Get into the Christmas Spirit(s)! A trio of homemade Christmas liqueur recipes

Homemade Christmas liqueurs are so easy to prepare & make the most perfect gift to give friends & family this holiday season. We’ve put together 3 of our favourite recipes for you to try; a Fig & Spice Christmas Whiskey, Peppermint Vodka & our personal favourite, Gingerbread Cream Liqueur. Give the gift they’ll keep asking for!

FIG & SPICE CHRISTMAS WHISKEY

YIELD

This recipe will make 2L.

INGREDIENTS

• 2L Whiskey
• Thinly pared rind of 1 orange
• 10 Cloves
• 400g Roughly chopped dried figs
• 300g Soft light brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Place dry ingredients into a sterilised screw-top jar, top up with Whiskey.
2. Seal and store in a dark cool place, turning the bottle gently every day or so for the first week to help the sugar to dissolve. Leave for 2-3 weeks to allow flavours to mature.
3. To bottle into gift bottle, place a muslin in a sieve and scald it by pouring boiling water over it. Strain liqueur through the sieve into a bowl, decant into sterilised gift bottles. Seal, label & you are ready to gift.

PEPPERMINT VODKA

YIELD

This recipe will make 2L.

INGREDIENTS

• 2L Vodka
• 2 tbsp Peppermint extract
• 3 cups of dextrose or white sugar
• 1.5 cups of water

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat water and sugar over medium heat until fully dissolved.
2. Once mixture has cooled add peppermint extract & combine well.
3. Add the cooled syrup to vodka & stir well to combine.
4. Pour directly into sterilised gift jars, seal & label.
5. Keep in a dark cool place for 2 weeks to allow flavours to mature. Be sure to give bottle a shake every few days for the first 2 weeks.

GINGERBREAD CREAM LIQUEUR

YIELD

This recipe has 2 components. The Ginger Infused Rum & Gingerbread Cream Liqueur. The first component will yield 1L of Ginger Infused Rum (can be enjoyed as is). Or mix the Ginger Infused Rum with heavy cream + condensed milk to produce 2.5L of Gingerbread Liqueur.

INGREDIENTS

FOR GINGER INFUSED RUM

• 1L Dark rum
• 40g Fresh ginger
• 60g Crystallised ginger
• 200g Muscovado or brown sugar
• 12 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

FOR GINGERBREAD CREAM LIQUEUR (to fill 1 gift bottle)

• 125ml of premade ginger infused rum
• 125ml heavy cream
• 60ml condensed milk

DIRECTIONS

FOR GINGER INFUSED RUM

1. Roughly chop the fresh and crystalised ginger and give the cinnamon & cloves a quick bash with the end of a rolling pin to break them up a little.
2. Place the above ingredients into a sterilised screw-top jar. Add vanilla extract & sugar.
3. Top up jar with rum & seal.
4. Give jar a good swirl to mix ingredients.
5. Leave in a cool dark place for 5-7 days, be sure to give the jar a quick swirl every few days to help the sugar to dissolve.
6. Place a muslin in a sieve and scald it by pouring boiling water over it. Strain the liquid through the sieve into a bowl, decant into sterilised screw-top jar until you wish to make the gingerbread cream liqueur.

FOR GINGERBREAD CREAM LIQUEUR

1. Pour the ginger infused rum, cream and condensed milk into a sterilised jug and stir until well combined.
2. Pour into a sterilised gift bottle, seal and store in the fridge until required.
3. Give the bottle a gentle shake before serving in small glasses, either chilled or over ice.

NOTE: Ginger Infused Rum will keep for a year. The Gingerbread Cream Liqueur however, keeps for between 2-3 week. So only mix Cream Liqueur prior to gifting to ensure freshness.