Making Cordials & Liqueurs

Making Cordials & Liqueurs

Sveva la Lucciola

(From class taught in Kappellenberg on 12/7/98)

Basic Principals:

Obtain the flavor (and/or)
Steeping
Filtering
Sweetening
Aging
Adjusting
Filter and bottle

Obtaining the flavors- There are several methods of obtaining the flavor from the fruits and spices. They are maceration, distillation and percolation. The final result of any of these methods, however, is that the flavor of the spice or fruit is dissolved into the alcoholic base. The choice of method used depends on the source from which the flavor is being extracted and on the particular flavor desired from the flavoring agent. Some flavoring agents will yield different flavors, depending on the type of extraction used.

Maceration refers to the steeping of the aromatic/flavoring agent which has usually been bruised in water or alcohol for a period of time in order to extract an essence from it. This essence, then, is added to the base as the flavoring agent.

Distillation refers to the distillation of the desired flavoring agent which has already been mascerated. This is often repeated many times with large amounts of the flavoring agent and reduced to a relatively small amount of liquid. This produces a very strong essence to be added to the bulk of the alcohol base.

In percolation either water or the alcoholic base is allowed to drip though the flavoring agents or it is heated and the steam passed through the agent prior to recondensing.

It should be fairly obvious from the above descriptions of the methods used, that some would be more suitable than others for extracting the flavor from a particular source. A juicy fruit could easily undergo maceration, providing a juice that could be added to the base. It should be noted at this juncture, however, that citrus liqueurs, which were common (oranges having worked their way from the Orient to Spain by the ninth century), were not made from the citrus juice, but from the oils and flavorings extracted from the rind of the fruit, generally though percolation.

Distillation or percolation are quite suited to extracting the flavors from harder and drier sources, such as many spices, or from skins of certain fruits.Even when using the same general method, different flavors can still be extracted from the same flavoring agent. With distillation or percolation as the method of extraction, a very different flavor will be produced if the base liquid is water than will be achieved if an alcoholic base is used. In many spices, a much more bitter and astringent flavor will ensue from the use of an alcoholic base as opposed to one of water. Depending on tastes and the type of liqueur desired, this may, or may not be desirable and the choice of a base liquid should, therefore, be carefully considered.

Steeping-

Pick an alcohol base. Most common are neutral spirits, such as Vodka and Grain Alcohol. Flavored spirits, such as Brandy, Wiskey, and Rum will take the flavors you add, but will retain their own unique flavor. Consider this when picking a base alcohol.

Flavoring: Fruits, nuts, spices, roots, and beans
Complement flavors: Adding more than one to help each other out. Fruits + lemon/lime/orange peel to liven up taste. Cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in moderation. Dessert or jelly combinations.

Filtering-

Filtration usually comes in three distinct phases Straining the solid fruits out after steeping

Filtering before aging.

Filtering after aging.

The two basic means are racking or filtering. Racking is syphoning off the clear fluid from the cloudy. This is the same as in beer making or wine making. This takes a long time for the particles to settle or float and separate from the rest of the liquid. This will also result in loosing some of your product. Filtering is to remove the large particles of flavoring or other foreign matter. After the initial steeping process filter out the chunks or pulp or nut meat. Cheesecloth, nylon jelly bags, or other coarsely woven material will work for taking out the larger chunks. Then filter again using a finer type of filter. This can be paper towels or coffee filters. Sweetening- This syrup serves two purposes - first, to make the liqueur drinkable by cutting the bitterness, and second to cut the alcohol down to a reasonable level. If you don't sweeten your liqueurs, you'll be making a decent approximation of something called an eau de vie. If you use a lot of syrup, you'll be making a crème, which is usually a good dessert drink. Many recipes specify a measurement of "simple syrup" instead of the exact quantities of sugar and water.The general recipe for simple syrup is 2 units of sugar boiled in 1 unit of water yields 2 units of simple syrup. Aging-

Aging allows the flavors to blend or marry. There are many various amounts of time that should be used. Most recipes give a time, but here is a thumb rule: 1.If the liqueur is based on fruit meats, like apples or peaches, steep two weeks to a month, age a month
2.If the liqueur relies on berries, either steep two weeks to a month and age a month, or steep three months and age another month.
3.If the liqueur relies on oils, as with citrus peels, steep a month, age three
4.If the liqueur is a whole spice, steep a few days to a week, bottle and serve
5.If the liqueur is a powdered spice, steep a day or two, bottle and serve
6.Artificial flavorings, as a liquid additive, rarely need any steeping or aging

No light. Turn or shake occasionally to keep flavorings from clumping. Adjusting-

After some time has passed, filter again, taste. If you want a sweeter mix, add more syryp and age some more. Safety-

Check your ingredients!

If you are going to experiment with wild plants or anything for that matter, make sure you know
what you are dealing with!
Specific types:

Schnapps

Eau de vie

Bibliography

Meilach, Dona and Mel. Homemade Liqueurs. Comtemporary Books, Inc., Chicago, 1979.(Clear directions from unprocessed ingredients.)

You can find these and many other sources at the Amazon.com bookstore

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