DIY Cranberry Liqueur: Guide To Add Homemade Touch For The Perfect Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Before one can get started on the recipe, it is important to know about liqueur. Liqueur is an alcohol-based drink mainly made with rectified spirits and has additional flavourings such as sugar, fruit, herbs, and spices. It is served with different desserts because they are heavily sweet and un-aged. The alcohol is more concentrated on production than ageing with different flavour profiles.
DIY cranberry liqueur is one of the easiest drinks to make at your home without messing up the recipe. This drink uses very few ingredients and is very sweet, the sweet liqueur compliments brunch and dinner spreads well.
How To Make DIY Cranberry Liqueur?
To make a DIY cranberry liqueur (serves 12), one needs some essential ingredients such as 250 ml or 1 cup of vodka. You need to choose a good quality vodka for better flavour. Next, you will need 150 ml or 2/3 cup of cranberry juice. It can be unsweetened for a more tart liqueur or sweetened as per preference.
Along with cranberry juice, you will need 50 g or 1/4 cup cranberries. Slightly mash it for better infusion and flavour. Lastly, you will need 100 ml or 1/2 cup simple syrup. You can buy it or make it with equal parts sugar and water, simmering until dissolved.
It is important to have all the ingredients according to the measurements, and then you need to mix up every ingredient thoroughly in a huge bowl.
After mixing up all the ingredients, you must transfer them to a bottle and seal it. Allow the mixture to rest for 6 to 7 days in a cool and dark place without disturbing it. Once the waiting time ends, you must open and strain the liqueur. Once the liqueur is strained, it will be ready to serve. You can serve it at room temperature or chill it according to your preference.
Various Ways To Use DIY Cranberry Liqueur
There are certain ways in which you can use your DIY cranberry liqueur.
In Cocktail Mixes
You can have a homemade liqueur anytime without spending money on fancy liqueur preparations. You can use this for your cocktail recipes and mixes to experiment. Different cocktail recipes and mixes will gain a new flavour profile with sour and sweet notes.
In Cooking
You can also use liqueur for European cooking, such as glazing the chicken and using it to bake different recipes. The prepping time can also be reduced by using DIY liqueur into various recipes. Also, the dishes cooked with liqueur will have a unique flavour and taste.
As Toppings
It might be weird to hear, but you can use this liqueur as an initial topping over desserts, ice creams, and other cocktails without using it in the basic recipe. A dash of liqueur enhances the intense flavour profile of cocktails and desserts while adding sweetness.
How To Use Cranberries In Liqueur?
While there are different variations of how to use cranberry liqueur, you can also customise how you use cranberries in the liqueur.
Mashed Cranberries
Cranberries are often mashed in the liqueur to give it a chunky natural infusion. The colour of this liquor is often the lightest. Mashing the cranberries is also one of the common methods used in liqueur infusion.
Cranberry Juice
If you want an intense cranberry flavour, you can use concentrated juice in your liqueur. It also speeds up the infusion process. You may cut down the infusion process to 3 to 4 days using the juice.
Whole
Whole cranberries used in liquor will have the longest infusion periods of more than 10 days. Whole cranberries are also used for garnishing the drink or using it as toppings after the drink has been made.
DIY cranberry liqueur can easily be made and customised according to preference. It is a simple drink with a lot of possibilities. Cranberries are considered great for drink because of its sour flavour profile that makes the drink unique. Also, the colour it gives the drink makes it popular.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
