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to melt and brown at the edges. Stir with a wooden spoon. The sugar will become lumpy; keep stirring and within a few minutes it will turn a deep orange-amber and become completely fluid. - 2.
Stand back and carefully pour in the simple syrup. The mixture will bubble and steam violently, and the caramelized sugar in the pan will solidify. - 3.
Keep stirring until most of the solid caramel melts into the liquid, about 1 minute. - 4.
Pour through a mesh strainer into a heat-resistant measuring cup. - 5.
Add enough of the boiling water to make 2 cups, and stir briefly. Refrigerate in a sealed container; use within 3 months. Discard or eat the solid caramel that remains in the strainer.
Use this recipe to turn almost any liqueur creamy.
Makes about 3 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1.
Combine the cream and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, especially as it approaches a boil. - 2.
Remove from the heat and stir in the condensed milk. Pour into a clean jar, seal, and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks.
This is my sweetener of choice for fruit-flavored cream liqueurs.
Makes about 3 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1
1
⁄
4
cups vanilla whole-milk yogurt, preferably Greek-style
- 1.
Combine the cream and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, especially as it approaches a boil. - 2.
Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt. - 3.
Pour into a clean jar, seal, and refrigerate; use within 2 weeks.
This is the perfect simple syrup for Irish Cream (
page 188
) and its tipsy brethren.
Makes about 3 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1
⁄
4
cup dark-roast coffee beans, coarsely cracked - 1
⁄
4
cup cacao nibs - 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1.
Combine the cream, sugar, coffee, and cacao nibs in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, especially as the mixture approaches a boil. - 2.
Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. - 3.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar, and stir in the condensed milk. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator; use within 2 weeks.
Nutty, tropical and rich, it’s the perfect vehicle for a creamy dairy-free liqueur.
Makes about 3 cups
- 2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
- 2 cups granulated cane sugar
- 1.
Combine the coconut milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, especially as it approaches a boil. - 2.
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Pour into a clean jar, seal, and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks.
No special equipment is required for making liqueurs: A good supply of large glass jars with tight-fitting lids is the only supplement a reasonably well-appointed kitchen will need.
Clockwise from top left: 2-quart glass measuring cup, glass jars with lids, wide-mouth funnel, wooden spoons, fine-mesh & standard-mesh strainers, set of measuring spoons, whisk, digital scale, and small saucepan.
All but the cream liqueurs are sufficiently high in alcohol that the growth of microorganisms is nearly impossible. I don’t bother sterilizing the jars I use for liqueurs; washing them with hot soapy water and rinsing thoroughly is sufficient. If that makes you uneasy, you can run your utensils and jars through the dishwasher first.
- 2-quart glass measuring cup
- Digital scale
- Set of measuring spoons
- Several wooden spoons
- Whisk
- Small saucepan
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Standard-mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Wide-mouth funnel
- Glass jars with lids (greater than 1-quart capacity) for tincturing
- Glass jars or bottles (1-quart capacity) for storing
You can use any bottle or jar (or cruet or decanter) with a tight-fitting lid to store your liqueurs. If you use old wine bottles or jars that contained food, make sure they are thoroughly clean. Alcohol has a tendency to lock onto and absorb residual flavors lingering in a container, which can be disastrous to delicately flavored liqueurs.
