Asian Plum Liqueur Recipe

Another great liqueur recipe from Cordials from Your Kitchen.

1 cup water
1 cup honey
10 plums, stemmed and washed
2 cups plum wine
1 cup brandy
1 cup hundred proof vodka
half teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Bring water and honey to boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, skimming off any phone that rises to the surface. Remove from heat and let stand until just warm. Pour into clean 2-quart container with a tight fitting lid. Cut plums in half and remove pits. Add pits to the jar. Mash plums in a bowl with potato masher. Add mashed plums, wine, brandy, vodka, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the syrup. Cover and let stand in cool dark place for one month

Use a colander to strain out the solids. Discard. Strain again using a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to clean container, cover, and let stand for one week. Rack or filter into bottles.

The plum and wine and brandy all meld together for a very very lovely flavorful fruit liqueur. Everyone I’ve given this too has been just overwhelmed with how tasty and bright and flavorful it is. Drink on its own over ice or a champagne float.

Ransom Spirits The Emerald 1865 Review

This whiskey is based on an 1865 Irish mash bill of Rye, Barley, and Wheat, distilled with an Alembic pot still, and aged in used toasted French Oak barrels that formerly held Pinot Noir.

Notes:
noses pleasant and balanced shortcake allspice and brown sugar
full-bodied and rich flavors of butterscotch pancakes almond and a dusting of clove
finishes smooth and malty

An excellent whiskey that pays tribute to whiskey’s of old while making it something originally Ransom. Ransom Spirits – RansomSpirits.com

Summer Amaro Recipe

Here is a recipe out of one of my new favorite books - Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas

Summer Amaro - Ingredients - makes 28 ounces

1 tablespoon chopped dried orange peel
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon grains of paradise
2 tablespoons cinchona bark
half cup dried cherries
zest of two oranges
zest of two lemons
six fresh sage leaves
six fresh basil leaves
3 cups high proof vodka
half cups simple syrup



Using a mortar and pestle, lightly break up the dried orange peel, anise seeds, grains of paradise and cinchona bark. Place all of the ingredients except the vodka and simple syrup in a quart sized glass container with a lid. Pour in the vodka adding more if necessary so that all the ingredients are covered. Seal the jar and shake it. Store room temperature out of direct sunlight for three weeks, on occasion

After three weeks, strain through fine mesh strainer to remove the solids, then strain the liquid through a damp cheesecloth lined funnel.

Add the simple syrup to the jar and stir to incorporate than cover and shake to fully dissolve the syrup. Store room temperature out of direct sunlight for at least two weeks shaking on occasion. Taste to see if the Amaro is to your liking, if it’s too strong you can add more syrup or filtered water.

Once done use a damp cheesecloth lined funnel, decant the mixture.

This is a not too sweet and not too intense Amaro, great on the rocks, or in any cocktail that uses Fernet.  Here is one of my fav’s:

Ingredients
    2 ounces rye whiskey
    1/4 ounce Summer Amaro
    1/4 ounce simple syrup
    2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine rye, Summer Amaro, simple syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass and fill with cracked ice. Stir for 20 seconds and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze a piece of orange peel over the drink and use as garnish.