How to make Strawberry Liqueur
Strawberry Liqueur
It's needless to say that strawberry is a very popular flavor. I love strawberry flavors and when I decided to make a strawberry liqueur I had no idea what to expect as I had never tried a store-bought strawberry liqueur before. I've had so many strawberry flavored sweet foods and that I guess that is what I expected, but I know well enough now that with alcohol infusion the flavors you expect don't always come through.
I chose to go organic with this recipe, and I will be trying to do this more often. I've read too much about the fungicides and pesticides on conventional ingredients to ignore organics when they are available.
Finding strawberry liqueur recipes was easy around the net and they were all very similar. Cut up a bunch of strawberries and cover them with alcohol, add spices, honey, etc. I wanted to keep it simple so I took from the simplest recipes and made my own variant.
Follow along!
Liqueur Review: Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Liqueur
Saint Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur
There are quite a few Irish Cream liqueurs out there and to be honest I've only tried maybe two or three. Really just the most popular ones you see in stores around these parts like Bailey's Irish Cream and O'Reillys Irish Cream are the ones I've given a go.
Saint Brendan's has an subtly attractive bottle and I hadn't noticed it before and at $17 I figured it was worth a shot. Due to the low price I did ask the shopkeep if he had any experience with it and he said it was now his favorite cream liqueur. After his positive review of it, I picked up a bottle to try for myself.
Background:
I don't have much background on this one. It's obviously named after Saint Brendan and Wikipedia tells me that Saint Brendan was an early Irish monastic saint that was renowned for a legendary journey to an Isle of the Blessed. I'm not very schooled on any Saints, but it sounds like some interesting reading.
How to make Cinnamon liqueur: Or so I thought…
Homemade Cinnamon Liqueur
Cinnamon. In ancient times it was a luxurious gift for kings and gods. Today it makes an appearance on our cinnamon rolls, apple cobbler and even french toast.
Me, I just want to devour anything that tastes like it. Mix it with alcohol? Even BETTER.
With no exaggeration, I LOVE cinnamon. It seems that the more I eat cinnamon my love for it just grows like a cinnamon tumour inside me. As I began making liqueurs I knew that cinnamon liqueur would be a key step in my quest for excellent homemade liqueur.
Before I talk about the four cinnamon liqueur variants I made, let me rant a little on the things I learned about Cinnamon.
Liqueur Review: Chambord Liqueur Royale de France
Chambord Liqueur Royale de France
When I think of unique liquor or liqueur bottles; the first one coming to mind is almost always Chambord. For many years Chambord's easily identifiable bottle has stood out on the shelf. The gold belt over the deep purple liqueur and interesting globe shape make it very easy to recognize.
Before this liqueur review I had never tried it outside of a cocktail, so let's take a deeper look.
Background:
Chambord liqueur is said to be inspired by a raspberry liqueur once produced in the Loire Valley of France in the late 17th Century. To this day many delicious liquors are produced in that valley, such as Cointreau, Triple Sec and Royal Combier.
The original liqueur inspiring Chambord was supposedly introduced to King Louis XIV during one of his visits to the Chateau de Chambord. Royalty in those times always had the best of the best and it was common for many fine spirits to be had with lavish meals.
Back on the bottle
It's been two months or so since I have posted, but I'm not dead. Just been sick and lots of other excuses.
Actually coming soon I have at least three treats for you
- Review of Chambord Liqueur Royale de France ( a Black Raspberry Liqueur )
- Reviews and recipes of not one, but FOUR home-made Cinnamon Liqueur variants (two including fruit)
- Cocktail recipes for Chambord and my home-made Cinnamon Liqueur
Liqueur Review: Frangelico
Frangelico Liqueur
Today we look at another classic liqueur, Frangelico. Similar to my last review on Southern Comfort, this is one of those liqueurs you see all the time but maybe have not tried. Sad though, since Frangelico has been around 300 years you should have had plenty of time to try it!
Like Chartreuse, Benedictine and others, Frangelico's origin also involves monks which usually ends up with deliciousness.
Background:
Frangelico is a Noisette and herb flavored liqueur. You might be unfamiliar with Noisette and that is because it is french for "Hazelnut" or "made from Hazelnut".
This ancient liqueur is produced in the Piedmont region of Italy, with origins dating as far back as 300 years. It is believed to have originated with Christian monks living in the area of that time. The name itself coming from one of those same monks, "Fra. Angelico" who resided in the hills of the Piedmont area.
A guide on how to make Liqueur
I just put up the "How to make Liqueur" page. This serves as a rough guide on how to make liqueur, including all the steps from infusion to aging.
Look forward to illustrations, photos and videos in the guide later on. As well as detailed pages on each individual step. There is a lot more that I could do with that page, but right now it will get you through the basics. Enjoy!
Can’t get Cinnamon out of my head!
Mmmmmm cinnamon. I love cinnamon. It makes me think of tea, cinnamon rolls, desserts of all kind, pumpkin pie, various coffee drinks and winter time. Can't you just smell it?
I can smell it, and I can taste it! I can't get it out of my mind! That is why the next Liqueurs I make will all be cinnamon based. In fact I have been doing some research on Cinnamon liqueur and schnapps recipes and I decided to make at least three variant cinnamon liqueurs. There are too many options and I wish I could afford the alcohol to make ten batches. There are several types of cinnamon to use, including: Indonesian cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon or the common cassia that everyone here in the USA uses in baked goods.
There are also a lot of spices that would go great with cinnamon like allspice, coriander, cloves or nutmeg, and then there are various fruits, berries, it is all just too much. Anyway I will have to man up, make a decision and get to steeping my ingredients. I'll let you know what I decide in the coming weeks. I hope in the mean time you will experiment with some cinnamon liqueur as well. Let me know if you do!
Liqueur Review: Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort Liqueur
Any traveler in the states has heard of southern hospitality, but have you heard of Southern Comfort? Chances are you probably have. It is just one of those liqueurs you always see, but maybe you have not given it a go. If you have not had the chance to try it, now is good a time. Everyone needs a little comfort and I'll take a look at it with you.
Background:
Southern Comfort has been around a good long while, since 1874 to be exact. However the formula has changed over time and even now as far as I can tell the exact formula is not known. What I do know is that it is pretty tasty and since it's inception back in 1874 has remained a popular liqueur for mixing and drinking straight.
The liqueur was created by Martin Wilkes Heron an Irish bartender in New Orleans Louisiana. It became popular very quick and by 1889 he moved to Memphis Tennessee where he patented his creation and later even won a Gold Medal for the liqueur at the 1904 World's Fair in St.louis Missouri.
Only the producers know the recipe now and it is kept secret like most, but some say the original recipe could have been as follows:
"An inch of vanilla bean, about a quarter of a lemon, half of a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries and an orange bit or two. He would let this soak for days. And right when he was ready to finish he would add his sweetener, he liked to use honey."[
Liqueur, for more than just drinking?
I have yet to begin delving into the world of cooking, baking or crafting edibles with the addition of Liqueurs. However I found a post over at the Star Telegram that offers some neat tips on using Liqueurs for various dishes.
On the subject; I think the Raspberry Liqueur I made would be great for desserts if it wasn't already so sickly sweet. Perhaps in the next iteration I'll try to create something more smooth and deep flavored. If someone makes it without the additional sugar before I get a chance to, please let me know how it turns out.
In the mean time I will try to find something delicious to pour the Lime Liqueur into. Maybe a key lime pie? Maybe ice cream?
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