Cooking with Herbs/Spices

Lesson 7: Beverages

Liqueurs

As opposed to aperitifs, liqueurs are usually served as an after dinner drink. Liqueurs are alcoholic drinks in which herbs or spices or other flavors like nuts, chocolate or coffee have been infused. They differ from vermouths as they do not have a wine base, but are made with either a neutral alcohol base like vodka, or they get additional flavor by using such bases as brandy, cognac, rum, or whiskey. As such, they are more alcoholic than aperitifs.

Also unlike aperitifs, liqueurs are usually sweet, not bitter. There is no standard formula for liqueurs- even those that use the same name like crème de menthe. Like vermouth, manufacturers use proprietary, closely guarded formulas.

Some liqueurs are centuries old. These often have monastical origins and are usually based on numerous ingredients. Bénédictine, for example, is flavored with more than twenty herbs and plants. It was first produced in 1510 in Normandy. Also invented in the Middle Ages is Chartreuse, created by Carthusian monks. It is purportedly blended from 130 different plants. I’m not sure whether the color “chartreuse” came from the liqueur or vice versa, but the liquid is bright green.

There is a large category of liqueurs that are anise or licorice flavored, e.g. anisette, absinthe, pastis, as well as liqueurs with proprietary names like Pernod or Sambuca. Sambuca actually gets its flavor from the elderberry bush. Traditionally, Sambuca is served with three whole coffee beans floating on the top. This is called “con mosche” or “with flies”, and is reputed to bring good luck

The above liqueurs are based on a neutral alcoholic base. A liqueur that uses single malt whiskey as its base is Drambuie from Scotland. Supposedly created from a recipe used by Bonnie Prince Charlie, the manufacturer adds heather honey, herbs, and spices to the whiskey. A close relation from Ireland is Irish Mist, which is a blend of Irish whiskey, heather honey and herbs.

I have never tried to make herbal liqueurs from scratch. If you’re interested, there is a site, liquerweb, which has numerous links to recipes for making liqueurs with such flavors as mint, ginger, allspice, vanilla, cinnamon, and lavender. As the site notes, however, most liqueurs are made just from the volatile oils, not from the plant part itself, which can contribute off flavors. To make homemade liqueurs, then, it is easiest to buy the underlying essences rather than use the herbs or spices. The bibliography lists good sources for essences.

The site, however, gives one very easy recipe should you want to make a licorice-flavored liqueur at home. This recipe uses star anise, a Chinese spice that has become very popular. It is stronger than regular anise, so while you can substitute star anise for anise seed, use only one third as much. Star Anise is named for its shape, and it is a beautiful spice, often used as a garnish:

Star Anise Liqueur

• 3 tablespoons of ground star anise
• 2 cups of vodka
• 1 cup sugar

Combine the star anise and vodka in a clean glass jar. After 2 weeks, pour the liquid carefully into another jar leaving behind the spices that have settled on the bottom. Clean out the jar, and pour the liquid back into it through a coffee filter. Add 1 cup of sugar to the jar and cover. Invert the jar repeatedly until the sugar has dissolved. Store the liqueur for at least 3 months. You may need to add slightly more alcohol or sugar to adjust the flavor.

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