Home Distillation of Alcohol (Homemade Alcohol to Drink)

Liqueurs (sweet)

Liqueurs come in three basic categories .. Strong : 33-45% abv, with 31-55% sugar, Dessert : 25-30% abv, with 32-50% sugar, or Creme : 20-23% abv, with 50-60% sugar. They can be either simply macerated with the flavour, or some are redistilled afterwards too.	They can be made using fruit & berries, herbs, citrus, or spices, nuts & seeds, emulsions using cream or eggs

Macerating Fruit

(Note that Macerating is the same as steeping. Apparently macerating refers to cold steeping and infusing to hot steeping.)

Fruit liqueurs are quite straight-forward; simply soak your favourite fruit in your strongest alcohol, with 1 cup of fine sugar to every 1 cup of fruit. Let it soak for a couple of months, then strain off the fruit, and dilute the alcohol down to 20-30%.

Wal elaborates on this technique...

Came across a method applicable for most fruit liqueurs that was observed in Poland:

Fruit Liqueur

Place cleaned fruit in a large jar.
Add alcohol (50%abv) to cover fruit.
Seal and macerate for 10 days. The fruit soaks up the alcohol and releases some juice.
First racking. Gently pour off liquid so as not to blemish fruit.
Layer fruit in jar with sugar (cover most of fruit).
Seal jar. The sugar makes the fruit release the alcohol and shrivel slightly. In a couple of days the level of juice in the jar should reach almost to the top of the fruit.
Second racking. Pour off liquid.
Layer fruit again with sugar
Third racking. Pour off liquid.
Repeat process until only a very small amount of juice is released.
Each racking is sweeter and sweeter. Blend the different rackings to get the desired strength and sweetness. The leftover makes a great syrup for ice-cream.

Another method used is to put the fruit in a large jar, add sugar and place it in a warm place to ferment naturally, using wild yeasts on the skins. The juice is released. Then alcohol is added to stop the fermentation. The alcohol content is usually 20%.

These are folk recipes that are based on experience rather than exactly measured amounts. You see large glass jars on window shelves everywhere. For those who like exact quantities here is a Cherry Liqueur or 'Liqueur de cerise' (French) or 'Cigliegiolo' (Italian)

1 kg dark cherries
1 litre vodka (50%abv)
350 g sugar
Crush the cherries and half of their pits (stones). Place in a large jar with a lid. Add alcohol, seal and leave to macerate for one month. Pour the cherry mixture in a muslin bag and squeeze out juice. Filter and add sugar. Bottle to age.

For HEAPs of excellent recipes see Gunthers Liqueur making - principles and techniques. These include Bailey's Irish Creme, Galliano, Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Amaretto, Creme de Menthe, and Drambuie to name a few.
Likewise check out RecipeSource : Alcoholic Beverages
For fun using them with Jell-o, see http://www.boston-baden.com/hazel/Jello/jello8b.html

For more details see

LiqueurWeb,
Des Zein's Code Imports - essences etc for sale.
Italian liqueur flavouring.
Big Al's fruit liqueur.

A good book is "How to Make Liqueurs" by R.M. Byrne, ISBN 0-86417-384-9 (1991) which i found in our local library.

Is it dangerous to include the pips and stones from the fruit ? Wal explains ..

Prunus and malus species have cyanogenetic glycosides (amygdalin?), which on digestion release HCN (hydrocyanic acid). You need to crush the stones/pits for this to leach out. You need to eat 50-70 bitter almonds (highest concentration) to kill an adult. Therefore don't eat more than a cupful of prunus and malus kernels. Crushed cherries, apricot, peach and plum kernels are used to flavor liqueurs - it gives a bitter almond flavor. The well known Maraschino does this for example. Small amounts (for flavor) are O.K. as sub lethal doses are detoxified and passed out of the body. They do not accumulate. Your satsuma plum should not release any toxic substances if you don't break the hard shell. Heat destroys HCN, so distilling is O.K.

Fortifying Liqueurs

Wal writes ...

In winemaking the 'Pearson Square' is used to determine the amount of alcohol to fortify a wine. It can also be used to fortify grape or apple juice to make a ratafia or to increase the alcohol level of a low pecentage batch.

Here is an example how it works:
A = alc. content of fortifying spirit. Say 40%
B = alc. content of exg. wine (or spirit,or if juice this is 0). Say 15%
C = desired alc. content. Say 20%

1) C-B = 20-15 = 5 parts of fortifying spirit
2) A-C = 40-20 = 20 parts of wine
Therefore we need to add 1 part fortifying spirit to 4 parts wine to get a 20%abv wine.

PEPPERED STRAWBERRY CORDIAL

4 lb fresh strawberries
1 qt vodka
1 1/3 cp sugar
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 cinnamon stick (3")
4 cloves
2 peppercorns

Clean and chop strawberries. Place in 1 gallon jug. Cover with vodka. Shake well every day for 1 week. Add spices. Let stand for 2 days. Strain into second container. Add sugar and honey. Allow to clear.

Sugar Syrup

Wal writes ...

The most convenient way to use sugar is in the form of a syrup made from 2 parts sugar completely dissolved in one part water, e.g. 2 cups of sugar and one cup of water will give a syrup, one cup of which should be equivalent to one cup of dry sugar.

Some recommend to turn the sucrose syrup into an invert sugar syrup by adding an acid such as citric, tartaric or cream of tartar (potassium hydrogen tartrate). For 2 lbs of sugar (1 kg.), 1 pint of water (500 ml.), add 1/4 tsp. (1 g.) acid (or juice of 1/2 lemon). Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool. The sucrose is split into glucose and fructose. It is said that invert sugar syrup gives a softer taste.

The addition of sugar should not affect the essential oils. Often 1 tsp. of glycerine is added to 1 litre of liqueur to make it thicker and smoother.

The basic recipe for a fruit liqueur is -

1 kg of fruit,
500 ml alcohol (50%bv),
1 cup (225 g) sugar.

Sugar syrup is 1 part water to 2 parts sugar.
1/2 cup water + 1 cup sugar yields 1 cup syrup.

1 cup syrup + 3 cups alcohol (40%bv) = 30%bv liqueur
2 cups syrup + 3 cups alcohol (40%bv) = 24%bv liqueur
If using 95%bv alcohol, use twice as much syrup, with an extra 1/4 cup of water per cup of syrup.

Useful site, especially the basic liqueur recipe and advice on sugar syrup quantity . See also homepage: http://www.greydragon.org/library/cordials.html

Sambuca

Wal writes ... 'Nera Sambuca' is produced from an infusion of elderberries (Sambuca nigra), anise, licorice and other herbal flavorings. The white 'Romana Sambuca' is basically an 'Anisette' or a sweet 'Raki' or 'Ouzo'. The original black Sambuca liqueur is more intriguing. Elderberries, anise, licorice and lemon are all that I can find regarding its ingredients. The dark purple (almost black) color is probably derived from elderberries in a manner similar to Pacharan and Sloe Gin. The following is an attempt to copy the original black version - Liquore alla Sambuca, (e.g. Opal Nera Sambuca):

Black Sambuca

1 litre alcohol (40%abv)
1 litre (4 cups) of ripe elderberries
1/8 tsp anise essential oil (15 drops or use equivalent pure aniseed extract from Supermarket)
1/8 tsp pure licorice root extract
strip of lemon peel
2 cups of granulated sugar (can be in form of invert syrup)
1 tsp glycerine (for smoothness)
Macerate the elderberries in alcohol until it becomes a characteristic dark color, then add sugar, anise, licorice, lemon peel and macerate for 30 days. Strain.

For a white (bianco) Sambuca (e.g. Romana Sambuca):

White Sambuca

1 litre of alcohol (40%abv)
1/8 tsp anise essential oil (15 drops or use equivalent pure aniseed extract from Supermarket)
2 cups of granulated sugar (can be in form of invert syrup)
1 tsp glycerine (for smoothness)
Add anise oil to alcohol and shake vigorously to dissolve. Add sugar and glycerine.

Sambuca goes well when added to a short black (espresso) coffee (caffe corretto). There is also a ritual of floating several coffee beans in a shot glass of Sambuca and lighting them. I saw this done - it cracked an expensive shot glass!

Anise Liqueur (This possibly is similar to the commercial Sardinian 'Yellow Villacidro' which is 40%abv and 15% sugar, colored yellow with saffron.)

40 g green aniseed
20 mm (3/4 inch) cinnamon stick
5 coriander seeds
1 litre alcohol 90%bv
500 ml water
400 g sugar
Macerate spices in alcohol for 8 weeks. Strain. Add sugar syrup.

'Liquore Galliano' apparently has 30 botanicals, but among its flavors is a strong presence of anise and vanilla. Came across an Italian recipe which might bear some resemblence to the commercial product - worth a go. The actual 'Liquore Galliano' is made by macerating the botanicals in alcohol, and then redistilling. It's a useful liqueur for cocktails (e.g. 'Harvey Wallbanger').

Anise Liqueur http://www.agriturismoitaly.it/cucina/liquori.htm

1 litre alcohol 90%bv
500 ml water
1 kg sugar
peel of 1 lemon
100 g aniseed
1 vanilla pod
piece of cinnamon
Macerate botanicals in alcohol for 2 weeks. Strain. Add sugar syrup. For a yellow color (Like 'Galliano') use saffron. Age for 4 weeks.

Anise-coffee Liqueur
Sambucca, an Italian aniseed based liqueur is often added to espresso coffee. Saw a suggestion to make a liqueur combining both these ingredients. Here is my interpretation:

750ml of vodka
3 tbsp. anise seeds
6 tbsp. freshly ground coffee (or instant coffee)
1 cup sugar
1/2-1 cup(s) water
Add aniseed and coffee to sugar syrup and then add to the vodka. Steep (macerate) for at least 4 weeks. Strain or decant. Serve garnished with a strip of lemon zest.

Zammu

Zammu is a anise flavored liqueur from Sicily. Sambuca is the name used in central Italy for a similar liqueur. Sambuca is Italian for elderberry (sambucus nigra), and although elderflowers are used as a botanical in central Italy, the predominent flavor is anise. It is believed zammu has an Arabic origin, and originally referred to an anise flavored water-based drink, since the ruling Arabs in Sicily were not allowed to drink alcohol.

During my lunch break I came across a recipe for zmmu in a cookbook dealing with Sicily. It is also a good indication of the amount of botanicals required to make a Greek ouzo as they are very similar. Your final product would need to be not less than 40% to prevent the anise causing cloudiness. You could also macerate the botanicals in warm alcohol for 24 hours and then redistill to get a very clear product, or you could use aniseed essential oil or pure extract to flavor the alcohol.

There is an article in Italian about zammu at http://www.tutone.it/storia.htm and http://cyberitalian.com/html/gal_73.htm.

Zammu

1 litre alcohol (40%)
3/4 cup aniseed
2 tbsp. coriander
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves
1 strip of orange zest
2 cups of water
2 and 1/2 cups sugar
Macerate (steep) botanicals in alcohol for 4 weeks. Filter. Make sugar syrup and when cool add to flavored alcohol.

Sambuca is an Italian anise based liqueur. The name is a corruption of an Arab anise syrup (zammut) from Sicily.

'The Household Cyclopedia of General Information' (1881) recommendation for an 'Aniseed Cordial' (e.g. Sambuca) is to macerate 200g crushed aniseed in 1 litre of 50%abv and then to redistill. The book is on two sites - http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/distillation.html or http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html

Anisette is a French anise based liqueur with other herbs and spices (as does Ouzo) to give more complexity
A now defunct French site (www.lodace.com) there is a recipe for Anisette which scaled down to 1 litre of 50%abv uses the following -

Anisette

1 L alcohol 50%bv
37.5 g aniseed
0.5 g star anise
10 g fennel seed
10 g coriander
The other following ingredients are I think optional -
10 g sassafras
8 g tea leaves
0.6 g ambrette seeds (Hibiscus abelmoschus)
Macerate and redistill. Add sugar (start with 1 cup/litre).
Mastic Liqueur ( mastika, masticha, mastikha,mastiha)

I came across reference to the use of mastic gum (from Pistacia lentiscus) as a flavoring in Greece (Masticha ouzo, Chios Masticha liqueur, Mastic liqueur of Kalamata), and Bulgaria (Mastika). The liquorice-flavored resin is found only on the Greek island of Chios and is used in the Middle East as a spice, a chewing gum and having anti-bacterial properties, as a medicine for stomach ailments. Often Chios mastic gum is part of the botanicals for ouzo, or it can be crushed and added to the distillate later.

I have not come across any recipes, but a reference mentions Mastic Liqueur as being a Greek brandy based liqueur that is flavored with mastic. There is a non-alcoholic Greek Mastic Syrup (ipovrichio/hypovrychio) which can be used as a basis of formulating a mastic liqueur:

Ipovrichio

4 cups water
2 cups sugar
juice 1/2 lemon
1 beaten egg white (used to clarify the boiling syrup)
2 and 1/2 tsp. Chios mastic gum
The mastic gum is crushed with 1/2 tsp sugar and added to the lukewarm syrup. We can modify this for my interpretation of a Mastic Liqueur and Mastic Ouzo using a raw spirit or brandy and ouzo/raki:

Mastic Liqueur

3 cups alcohol (40% abv)
1 cup water
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
juice 1/2 lemon
2 and 1/2 tsp crushed Chios mastic gum
Mastic Ouzo/Raki

750 ml ouzo/raki (or flavor vodka with 1 tbsp whole aniseed)
2 tsp Chios mastic gum
1-2 tsp sugar
Crush mastic gum with sugar and add to alcohol

Myrtle Liqueur

Wal writes ..

A translation of "Ratafia de Myrtilles" from a French site.

1 kg myrtle berries
1 litre alcohol 80%bv
1 kg sugar
700 ml water
Wash and dry myrtle berries
Crush into a puree
Steep in alcohol for 2 months, strain
Add sugar syrup

Myrtle Liqueur from a Sardinian site ..

250 g myrtle berries
250 g sugar (one recipe gave half this amount)
350 ml water
350 ml alcohol 95%bv
Macerate berries in alcohol for 4 weeks. Strain. Add sugar syrup.

Pimento (Allspice) Liqueur

Wal writes ...

From http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs/flavors.htm

Pimento Liqueur

3/4 tsp crushed/ground pimento berries
1 and 1/2 cups alcohol (40%bv)
1/2 cup sugar syrup
Steep for 10 days. Strain and filter. Add syrup. Mature for 1-6 months. Dark rum would go well. Spiced rums are traditional in the Carribeans.

Prickly or Cactus Pear Liqueur

Wal writes ...

In Southern Italy, the fruit of the Opuntia genus cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) is used extensively. It is even fermented and distilled to produce a liquor. It does not have a high sugar content though - only 4.2%. A liqueur made by infusing the fruit in alcohol is a specialty of southern Italy. In Sardinia where it is known as 'figu morisca' they also add lemon zest to the liqueur. Here is a recipe for the 'Liquore di fico d'india' from an Italian site. The homeland of the cactus pear by the way, is the desert states of the U.S. and Mexico!

Cactus Pear Liqueur (Liquore di fico d'india)

10 ripe cactus pears
500 ml alcohol 95%bv
500 ml water
400 g sugar
Peel cactus pears. Steep fruit in alcohol for 10 days. It acquires from the fruit a dark orange to red color. Remove fruit and add sugar syrup. Strain and age for 20 days.

Strawberry Tree Fruit Liqueur

Wal writes ...

I am interested in rare alcoholic beverages, and those from the European Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) took some time to track down. The related U.S. cousin, the Madrone is inferior in sweetness and flavor to the European form.
Etymology:

English - Arbutus, Strawberry Tree
Portuguese - Medronho, Medronheiro
Spanish - Madrono (with diacritical mark over the n)
French - Arbousier
Italian - Corbezzolo, Albatro

It is an evergreen shrub or small tree of 1-5 metres with dark red fruit of 25 mmm diameter and which weigh between 4-8 grams. It is distributed mainly in the Eastern Mediterranean area, but also occurs as a survivor of the Ice Age in Southern Ireland. The mature fruit contains over 15% sugar and 0.66% malic acid, and because of its high sugar content, the fruit is used to make marmelade and is fermented to make wine which is also distilled to make a clear eau-de-vie. The fruit is also macerated in grappa/orujo to make a liqueur. 'Aguardente de Medronho' or simply 'Medronho' is a spirit unique to the Portuguese Algarve province, where it generally is a product of home distillation and is sold "unofficially". A Portuguese site says that it is produced by fermenting 5 parts of fruit with 1 part water for over 2 weeks and then distilling to a strength of 50%abv. See: http://www.gastronomias.com/bar-bebidas/frutos.htm. The Portuguese 'Brandymel' also from Algarve, is made with medronho sweetened with honey. On the French island of Corsica they make a 'Liqueur a l'Arbouse' and a sweeter 'Creme d'Arbouse'. On the Italian island of Sardinia they make an 'Acquavita di Corbezzolo' similar to the Portuguese 'Aguardente de Medronho', and also a 30%abv liqueur, 'Liquore di Corbezzolo (di Sardegna)' while another distillery makes a 24%abv liqueur called 'Fior di Corbezzolo'. I also came across a Spanish recipe for a 'Licor de Madrono' which looks rather sweet -

Madrono Liqueur (Strawberry Tree fruit liqueur)

1 kg strawberry tree fruit
1 litre alcohol (50%bv)
250 ml water
0.5 kg to 1 kg sugar
Wash fruit and place in large glass jar. Dissolve sugar in hot water to make a sugar syrup. Pour alcohol and cold sugar syrup over fruit in jar. Leave to macerate for 6 months. Filter and bottle.

I have not come across any reference to the fruit of the Strawberry Tree being used to make alcoholic beverages in Ireland, and as it is now also grown in England, there is an interesting source of fermentable fruit for Britain.

Using Herbs

Wal cautions .. One must take care with herbs and spices - natural does not mean it is not dangerous to predators like humans. The plants are protecting themselves.

I believe in using natural herbs and spices rather than commercial essences, which I agree are definitively more convenient, but then buying a bottle of liquor from a store is also more convenient.

Herbal liqueurs are made from a large number of herbs and spices. In the 15th -19th centuries these liqueurs were used for their medicinal properties. Most liqueurs contain approximately 30% sugar which is best to use as a sugar syrup - 1 lb (450 g) sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) water, 1/4 tsp acid. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

The principal herbs and spices used for making liqueurs at home:

Allspice berries (Pimenta Dioica Merr.)
Angelica root and seeds (Angelica Archangelica L.)
Anise seeds (Pimpinela Anisum L.)
Cardamon seeds (Elettaria Cardamomum Maton)
Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bl.)
Cloves flower buds (Eugenia Carophylata Thunb.)
Coriander seeds (Coriandrum Sativum L.)
Fennel seeds and tops (Foeniculum Vulgare Mill.)
Gentian root (Gentiana Lutea L.)
Hyssop leaves (Hyssopus Officinalis L.)
Juniper berries (Juniperus Communis L.)
Lemon Balm leaves (Melissa Officinalis L.)
Marjoram leaves (Origanum Majorana L.)
Oregano leaves (Origanum Vulgare L.)
Peppermint leaves (MenthaxPiperata L.)
Star anise seeds (Illicium Verum Hook)
Thyme leaves (Thymus Vulgaris L.)
Tumeric root (Curcuma Longa L.)
Vanilla seeds (Vanilla Planifolia Andr.)

Winemakers are taught that there are only four tastes: sweet, sour, salt and bitter - all other tastes aresaid to be aromas or smells. For vermouth one works also with 3 sensations: warmth, coolness and tingling. Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with herbs and spices. The most common herbs and spices used are angelica, aloe juice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, gentian, hyssop,lemon balm, marjoram, mace, orange peel (bitter & sweet), quinine, sage and thyme, wormwood.

Some herbs have a definite pharmacological effect and should be used with care - e.g. valerian root, St John's wort, meadowsweet. If in doubt look it up on the Internet:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html
A Russian site gives the following amounts of herbs and spices (grams/litre, to be steeped for 2 weeks in alcohol) to achieve various flavors. They can be combined, but need to be reduced proportionally.

Herb/Spice Quantity ( grams/litre)
Orange peel 50-100
Lemon peel 60-250
Bitter orange peel 2.5-50
Rosemary 0.5-1
Saffron 0.1-0.5
Star anise 3-20
Cinnamon 3-15
Vanilla 0.5-2
Bay leaves 0.5-2
Cardamon 4-20
Nutmeg 3-6
Pimento (allspice) 3-6
Ginger 1.5-12
Cloves 0.6-3
Black pepper 2-24

Aperatives and Digestives (bitters). The aperitif serves to stimulate the appetite. e.g. vermouth wines. Spirit based ones include the Italian Aperol (11%abv) which is made from an infusion of rhubarb root, quinine, gentian and bitter orange peel). Jagermeister is a well known German after dinner drink based on various herbs. They had their origin in medicines prepared by monks.. Honey/sugar, and spices were added to alleviate the bitterness. Modern cough mixtures remind us of this background.

Bitters
Amaro means bitter in Italian. It is a herbal infusion in alcohol and amari (plural of amaro) are still popular in Italy as digestives, or after dinner drinks. There are many brands on the market. The bitter taste is imparted by wormwood, gentian root, quinine, centaury, bitter orange peel,rhubarb, hops, cascarilla, nettles. Aroma is provided by juniper, anise, coriander, hyssop, fennel, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, rosemary, lavender, caraway, camomile, peppermint, tumeric, vanilla, lemon balm, sage, marjoram, oregano, angelica root, orris root, thyme, sweet calamus root.

'Fernet Branca' produced in Milan since 1845, contains aloe, bay leaves, wormwood, aniseed, bitter orange peel, basil, cardamon, liquorice, nutmeg, peppermint and saffron. See the 'Amaro alle erbe' recipe at http://italianfood.miningco.com/library/rec/blr0484.htm

A recipe for a simple Amaro or Bitters:

5 leaves melissa (lemon balm)
5 leaves sage
10 leaves (not sprigs) rosemary
10 leaves wormwood
Flowering top of a European centaury plant (from herbal shop)
15 juniper berries
5 cloves
12mm piece cinnamon
A piece of orris root (Florentine Iris)
A piece of calamus root ( Sweet Flag)
A piece of gentian root
2/3 cups water
The wormwood, centaury and gentian provide the bitterness. Macerate herbs in alcohol for a 2 weeks, add sugar syrup. Strain, pace in a bottle and allow to age.

Most recipes for herbal liqueurs have between 40-100 g of herbs/litre of alcohol. I came across a French site with a recipe that uses laurel tree berries rather than the leaves.

Recipe for 'Liqueur de Laurier' :

100 g laurel (bay tree) berries
4 g nutmeg
1 clove
1 litre alcohol (50%bv)
750 g sugar
500 ml water

Marialuisa's Liqueur

100 verbena leaves
1 lemon (quartered)
600 g sugar
600 ml alcohol
500 ml water
Macerate verbena leaves and quartered lemon in alcohol. Strain. Add sugar syrup.

Mint Liqueur

35 mint leaves
peel of 1 lemon
300 g sugar
300 ml water
300 ml alcohol
Macerate mint leaves in alcohol for 4 weeks. Strain. Make a sugar syrup, boiling together the lemon peel. Cool and add to alcohol.

from 'Sicilian Home Cooking' by W & G Tornabee:

Bay Leaf Liqueur

2 cups (500ml) neutral spirit (40%bv)
2 cups water (500ml)
2 cups sugar
50 fresh bay laurel leaves
1 large cinnamon stick
zest from a large lemon

Steep for 2 weeks. Filter. Add sugar syrup. Bottle and age.

Wild Fennel
Wal writes ..
An Italian from Campania province told me that he uses 13 flowering tops of wild fennel per one litre of grappa.

A common liqueur in Italy is 'Liquore de Finocchietto Selvatico' (30%abv) obtained by the maceration of the tops of wild fennel (not seeds like aniseed based liqueurs) with added sugar. It apparently has digestive properties.

Vermouth
Vemouth arose when an amaro was added to wine. Proportions varied to suit individual tastes. The first commercial success is credited to Antonio Carpano from Turin who began selling a pre-blended formula in 1786 he named 'Punt e mes' (one and a half). In 1813, Joseph Noilly of Lyons, France created a French dry vermouth based on delicate whites infused with wormwood and local plants. 'Vermouth' is the French term for the German 'wermut'(wormwood), the principal bittering agent. In Europe vermouth is drunk as an aperitif or pre-dinner drink. Dry vermouth is essential to add to your gin to make a martini cocktail.

The most basic recipe I have seen is from a French site -

1 handful of wormwood
1 litre red wine
1 glass neutral alcohol
1 glass of sugar
1 star anise
Macerate wormwood in the wine for 5 days, strain. Add alcohol, sugar and star anise. Remove star anise after several days.

A more complex recipe for vermouth is found at - http://www.makewine.com/makewine/vermouth.html

Came across a recipe for 20 litres of vermouth at 20%abv which could be also made with a neutral spirit base or to camouflage something less successful. Steep for a week. Centaury, Gentian, Wormwood provide the bitterness. Quinine bark, woodruff, yarrow, elecampane,tonka beans are not readily available. Tonka beans have aromatic coumarins but also contain high amounts of thujone.

Herb Quantity (grams/20L)
Wormwood 14
Oregano 7
Elecampagne 7
Blessed thistle 7
Lemon bslm leaf 7
Yarrow 3
Cantaury 3
Gentian 3
Angelica root 1
Camomile 1
Tonka beans 7
Orange peel 3
Quinine bark 1
Saffron 1
Plus a total of 1g mix of Majoram, Rosemary, Sage, Summer savory, Basil, Thyme.

From an Italian site (liquori fatti in casa) a recipe for vermouth (which is quite unusual to find).

Vermouth:

1 litre white wine
150 g sugar
cinnamon
cloves
wormwood
sage
coriander
gentian root
peel from 2 oranges
Steep in the wine, a pinch each of the herbs and spices, for 3 days. Strain, add sugar, bottle. Consume after 15 days. The wormwood and gentian proveid the bitterness, the other herbs and spices are for flavor.

Highland Bitters

"In Scotland bitters were traditionally drunk before meals, especially breakfast, 'for the purpose of strenthening the stomache, and by that means invigorating the general health'. Any kind of spirit could be used and sometimes wine or ale.

1 and 3/4 oz (55 g) gentian root
1 oz (30 g) coriander seed
1/2 oz (15 g) bitter orange peel
1/4 oz (7 g) chamomile flowers
1/2 oz (15 g) cloves (whole)
1/2 oz (15 g) cinnamon stick
2 bottles whisky
Finely chop the gentian root and orange peel (free of pith).Place in mortar with seeds, cloves, cinnamon and chamomile flowers. Bruise all together, place in an earthernware jar, pour in the whisky and make the jar air-tight. Leave for ten days, then strain and bottle." ('A Country Cup' W. Paterson, 1980)

Wilma Paterson who hails from Skye, also gives her recipe for Heather Ale using heather (Erica cinerea; Erica tetralix, Calluna vulgaris) instead of hops. She says that there are records of heather being used as late as the 18th and 19th centuries.

Heather Ale:

1 gallon (4.5 litres) heather tops
2 lb (1 kg) malt extract
1 and 1/2 lb (700 g) sugar
3 gals (13.5 l) water
1 oz (30 g) yeast
Cut the heather tops with scissors when in full bloom, but not overblown, and boil them in 1 gal (4.5 l) of the water for nearly an hour. Strain on to the malt extract and sugar through a jelly bag and stir till dissolved. Add remaining water and , when lukewarm, add the dried yeast.

'Aperol' from Italy is a low-alcohol aperitif made from rhubarb, gentian, quinine, biter orange peel.

For information on herbs in the recipes see: http://www.botanical.com

With so many differing versions on the market, the home distiller can experiment to produce equally valid ones.

For those who don't want to use sugar to sweeten their liqueurs you can use stevia powder(from health food shops) or fresh stevia leaves. A sugar syrup substitute can be made by infusing 10 leaves of fresh stevia leaves in 200ml of boiled water.

Grappa alla Stevia

1litre grappa
50 leaves of stevia
Macerate for 2 weeks

Spanish Herb Liqueur

2 and 1/4 cups dry anise liqueur (raki, ouzo)
2 and 1/4 cups sweet anise liqueur (anisette, sambuca white)
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs savory
1 sprig lemon verbena
6 sage laves
6 mint leaves
peel 1/2 orange
Macerate herbs and peel in dry and sweet liqueurs for 2 months. Strain and bottle. Put a couple sprigs of herbs in the bottle.

Italian Herb Liqueur (Liquore di erbe)

200 ml alcohol 95%bv
500 ml water
400 g sugar
6 bay leaves
1 sprig of rosemary
10 mint leaves
10 camomile flowers
10 sweet basil leaves
10 lemon leaves
15 sage leaves
3 cloves
3 saffron filaments
Steep botanicals in alcohol for 20 days. Add sugar syrup. Strain. Age for 4 weeks before consuming.

Many herbal liqueurs were originally monastic elixirs and their recipes remain secret. Here is a recipe which claims to be that for Trappistine which came from a French site. It does give an indication of the herbs and spices that were used, and could be used as a basis for your own experimentation.

Trappistine (for 2.5 L at 35%abv)

10 g true wormwood
10 g cardamon
10 g angelica
30 g mint leaves
5 g myrrh
7.5 g melissa
5 g sweet flag (acorus calamus)
1 g cinnamon
0.5 g mace
1 g cloves
1 litre alcohol 85%bv
300 ml water
900 g sugar
Macerate and redistill. Add sugar, and saffron to color yellow.

Persicot is now extinct. Here is a recipe for 2 litres (36%abv) of the clear liqueur.

90 g bitter almonds (you could use apricot kernels)
12 g lemon peel
4 g cassia bark
1 g nutmeg
1 g cloves
450 g sugar
930 ml water
850 ml alcohol (84%abv)
Macerate for several days and redistill

Krambambuli is another exinct liqueur. Here is a recipe for 2 litres (40%abv).

8 g roman chamomile
6 g fresh anise leaves
4 g sage
4 g marjoram
6 g cinnamon
6 g sweet flag
6 g gentian
4 g galangal
4 g lavender flowers
4 g cardamon
40 g sugar
831 ml water
944 ml alcohol (84%bv)
4 g orange peel
Macerate for several days and redistill. Color with orange peel.

Benedictine
The monasteries of the Middle Ages had a proud alcoholic reputation. Monastic orders still make wine, beer and liqueurs, and their religious fervour has a commercial streak. The most famous are Benedictine and Chartreuse. Only Chartreuse is presently controlled by monks. The secret formula for Benedictine, believed lost when the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy was destroyed in 1789 during the French Revolution, turned up in 1863 in the house of Alexandre Le Grand. He modernised the elixir of 27 plants and spices and called it Benedictine. D.O.M. on the label stands for 'Deo Optimo Maximo'(To God, most good, most great). The recipe is said to contain angelica root, arnica flowers, orange peel, thyme, cardamon, peppermint, cassia, hyssop, cloves and cognac. There is a complex Benedictine recipe from an old English pharmaceutical book in - http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs/benedict.htm Others that I have seen certainly do not contain as many herbs and spices.

Chartreuse
Chartreuse is still made under the control of Carthusian monks near Grenoble in the French Alps. The formula for this 'elixir de longue vie' or elixir for longetivity was give to the Monastery of the Grand Chartreuse in the 17th century by the Marechal d'Estrees. A total of 130 ingredients are in the formula. They are macerated in alcohol and redistilled. The original Elixir is 71%abv, Green is 55%abv and the sweeter yellow 40%abv. Both of these have honey added before being aged in casks for 8 years, although Chartreuse VEP is kept longer. Personally I believe that macerating so many herbs, and then redistilling produces a very complex vodka, which when sweetened with honey produces a liqueur - one which could be emulated by the home distiller as a 'variation on a theme' (Pepsi is a valid variation of Coca Cola although both arrived at their formula independently). The roots of herbal liqueurs lie in Italian monasteries and originally were herbal medicines. 'Centerbe' (100 herbs), 'amaro' (bitters), infused wines(vermouth) are still popular in Italy. Strega (witch in Italian) which was invented in 1860 contains 70 botanicals which are macerated and redistilled. Galliano contains 40 herbs and spices with anise and vanilla quite prominent.
As an example, from a French site a Chartreuse type elixir is given for "distestion difficulties and intestinal troubles."

1 litre alcohol (90%bv)
1 litre water
2 g star anise
1 g angelica root
1 g carraway seeds
10 g coriander seeds
1 g sage
0.5 g saffron
700 g honey
Crush seeds, steep for 1 week. Strain and add 1 litre of water and honey. Leave for 24 hours. Strain again and bottle.

for old liqueurs, including what purports to be Chartreuse, see: http://lodace.com/ Its in French, but the ingredients repeat, so you can get by with a good dictionary. There is a partial gastronomic glossary at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vinnytt/fdicepic.htm

Found 4 more so-called "Chartreuse" recipes at a French site - http://perso.wanadoo.fr/hugues.sauvage/tablerecette.html. It would be more accurate to call them French Herbal Liqueurs as they do not have anywhere near 130 herbs that the original reputedly has. Those interested in herbal infusions should find them useful.

Green 'Chartreuse' 1

5g chopped spinach leaves
45g myrrh
9g mace
60g hyssop
70g glace angelica
10g fresh angelica stems
50g fresh melissa leaves
50g mint
50g orange blossoms
1 litre alcohol (80%bv)
800g sugar
Macerate the spinach in 200ml of alcohol. Macerate the other ingredients in alcohol, in a separate jar, for 2 weeks.Filter. Add sugar and spinach infusion. Age for 1 week. Bottle.

Green 'Chartreuse' 2

1g star anise
10g coriander
1g sage leaves
1g melissa leaves
1g mint leaves
1g angelica leaves
10g tansy
0.5g saffron
700g sugar
2 litres water
1 litre alcohol 90%bv
Crush coriander and star anise. Chop herbs (except tansy and saffron) and macerate in alcohol for 18 hours. Add tansy, saffron and macerate for an additional 6 hours. Add sugar syrup (700g sugar in 2l water). Filter and bottle.

Yellow 'Chartreuse' 1

4.5g saffron
1.5g cinnmon
4g coriander
6g melissa
6g fresh hyssop stems and leaves
3g angelica
1 litre alcohol 90%bv
300g sugar
Crush coriander and cinnamon, then add saffron. Place all the botanicals in a jar with lid. Macerate in alcohol for 2 weeeks. Filter. Add sugar. Age for several days. Bottle.

Yellow 'Chartreuse' 2

2g nutmeg
1g angelica root
2g star anise
1g fennel seeds
1g carraway seeds
1g cumin seeds
0.25g saffron threads
1litre neutral alcohol 70%bv
250ml water
1kg sugar
Place botanicals in a large glass jar with lid. Macerate botanicals in alcohol for 3 days. Filter. Add sugar syrup (1kg sugar in 250ml water). Age for 1 week. Bottle.

Here is another which relies just on steeping:

Grand Chartreuse

400ml alcohol 95% abv
300ml distilled water
250g sugar
10g lemon balm (melissa)
5g fresh hyssop
3g angelica root
1g coriander seed
0.5g cinnamon
0.5g mace
0.5g fennel seed
1 clove
Crush spices. Place botanicals in a glass container with lid and macerate in alcohol for 2 weeks, agitating twice a day. Add sugar syrup. Leave for several days. Filter and bottle.

Dirk writes ..

Here I am with the recipe I found in an old book.

First the chartreuse-essence:

Peppermint-oil 3 parts
lemon-oil 4 parts
cassia-oil 2 parts
clove-oil 2 parts
mace-oil 3 parts
russian anis-oil 2 parts
angelica-oil 80 parts
bitter almond-oil 1 part
wormwood-oil 40 parts
neroli-oil 2 parts
cognac-oil 30 parts
alcohol 600 parts
To make the chartreuse:

alcohol 12.5 liter
chartreuse-essence 5 grams
sugar-syrup of 65% 4.5 liter
water 12.5 liter
This is all I got from the book.On a website, I read that the green coloring was done with chlorofyl.

Wal writes ..

From 'The Complete Book of Spirits and Liqueurs' C.Ray, 1978. "These are the 3 monks who, at any one time, are entrusted with the secret of the 130 herbs from which 5 concentrated extracts are derived; and in what proportion they are blended to produce the very strong green Chartreuse, the sweeter and less strong yellow, and the highly concentrated elixir."

I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to find an authentic recipe for a herbal liqueur with so many ingredients. A much better approach is to make your own variation. The Chartreuse type blend their herbs so that none predominates. Other liqueurs in this category are:
'La Senancole', similar to yellow Chartreuse.
'Aiguebelle', in a strong green and a sweeter yellow version.
'Izarra', a Spanish green (stronger) and yellow (sweeter) liqueur.
'Etaller', a German green and yellow liqueur.

Here are 3 French 'recipes' supposedly for Charteuse but which do not have 130 botanicals, and so are really just a herbal variation:

1) White Chartreuse (use herbal coloring to get green and yellow) recipe for 10 litres - redistillation required. (from http://www.lodace.com/

50g wormwood
10g aloe vera
50g angelica seeds
12g angelica root
6g arnica flowers
60g either 'chrysanthemum balsamita' or more likely alcost/costmary - 'tanacetum balsamita' (the original has 'de grand camel balsamide' which is either a transcription error or a local/archaic name.)
12g sweet flag (acorus calamus)
30g cinnamon (Chinese)
12g coriander
5g tonka bean juice
10g cloves
50g hyssop tops
12g mace
6g nutmeg
8g poplar buds
50g melissa
100g peppermint
12g thyme
12l alcohol
3l water

2) Chartreuse - redistillation required (from http://www.lodace.com/)

200g angelica root
40g cinnamon
100 g sweetflag root
200g myrrh
100g wormwood
12 l alcohol 86%bv
3l water

3) Chartreuse (from http://jg.graessel.free.fr/Liqueur/Chartreu.htm)

225mg cloves
15mg star anise
1.025g aniseed
57mg hyssop
225mg saffron
225mg cinnamon
4.025g coriander
1.042g angelica seeds
57mg melissa
Macerate in one litre of alcohol (90%bv) for 2 weeks. Add sugar syrup made by dissolving 875g sugar in 1litre water.

Alchermes
Cooking recipes sometimes ask for the Italian 'Alchermes' liqueur (pronounced alkermes). The liqueur came to Italy from Spain and is probably of Arabic origin. It is bright red from cochineal coloring. The cochineal beetle (cocciniglia) is called 'alquermes' in Spanish, which comes from the Arabic 'quirmiz' which means scarlet. In Italy it was made by monks in Florence as an elixir. Here is a recipe from an Italian site:

Alchermes:

500 ml alcohol (90%bv)
500 g sugar
1/2 stick vanilla
15 g cinnamon
10 g coriander
2 cloves
5 g anise flowering tops ( grow your own from aniseed in a pot)
10 g cardamon
10 g cochineal (can replace with cochineal coloring)
100 ml rosewater
water - quantity not given, 1 litre would give a usual liqueur strength.
Steep crushed herbs and spices in alcohol diluted with 1 glass of water for 2 weeks. Add sugar syrup. Let stand for another 2 days. Strain, add rosewater.

Camomile

Wal writes ..

While looking at a Spanish beverage site I noticed a 'Manzanilla Xoriguer' camomile liqueur, manzanilla being the Spanish word for camomile. Flowers are used as botanicals, and since camomile has medicinal properties, I found a French camomile liqueur recipe, and a French and Italian recipe for a camomile flavored wine for those who like to use camomile not only in the form of a herbal tea:

Camomile Liqueur

50 g dried camomile flowers
1 litre alcohol 90%bv
800 g sugar
1 litre water
Steep the flowers in alcohol for 2 weeks. Filter and add sugar syrup. Age for 3 months.

Camomile wine (vin de camomile)

1 litre dry white wine
40 camomile flowers
40 sugar cubes
1 small glass rum
1/2 vanilla pod
Steep for 12 days. Filter and bottle

Camomile wine (Italian site)

1 litre sweet white wine
60 g dried camomile flowers
4 tbsp honey
20 g orange leaves
Warm 1/2 wine and dissolve honey. Steep botanicals for 30 minutes. Remove orange leaves, add rest of wine and steep for 7 days. Filter and bottle. There is no reason why you could not replace the wine with alcohol.

Marijuana

DC writes ..

For those of you pondering and now thinking about using a little "stash" in your wash, there are a few things that should be understood before you do. First, if Marijuana was to be used unprocessed (i.e. strait from your stash without any alteration other than separation, like you would do if you were going to use it to smoke), the water solubles in the unprocessed plant would dissolves in the brew, leading to a POWERFUL off-taste.

What should be done is to soak the herb by placing it in a nylon mesh bag. Fill a large container (I was going to use the word "pot," but then I figured I might confuse a few people with the terms) with TEPID water. (the reason for TEPID water is because the dissolution rate of THC -- the active substance in marijuana that gets a person "high" -- occurs in hot water; therefore the oil from the THC glands become thinner and may be released from heavier gland, by which causes a loss of the WANTED oil. This is the reason that TEPID water is used). Soak the herb in the TEPID water for one hour. Then squeeze the water from the vegetation, allowing the water to run back into the container, and allow the vegetation matter to soak for another hour. Repeat this process several times. Most of the pigments and tannin are released in several one-hour soakings.

It should be known that when soaking the herb in water, even TEPID water, some THC glands may fall off during the soaking and squeezing process. These THC glands can be collected from the bottom of the large container, after the herb has been removed, by draining the water through a coffee filter. You can discard the water after you are satisfied that you have collected all of the glands that you can. The collected glands on the filter can be dried and smoked -- these glands are very purse and potent, so beware. If you don't want to smoke them, you could (should) add then to your brew.

After the final soaking/rinse, the herb is ready to go into the brew. Well, almost. You must dry the wet vegetation. To dry the herb, take kitchen wire racks -- the kind used for cooling cookies and such -- and place one paper towel over the rack. Then gently spread the herb loosely over the paper towel covered wire rack. The paper towel draws some of the moister away from the plant material, while the wire rack allows for air circulation underneath the herb, hence quicker drying. You should store the herb that is being dried in a warm dark location until dried. Time for drying depends on the environment, so check the herb often and turn the vegetation over as needed to allow for even drying.

There are other ways to dry the herb as well. You may use a food dehydrator if one is available to you. Check the instructions for proper use of drying herb-like items. You may even, but I am not quick to recommend, use your microwave to aid in the drying process. To use the microwave, loosely place the herb on a paper towel lined microwave safe plate and place in the microwave. Heat the herb on HIGH for 30 SECONDS. Check the herb, if it is still wet, turn the herb and put it in for another 30 SECONDS. Continue the 30 SECOND cycle until the herb is dry and almost crumbly. You do not want to turn the plant black, brown, or have it so dry that it becomes powder after you touch it. Using the microwave to dry herb is a skill, so you may want to try your hand at drying different herbs before you try your hand on this no-so-cheap herb. Now that it is dry, you are ready to go.

There are many ways that you can incorporate your, now processed, herb into different types of drinks. For a "double buzz" beer, just brew up your favorite batch of beer as you normally would. Then add your processed marijuana, in a nylon mesh bag, to your fermenting beer 3-4 days BEFORE you bottle. This gives the alcohol in the fermenting beer enough time to dissolve the THC. The marijuana will lend a small amount of flavor to the beer, due to the residual water solubles the have remained in the processed herb.

The same can be done for whiskey. Add the marijuana to your whiskey mash 1 week before to put your mash into the still. The THC oils will be carried over with your flavorful alcohol. I don't recommend this process with a fractioning/reflux still, as that type of still may keep back some of the desired THC that you have worked so hard to get. MY recommendation is to use a pot still only.

You can also add the processed herb you liquors and other "botanical" brews. An interesting experiment would be to try an Absinthe recipe with and/or without the Wormwood. Now there is an extremely illegal drink waiting to happen.

Some people have taken their processed herb and added it to strait spirit. But they didn't do this to drink it. They did it so that they can later extract THC oil. The process goes like this: take your processed herb and put it into a jar. Take HIGH proof spirit and pour it over the herb until it just covers the herb. Let this sit covered for a week, remembering to shake the jar 2-3 times a day. After the week is up, pour this solution into a double boiler (preferably on an electric stove/hot plate). Then gently bring the solution up to a gentile simmer. What happens next is the alcohol is slowly being evaporated, while leaving behind the THC oil. Mind you, THC is heat sensitive, so you will lose some of the oil due to the heating process. When you are done, you are left with a THC oil concentration. Most people then use this oil to dip their cigarettes into to enjoy an interesting smoke. Other people take a small amount of the oil and re-dissolve it into a shot worth of vodka and take the solution sublingually to achieve the THC affects without smoking. Other people add it to their cooking. The list could go on.

Now, this e-mail is not my endorsement for using marijuana, or any other illegal plant or drug, in any form or fashion. This is knowledge being passed on for educational use only. It is not to be put into use in any form or fashion.

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Herb/Spice	Quantity ( grams/litre)
Orange peel	50-100
Lemon peel	60-250
Bitter orange peel	2.5-50
Rosemary	0.5-1
Saffron	0.1-0.5
Star anise	3-20
Cinnamon	3-15
Vanilla	0.5-2
Bay leaves	0.5-2
Cardamon	4-20
Nutmeg	3-6
Pimento (allspice)	3-6
Ginger	1.5-12
Cloves	0.6-3
Black pepper	2-24