Ginger Liqueur
Tastes like Domaine de Canton. Delicious. Used in the tiki cocktail Yule Log Grog.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces ginger root (I used dried, fresh will work too)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 1/2 cups rum (I used Mount Gay Eclipse)
Boil the ginger, vanilla, sugar, and water for 10 minutes, then let cool and put into a jar to sit for 2-3 days. Double strain and bottle!
Original source: Serious Eats. I’ve modified the recipe.

Allspice Dram
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup allspice berries
- 2 1/2 cups navy-strength rum
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1 cinnamon stick
Toast and crush allspice berries, then soak in rum for two weeks. Mix with simple syrup (1:1) made with brown sugar, vanilla bean, and cinnamon.
Original source: Alton Brown. I’ve modified the recipe.
Falernum

Paul Clarke’s Falernum number 10: https://thelosttikilounge.com/ingredients/falernum-guide/
- 6 oz Overproof White Rum – Wray & Nephew recommended
- 9 Limes, zested – preferably organic
- 40 Cloves, toasted – buy a new pack – don’t use the ones from last Christmas!
- 2 tbsp Blanched Slivered Almonds, toasted
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 2 oz Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced or julienned
- 14 oz Rich Simple Syrup – 2:1 ratio, cold preparation
Method
- Zest the limes with a microplane grater, zester or vegetable peeler, making sure to leave all the white pith behind. And watch those knuckles! Adding human flesh really won’t enhance the flavour.
- Toast the cloves in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking frequently, just until they begin to become aromatic, then remove from the heat.
- Toast the almonds, shaking frequently, until they begin to turn light brown, then remove from the heat.
- Peel the ginger and either slice it into thin batons or julienne it.
- Add the lime zest, cloves, almonds, ginger and the rum in a pint-sized jar and allow to macerate for 24 hours. Every now and then, take a moment to review your creation. It looks green, strange, almost luminous. Give it a shake. Awesome.
- Strain the infusion into your final container through a muslin or a moistened cheesecloth. Make sure to give it a good squeeze at the end to get every last drop of potent liquid out. If it’s still a bit ‘gritty’, run it through a second time, or if really stubborn try something like a coffee filter to help refine it.
- To make the rich simple syrup, add 2 cups of sugar (preferably super-fine) and 1 cup of cold (or slightly tepid) water to a large jar. Seal the lid and shake until the sugar is completely dissolved. If you’re struggling to get it to liquefy, add it to a pan and put it on a very low heat, stirring every few minutes until the liquid is clear.
- Measure 14 ounces of your syrup and pour into your final container along with the rum infusion and the almond extract, give it a shake to combine, and you’re done!
Cinnamon Syrup
- Use Cassia, which holds up better in syrup than ceylon or sri lankan.
- 15g Cassia
- 250g water
- 250g cane sugar
Simmer 15 mins, let sit for a couple hours, strain and store in fridge.
One response to “Homemade Liqueurs”
[…] had an idea this week while making margaritas: The favor profile of falernum would work well with the tequila, lime, and Cointreau. It looks like I’m not the first person […]