View source for Cordial and Liqueur Recipes


==Apricot Liqueur==

    1 cup [[Sugar|sugar]]
    1 cup [[Water|water]]
    1-1/2 lbs fresh apricots, stemmed and washed
    1 lemon juice
    1 bottle (1 fifth) [[Brandy|brandy]]

Boil sugar and water together, let stand until cool. Cut apricots in half, remove pits, and thinly slice. Combine all ingredients into 2-quart jar and seal. Let steep for 1 month. Do not refrigerate.

Strain and filter into another container, and let stand for 1 day. Rack off the sediments, and let age for 1 to 3 months.

Variation: Make Dried Apricot Brandy by substituting 1 pound dried apricots for fresh, and adding 1/2 cup of water when combining ingredients.

==Peach & Strawberry Rum cordial==

    750ml 160+proof rum 
    1 qt frozen strawberries 
    4 mid-sized very ripe, soft peaches 
    granulated sugar

Use a jar large enough to hold all ingredients. Put 1 qt of frozen strawberries into the jar, then take a sharp knife and score all the peaches 4-6 times each and add them to the jar as well. Pour in your rum and let in sit on a window sill in the sun for at least 1 week (3 weeks at the most).

Strain liquid out of the jar into another jar until liquid has no left over sediment. Add 2-3 cups sugar to the jar of fruit and let sit for 2 weeks (shaking occasionally. Add the fruit syrup to the liquor to taste. Repeat above step if necessary. Then cut with spring water and/or more fruit syrup to desired proof. (70-100 proof is best).

-pothead


==Cherry Liqueur==

Ingredients:

    2 cups Cherries
    2 cups 100 proof vodka
    1 cup sugar syrup
    1/2 teaspoon lemon [[zest]]
    3 wide mouth mason jars 

Directions:

Remove the stems and put the cherries in the freezer and freeze. (Fruit that has been frozen gives up it's juice more so than fruit that has not been frozen). 

Take the cherries from the freezer and put them in the refrigerator to thaw. When they are thawed they will have already have given up some of their juice save this juice. 

Remove the seeds, put the cherries in a bowl, mash to make more juice, add the saved juice. Pour this into one of the mason jars it should come to the 2 cup mark, add the vodka and the lemon zest (use just the zest of the lemon do not use any of the white pith that is under the peal). 

Seal the jar and give it a good shake. Store this in a dark place for 4 weeks shaking it once a day for the first week and once a week for the remaining 3 weeks. At the end of the 4 weeks pour the liquid into the second jar through a strainer to catch the lemon zest, remove all zest and throw away. 

Clean the first jar. Put the cherries into a colander and press out all the remaining juice. You can throw the cherries away after pressing them or you can eat them, personally I like to eat them. Add this juice to the second jar, seal the jar and let it sit for a day or two to clear. 

After it has cleared there will be a sediment on the bottom. Rack the liqueur off the sediment (I use a turkey baster, looks like a really big eye dropper) transferring the liqueur from one jar to the other. Be careful not to disturb the sediment. 

When you get down to where the sediment is being stirred put a coffee filter over the 3rd jar and pour the rest of the liqueur and the sediment through this S=eal it and let it sit to filter. After it has filtered add this to the rest of the liqueur and filter all the liqueur one more time. You should have about 3 cups of liqueur. 

Now add the sugar syrup (To make sugar syrup use 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, 1 cup of sugar to 1/2 cup of water will make 1 cup of syrup. Put sugar and water in a pot and bring it to just a boil remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature then add it to the liqueur). 

Bottle and age for 1 month.

==Blackberry or Raspberry Liqueur==

    4 cups crushed blackberries
    2 cups sugar
    2 cups high proof brandy
    2-4 cups water

Combine all ingredients, shake well. Steep for 7 days, shake again. After 2 months, strain, filter and drink or bottle.

==Green Tea Liqueur==

    6 tsp. Green Tea Leaves
    3 cups neutral spirit
    1 cup sugar
    2-3 drops green food coloring

Steep the green tea leaves for only 24 hrs. (more will make it bitter) shake it well half way through

Add sugar and coloring after it is filtered.

==Date Cordial==

    8 oz (200gr) pitted dates
    2 cups 45% neutral spirit
    1/2 cup sugar

Mash up dates, add vodka, steep for 1 week. Strain, add sugar then bottle.

==Lemon-Lime Liqueur==

    2 Lemons (big)
    2 Limes
    3 cups vodka
    2 cups sugar

Remove [[Zest]] from Fruit, Steep in vodka for 2 weeks, strain, add sugar and bottle.

==H&C's Irish Cream Liqueur==

from "Classic Liqueurs" by Cheryl Long and Heather Kibbey.

In our testing, we found that Bailey's Original Irish Cream was one of the most difficult liqueurs to reproduce. We finally got it - so good, so inexpensive, so quick and easy! Ready in just 1 week. Must be kept refrigerated; use within 3 months.

    2 eggs (see note) 
    1-1/3 cups evaporated milk 
    1/2 teaspoon chocolate syrup 
    1 tablespoon vanilla 
    1/3 teaspoon lemon extract 
    1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules 
    3/4 cup granulated sugar 
    1-3/4 cups Irish Whiskey

Place eggs, evaporated milk, chocolate syrup, vanilla, lemon extract, coffee granules, sugar and whiskey in blender; blend well. Bottle and let mellow in refrigerator at least one week before serving. We found this best after 1 to 2 weeks. Store in refrigerator. Liqueur may be served at room temperature by pouring into glasses an hour or two before serving.

Note: This recipe calls for uncooked eggs. Be sure to use clean, uncracked eggs. Because of the possibility of salmonella, we would not recomend this recipe for people in a high-risk group for contracting food poisoning. This group includes the elderly, the chronically ill, pregnant women or others with a weakened immune system.


==Irish Cream Liqueur v2==

    1/2 cup Honey
    1 cup heavy cream
    1 1/2 cups Irish whiskey
    700g instant coffee

Shake well and store in refrigerator. Shake every day, and before serving. consume within 3 weeks.

==Kahlua==

    1.5 cups brown sugar
    1 cup regular granulated sugar
    1/2 cup instant coffee (or 3 cups of regular coffee made with 2 cups of fine ground beans)
    3 cups neutral spirit
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract, or 1/2 vanilla bean

Combine sugars in water and heat 5 minutes (don't boil). Gradually add coffee using a whisk until blended, then cool. Pour into bottle, add spirit and vanilla. Age 2 weeks, remove bean if used. Makes 1 liter.

If using regular coffee and not instant, Add the hot coffee into a pot containing all of the other ingredients. Heat until all sugars are dissolved, cool, and add spirit.

I tried this recipe this week and tapped into it tonight....Great recipe!!! I used just enough water to help melt the sugars quickly (about a cup). It seems to taste best when mixed 1part Kahlua to 4parts whole milk, or 3 parts whole milk and a couple ice cubes. I used 80proof vodka. 

2/2/2005 -Pothead-

==Maple Liqueur==

    1 part Canadian Rye Whiskey
    1 part Pure maple syrup (the real stuff)

Bottle, put in refrigerator, shake daily, age for 2 weeks.


==Strawberry Cordial==

    1-2qts frozen strawberries
    white granulated sugar
    bottle of clear brandy or vodka
    lemon juice

Put frozen strawberries in a large mason jar. Fill the jar. Fill the jar the rest of the way up to the top with 120-150proof clear brandy. Set jar on a window sill for about a week(shaking it a couple times a day). Strain out liquid into another jar or bottle. Add enough sugar to the strawberries to completely cover them. Let the jar sit on the window sill (giving it a shake now and then)until most of the sugar appears to be gone, and there is alot of syrup in the jar. Pour the syrup into a seperate jar and add more sugar to the strawberries. Repeat this step until there is no more juices being released from the berries. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the alcohol, then add the strawberry syrup until the desired taste is reached, water to 80 proof and strain until no strawberry particles are seen. The lemon juice will help preserve the red color, and the flavor of the strawberries. Without the lemon juice, the finished product will have a chalky aftertaste (quite unpleasent). Any leftover syrup and/or berries is Excelent on ice cream and/or cheesecake.


VARIATION- use blueberries.

This is a good drink to put in a blender with ice. Tastes like a strawberry smoothie. A refreshing drink for a hot summer day after mowing the lawn (in moderation..lol) Also good on the rocks. -Pothead-


==Compound Spirits or Cordials==

General Rules

The perfection of this grand branch of distillery depends upon the observation of the following general rules, which are easy to be observed and practised: 1. The artist must always be careful to use a well-cleansed spirit, or one freed from its own essential oil; for as a compound cordial is nothing more than a spirit impregnated with the essential oil of the ingredients, it is necessary that the spirit should have deposited its own. 2. Let the time of previous digestion be proportioned to the tenacity of the ingredients, or the ponderosity of their oil. 3. Let the strength of the fire be proportioned to the ponderosity of the oil intended to be raised with the spirit. 4. Let a due proportion of the finest parts of the essential oil be united with the spirit; the grosser and less fragrant parts of the oil not giving the spirit so agreeable a flavor, and at the same time rendering it thick and unsightly. This may in a great measure be effected by leaving out the feints, and making up to proof with fine soft water in their stead. A careful observation of these four rules will render this extensive part of distillation far more perfect than it is at present. Nor will there be any occasion for the use of burnt alum, white of eggs, isinglass, etc. to fine down the cordial waters, for they will presently be fine, sweet, and pleasant.

==Aniseed Cordial==

    2 pounds aniseed, bruised 
    12-1/2 gallons proof spirits
    1 gallon water

Draw off 10 gallons with a moderate fire. This water should never be reduced below proof, because the large quantity of oil with which it is impregnated will render the goods milky and foul when brought down below proof. But if there is a necessity for doing this, their transparency may be restored by filtration. 

==Strong Cinnamon Cordial==

    8 lbs. of fine cinnamon, bruised
    17 gallons of clear rectified spirit
    2 gallons of water. 

Put them into the still, and digest them 24 hours with a gentle heat; after which draw off 16 galls. by a pretty strong heat.

==Caraway Cordial==

To make 20 gallons,

    1-1/2 oz. of oil of caraway
    20 drops of cassia-lignea oil
    5 drops of essence of orange peel
    5 drops of the essence of lemons
    13 gallons of spirits, 1 in 5
    8 lbs. of loaf sugar

Make it up and fine it down.

==Cedrat Cordial==

The cedrat is a species of citron, and very highly esteemed in Italy, where it grows naturally. The fruit is difficult to be procured in this country; but as the essential oil is often imported from Italy it may be made with it as follows: Take of the finest loaf-sugar, powdered, 1/4 lb. Put it into a glass mortar, with 120 drops of the essence of cedrat; rub them together with a glass pestle, and put them into a glass alembic, with a gallon of fine proof spirit and a quart of water. Place the alembic in a bath heat, and draw off 1 gall., or till the feints begin to rise, then dulcify with fine sugar. This is considered the finest cordial yet known; it will therefore be necessary to be particularly careful that the spirit is perfectly clean, and, as much as possible, free from any flavor of its own.

==Citron Cordial==

Take of dry yellow rinds of citrons, 3 lbs.; orange peel, 2 lbs.; nutmegs, bruised, 3/4 lb.; proof spirit, 10 1/2 galls.; water, 1 gall. Digest with a gentle heat, then draw off 10 galls. in a bath heat, and dulcify with fine sugar.

==Clove Cordial==

Take of cloves, bruised, 4 lbs.; pimento, or allspice, 1/2 lb.; proof spirit, 16 galls. Digest the mixture 12 hours in a gentle heat, and then draw off 15 galls. with a pretty brisk fire. The water may be colored red, either by a strong tincture of cochineal, alkanet, or corn poppy-flowers. It may be dulcified at pleasure with refined sugar.

==Coriander Cordial==

For 3 galls. Take 7 qts. of spirits, 2 lbs. of coriander seed, 1 oz. of caraway seed, 6 drops of the oil of orange, and 2 lbs.; of sugar. Fill up with water. The coriander seed must be bruised and steeped in the spirits for 10 or 12 days, and well stirred 2 or 3 times a any. Fine it the same as gin.

==Eau de Bigarade==

Take the outer or yellow part of the peels of 14 bigarades (a kind of orange), 1/2 oz. of nutmegs, 1/4 oz. of mace, 1 gall. of fine proof spirit, and 2 qts. of water. Digest all these together 2 days in a close vessel; after which draw off a gallon with a gentle fire, and dulcify with fine sugar.

==Gold Cordial==

Take of the roots of angelica, sliced, 4 lbs.; raisins, stoned, 2 lbs.; coriander seeds, 1/2 lb.; caraway seeds and cinnamon, each 1/2 lb.; cloves, 2 oz.; figs and liquorice root, sliced, each 1 lb.; proof spirit, 11 galls.; water, 2 galls. Digest 2 days, and draw off by a gentle heat, till the feints begin to rise; hanging in a piece of linen, fastened to the mouth of the worm, 1 oz. of English saffron. Then dissolve 8 lbs. of sugar in 3 qts. of rose-water, and add to it the distilled liquor. The above cordial derives its name from a quantity of leaf gold being formerly added to it; but this is now generally disused.

==Lovage Cordial==

For 20 galls. Take of the fresh roots of lovage, valerian, celery, and sweet fennel, each 4 oz.; essential oil of caraway and savin, each 1 oz.; spirit of wine, 1 pt.; proof spirit, 12 galls.; loaf sugar, 12 lbs.; Steep the roots and seeds in the spirits for 14 days, then dissolve the oils in the spirit of wine, and add them to the undulcified cordial drawn off from the other ingredients; dissolve the sugar in the water for making up, and fine, if necessary, with alum.

==Lemon Cordial==

Take of dried lemon-peel 4 lbs., proof spirit, 10 1/2 galls., water 1 gall. Draw off 10 galls. by a gentle fire, and dulcify with fine sugar.

==Nectar==

For 20 galls. Take 15 galls. of red ratafia, 1/4 oz. of cassia-oil, and an equal quantity of the oil of caraway seeds. Dissolve in half a pint of spirit of wine, and make up with orange wine, so as to fill up the cask. Sweeten, if wanted, by adding a small lump of sugar in the glass.

==Noyeau==

Take 13 galls. of French brandy, 1 in 5, 6 oz. of the best French prunes, 2 oz. of celery, 3 oz. Of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, and peaches, and 1 oz. of bitter almonds, all gently bruised, essence of orange-peel and essence of lemon-peel, of each 2 dwts., 1/2 lb. of loafsugar. Let the whole stand ten days or a fortnight; then draw off, and add to the clear noyeau as much rose-water as will make it up to 2 galls.

==Orange Cordial==

Take of the yellow part of fresh orange-peel, 5 lbs.; proof spirit, 10 1/2 galls.; water, 2 galls. Draw off 10 galls. with a gentle fire.

==Peppermint Cordial==

For 20 galls. Take 13 galls. of rectified spirits, 1 in 5 under hydrometer proof, 12 lbs. of loaf sugar, 1 pint of spirit of wine that will fire gun powder, 15 dwts. (troy) of oil of peppermint, Water as much as will fill up the cask, which should be set up on end after the whole has been well roused, and a cock for drawing off placed in it.

==Ratafia==

This a liquor prepared from different kinds of fruits, and is of different colors, according to the fruits made use of. These fruits should be gathered when in their greatest perfection, and the largest and most beautiful of them chosen for the purpose. The following is the method of making red ratafia, fine and soft: Take of the black-heart cherries, 24 lbs., black cherries, 4 lbs., raspberries and strawberries. each, 3 lbs.; Pick the fruit from their stalks and bruise them, in which state let them continue 12 hours, then press out the juice, and to every pint of it add 1/4 lb. of sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, run the whole through the filtering-bag and add to it 3 quarts of proof spirit. Then take of cinnamon, 4 oz., mace, 4 oz., and cloves, 2 drs. Bruise these spices, put them into an alembic with a gallon of proof spirit and 2 quarts of water, and draw off a gallon with a brisk fire. Add as much of this spicy spirit to the ratafia as will render it agreeable; about 1/4 is the usual proportion.

==Dry or Sharp Ratafia==

Take of cherries and gooseberries, each 30 lbs., mulberries, 7 lbs., raspberries, 10 lbs.; Pick all these fruits clean from their stalks, etc., bruise them and let them stand 12 hours, but do not suffer them to ferment. Press out the juice, and to every pint add 3 oz. of sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, run it through the filtering-bag, and to every 5 pints of liquor add 4 pints of proof spirit, together with the same proportion of spirit drawn from spices.

==Common Ratafia==

Take of nutmegs, 8 oz., bitter almonds, 10 lbs., Lisbon sugar, 8 lbs., ambergris, 10 grs. Infuse these ingredients three days in 10 galls. of proof spirit and filter it through a flannel bag for use. The nutmegs and bitter almonds must be bruised and the ambergris rubbed with the Lisbon sugar in a marble mortar, before they are infused in the spirit.

==Cherry Brandy==

One of the best and most common ways of making cherry brandy, is to put the cherries (being first clean-picked from the stalks) into a vessel till it be about half full, then fill up with rectified molasses-brandy, which is generally used for this compound; and when they have been infused 16 or 18 days draw off the liquor by degrees, as wanted; when drawn off, fill the vessel a second time nearly to the top, let it stand about a month, and then draw it off as there is occasion. The same cherries may be used a third time by covering them with over-proof brandy and letting it infuse for 6 or 7 weeks; when drawn off for use, as much water must be added as the brandy was over-proof, and the cherries must be afterwards pressed as long as any liquor remains in them, before being cast away. When drawn off the second time the liquor will be somewhat inferior to the first, when more sugar, with 1/2 oz. of cinnamon and cloves beaten, may be added to 20 galls. of it; but there should only be half the quantity of cinnamon and cloves in each 20 galls. of the first infusion.

==Cherry Brandy v2==

Take 72 lbs. of cherries, half red and half black, mash or squeeze them to pieces with the hands, and add to them 3 galls. of brandy, letting them steep for 24 hours, then put the mashed cherries and liquor into a canvas bag, a little at a time and press it as long as it will run. Sweeten it with loaf sugar and let it stand a month, then bottle it off, putting a lump of sugar into every bottle. Another. - To every 4 qts. of brandy, put 4 lbs. of red cherries, 2 lbs. of black, 1 qt. of raspberries, with a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon, and a little orange peel; let these stand a month close stopped; then bottle it off, putting a lump of sugar into every bottle.

==Black Cherry Brandy==

Stone 8 lbs. of black cherries and put on them a gallon of brandy. Bruise the stones in a mortar, and then add them to the brandy. Cover them close, and let them stand a month or 6 weeks. Then pour it clear from the sediment and bottle it. Morello cherries, managed in this manner make a fine rich cordial.

==Caraway Brandy==

Steep 1 oz. of caraway-seed and 6 oz. of loaf sugar, in 1 qt. of brandy; let it stand 9 days and then draw it off.

==Lemon Brandy==

Put 5 qts. of water to 1 gall. of brandy; take 2 doz. of lemons, 2 lbs. of the best sugar, and 3 pints of milk. Pare the lemons very thin and lay the peel to steep in the brandy 12 hours. Squeeze the lemons upon the sugar, then put the water to it, and mix all the ingredients together. Boil the milk and pour it in boiling. Let it stand 24 hours and then strain it.

==Orange Brandy==

Put the chips of 18 Seville oranges in 3 qts. of brandy, and let them steep a fortnight in a stone bottle close stopped. Boil 2 qts. of spring-water with 1 1/2 lbs. of the finest sugar, nearly an hour very gently. Clarify the water and sugar with the white of an egg, then strain it through a jelly-bag and boil it nearly half away. When it is cold, strain the brandy into the syrup.

==Raspberry Brandy==

Take a pint of water and 2 qts. of brandy, and put them into a pitcher large enough to hold them and 4 pints of raspberries. Put in 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar and let it remain for a week close covered. Then take a piece of flannel with a piece of holland over it, and let it run through by degrees. It may be racked into other bottles a week after and then it will be perfectly fine.

==Raspberry Brandy v2==

Raspberry brandy is infused nearly after the same manner as cherry brandy, and drawn off with about the same addition of brandy to what is drawn off from the first, second and third infusion, and dulcified accordingly; first making it of a bright deep color, omitting cinnamon and cloves in the first, but not in the second and third infusion. The second infusion will be somewhat paler then the first, and must be heightened in color by adding cherry brandy, about 1 qt., with 10 or more galls. of raspberry brandy; and the third infusion will require more cherry brandy to color it. It may be flavored with the juice of the elderberry.

==Whiskey Cordial==

Take of cinnamon, ginger, and coriander-seed, each 3 oz., mace, cloves, and cubebs, each 1 1/2 oz. Add 11 galls. of proof spirit and 2 galls. of water, and distill; now tie up 5 oz. of English saffron; raisins (stoned), 4 1/2 lbs., dates, 3 lbs.; liquorice root, 2 lbs. Let these stand 12 hours in 2 galls. of water; strain, and add it to the above. Dulcify the whole with fine sugar.

[http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/ From the Household Encyclopedia]

[[Category:Spirits]]