otc's DIY liqueur adventures thread

I'm starting this thread to share and keep track of the homemade liqueurs I attempt to make every once and a while. I feel like by the time I try to make something again, I forget what I did the first time around so this thread will serve as a reference and a way to share. I won't update all that often since there is a limit to how much I can make/drink (and some of these take a long time).

First Up: Coffee Liqueur!

I've made this before and this current batch has some modifications that I have already forgotten but here goes the original recipe for this simple rum-based coffee liqueur.

4cups water
4cups sugar
2cups rum
1cup ground coffee (fresh and on the coarser side)
1 vanilla bean (can substitute extract)
The first time I found this to be too sweet/not enough coffee so I cut the sugar and increased the rum. It was probably more like 3-3.5 cups of sugar and I substituted in some brown sugar to make it more interesting. I also used a full cup of coffee instead of a half (which my original recipe might have wanted). I also added a bit of extra rum (and my rum was about half mount gay and half bacardi this time around)

Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water (boil and stir until disolved) and allow to cool long enough that you can touch it.
Stir in the coffee grounds
Toss in the vanilla bean.
Combine with rum into a large sealable container (I used a gallon of milk).
Store in a cool, dark place for about a month and shake daily (at least for the first week or so, then you could start skipping days).
After a month or so, filter out the sediment. I use paper towels in a mesh strainer but cheese cloth would be ideal for the first pass.

Made enough to fill this bottle plus about 1.25L more



This batch is still on the sweet side, but you can tell that it is a liqueur and not just a syrup. Has a good coffee taste but I personally might have preferred a darker roast. Overall I am quite satisfied.

Stay tuned, I might go for a more summery limoncello or something next.

It gives you the option to make things with the best possible ingredients so that they taste strong and fresh and cost less than store bought alternatives (what does a liter of kahlua cost...$25-30 after tax?). Total cost on this batch was probably about $5 (although I bought the mount gay at the distillery in Barbados so it was dirt cheap).

It also lets you tone the flavors too your liking if you want more or less sweetness (or different herbal balances like when my grandpa makes his own bitters)

I'll update when I do stuff...only issue is the time it takes to make them and the fact that it tends to take a long time to consume (less incentive to make something new if I haven't finished the last thing)

Well, most liqueurs are lower in alcohol content than the liquor used as their base. I started with 86 proof rum but I would guess the final product is closer in content to something like baileys or kahlua.

For vodka bases, you can use higher proof stuff or everclear to maintain some more alcohol content.