DIY Ginger Liqueur: Tips To Make And Use It In Winter Cocktails For Unique Taste
Winter cocktails are very contrasting when compared with other seasonal cocktails in terms of ingredients, methods, and techniques. Various winter cocktails require specific tools and often local organic ingredients, which are seasonal. Aside from that, cocktails have varying significant characteristics that suit seasons accordingly.
For instance, winter cocktails use ginger and turmeric more in drinks, including spices with similar tastes, as they suit the season well and are widely available during this time. These ingredients are used not only in cocktails but also in other drinks and dishes for multiple occasions. Get to know how DIY ginger liqueur can be made with different tips and hacks for use in winter cocktails.
Tips To Make DIY Ginger Liqueur
In a jar, mix together 15 millilitres of rum and 50 grams of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced, to create a small batch of ginger liqueur. For garnish, you can choose to include a small strip of lemon zest, a clove, and a pinch of cinnamon.
Spot the jar in a cold, dark spot and let it infuse for 5-7 days, gently stirring it daily. Next, drain the infusion mixture and make a simple syrup by combining 20g of sugar with 30ml of water.
The recipe might be simple, but beginners face adversities when following it. Here are a few tips to ensure quality DIY ginger liqueur.
Choose Fresh Ginger
Choosing fresh ginger is essential in the process of extraction. When making the final product, the fresher the ingredient will provide more flavour during extraction or stepping, releasing more concentrated juices. Ginger, when fresh, releases a potent flavour which is spicy and earthy; on the other hand, when ginger is used dried or soggy, it will not be as potent as the fresher ones. This can cause the ultimate taste to be dull and bitter.
Use Sugar Or Honey
Using sugar or honey to make the concentration milder and more flavourful, giving it a sweet hint, can be a great idea. This will not only tame the spice into a balanced flavour profile but also make sure that it is not overly spicy. When mixed with alcohol during the process of making liqueur, the spiciness can increase due to the base spirit and ginger. Balancing it with honey and sugar of any kind will be an ideal way to modify the drink according to personal preferences while balancing the flavours.
Use High-Quality Base Spirit
Using high-quality base spirit is one of the major requirements for making sure a good liqueur is made. If you want to save money on your cocktail ingredients, then you need to make sure that you use high-quality ingredients, especially base spirit; this will result in the use of small portions with high flavour elevation, resulting in more product at the end. Skimping out on the base spirit will affect the liqueur's storage and potency.
Hacks To Use DIY Ginger Liqueur
Add To Classic Winter Cocktails
Winter cocktails, especially mulled alcoholic drinks, are great with ginger liqueur. Most of the cocktails are mixed and balanced with whole spices, which are great with ginger, along with the addition of a little bit of honey or sugar. The overall flavour combination is also aligned according to the theme of festivities during winter, making it a memorable drink with a more personalised taste.
Drizzle Over Desserts
Ginger liqueur can be used to drizzle over various desserts and ice creams to serve. This will give a new taste to the desert, adding more texture profiles. It is great with simple desserts such as vanilla ice cream or hot gulab jamun. The ginger liqueur has a spicy and earthy kick to the desserts, which goes well with the sweetness of the dish at the end of the course.
Use In Marinades
Different kinds of meat marinades, or paneer marinades, can also be used as an ingredient to make sure there are new flavour profiles added. Sweet honey glaze dishes can be marinated with ginger liqueur for additional spice before roasting. You need to pour it over the chicken or tofu along with other ingredients such as chillies, garlic, and a little bit of honey and leave it overnight for better infusion before cooking.
With the help of these hacks and tips to make winter cocktails with DIY ginger liqueur, you can get a more creative space employing innovative ideas when experimenting with the signature drink. These tips can also be useful with other organic ingredients similar to ginger, such as lemon slices and cinnamon, as well as other tropical fruits used to make liqueur, like pineapple, watermelon, and berries.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
