Top secret recipes_ sodas, smoothies, sp - Todd Wilbur [25]
• MAKES 3 CUPS.
GRAND MARNIER LIQUEUR
In 1880s France, oranges were quite rare and exotic. So when Louis Alexandre Marnier-Lopostolle traveled to the Caribbean in search of ingredients, he came back with bitter oranges to combine with his family’s fine cognac. While other orange-flavored liqueurs such as triple sec and curaçao are mixed with a neutral alcohol base, Grand Marnier took it to the next level with a more complex flavor that makes it today’s top-selling French liqueur.
Now you too can combine cognac with real orange to make a home version of this tasty (and pricey) stuff. By using an inexpensive cognac that costs around 18 to 20 dollars a bottle, you can create a clone cousin of the real thing that normally sells for 28 to 32 dollars a bottle. All you need, in addition to the cognac, is some sugar, an orange, and a little patience.
2 cups cognac
1 medium orange
cup granulated sugar
1. Pour the cognac into a 2-cup jar with a lid.
2. Peel and section the orange, then slice each of the orange sections in half lengthwise, and add them to the jar along with the sugar.
3. Cover jar and shake until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Store the jar at room temperature for at least 2 weeks, then strain the orange slices and pulp from the liquid. Use as you would the real thing, for sipping or in mixed drinks.
• MAKES 2 CUPS.
HIRAM WALKER ANISETTE LIQUEUR
For centuries anise has been a key ingredient in distilled spirits, and it is the most widely used flavor for drinks in countries surrounding the Mediterranean. Today it’s used as the key flavoring ingredient in ouzo, sambuca, raki, Pernod, and a host of other international aperitifs and liqueurs.The availability of anise extract (found near the vanilla in most supermarkets) makes home cloning this popular brand of anisette liqueur an easy project.
½ cup very hot water
cup granulated sugar
1 cup 80-proof vodka
¼ teaspoon anise extract
1. Dissolve sugar in the hot water.
2. Add vodka and anise extract. Store in sealed container.
• MAKES 2 CUPS.
NOHIRAM WALKER CRÈME DE BANANA LIQUEUR
In the Cocktails section you’ll find many recipes that require banana-flavored liqueur, a very common ingredient at the bars these days. Here’s how to make some from scratch for your top secret concoctions if you don’t feel like fetching the real thing.
¾ cup very hot water
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup 80-proof vodka
¼ teaspoon imitation banana
extract
1 drop yellow food coloring
1. Combine the hot water with the sugar in a small pitcher. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add vodka, banana extract, and food coloring and stir well. Cool to room temperature before using. Store in a sealed container.
• MAKES 2 CUPS.
HIRAM WALKER CRÈME DE CACAO LIQUEUR
The chocolate taste in this liqueur comes from cocoa most commonly used for baking. After storing this liqueur for a week or so, we’ll strain it through a coffee filter or a wire strainer that’s been lined with paper towels to remove most of the cocoa. Sediment is not cool in liqueurs. Our finished product won’t be quite as clear as the real thing, but the taste should be right there.
¾ cup very hot water
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
1 cup 80-proof vodka
2 tablespoons cocoa
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water.
2. Add the vodka, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir well. Store in a covered container for at least a week. Shake the liqueur every day or two.
3. Strain the liqueur through a coffee filter or paper towel-lined strainer into a bowl or pitcher. Store in a covered container.
• MAKES 2 CUPS.
HIRAM WALKER CRÈME DE MENTHE LIQUEUR
The popular mint liqueur is quick to make at home, and we’ll even make it a deep, dark green like the real thing with 45 drops (or ½ teaspoon) of green food coloring. As for the mint flavoring, be sure to get “peppermint” extract, not “mint” extract.
½ cup very hot water
cup plus 1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
1 cup 80-proof vodka
¾ teaspoon peppermint extract