This repository contains materials for the DIY Liqueurs and Bitters Co-Curricular.
This co-curricular started in Fall 2021 with a focus on fruit liqueurs. In Fall 2022, it expanded to cover bitters as well.
I (Steve Matsumoto) have been making liqueur and bitters since 2019, and it became somewhat of a pandemic hobby. During the 2020-2021 academic year, I made several gallons of liqueur (most of which I gave away as gifts).
The co-curricular is mostly inspired by rakija-style liqueurs, which are associated with former Yugoslavia and the Balkans (i.e., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia). Most rakija is home distilled, but distilling your own liquor is federally illegal in the US, so we instead make rectified spirits, which involves infusing ingredients in a neutral spirit like vodka or grain alcohol.
Liqueur is typically a spirit with additional flavoring, like sugar, fruits, herbs, or spices. In the US, the term liqueur specifically refers to alcohol mixed with plant products or sweeteners (at least 2.5% by weight).
Example liqueurs that you may be familiar with include Chambord, Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream, St. Germain, Cointreau/Triple Sec, Midori, Chartreuse, or Jägermeister.
Bitters are an infusion of ingredients in alcohol designed to be a strong concetration of flavor. As the name suggests, bitters are intended to be bitter rather than sweet. The term tincture is more general, referring to an infusion of any flavor rather than specifically bitter ones. Bitters that you might be familiar with are Angostura bitters, Peychaud's bitters (used in Sazeracs), and orange bitters.
- It's pretty easy - all you need is flavoring, alcohol, and time for the basic recipes.
- You can preserve the flavors of fruits at their peak freshness and have something to enjoy for months or years afterwards.
- It was traditionally a way to reuse resources - the base spirits used for traditional rakija were often distilled from spent grapes resulting from winemaking.
Generally, the liqueur or bitters we'll make in this co-curricular follow these rough steps:
- Prepare the non-alcoholic ingredients. This may involve peeling fruit, cracking spices, etc.
- Infuse the ingredients in alcohol for some time. Sometimes, the infusion is left in the sun or shaken regularly.
- Strain the infusion. Sometimes, additional ingredients, most commonly simple syrup (made from sugar and water), are added here.
- Bottle the resulting product.
The recipes folder contains a collection of recipes from past versions of the
co-curricular. Not all of them were made, and students have made their own
recipes which don't appear in the folder, but you are welcome to use or adapt
any of the recipes you see there.
If you are interested in making a different liqueur or bitters, contact me and I can help you put together a recipe.
You need to get your own supplies. If you are officially in the co-curricular, the college will cover the cost of all non-alcoholic ingredients up to a specified per-person amount.
Almost every recipe uses one of the following as a base spirit:
- Vodka: this is typically 40% alcohol by volume, and is used for many lighter liqueurs. This often results in a final product that is 10-20% alcohol by volume.
- 150-proof grain alcohol: this is 75% alcohol by volume (sometimes you may see 151-proof, which is 75.5%, but it's essentially the same). Everclear is a well-known brand, but anything with "grain alcohol" usually refers to this product. This spirit results in a final product that is 20-40% alcohol by volume. This can be diluted down to a slightly weaker concentration as well, most commonly 60%.
- 190-proof grain alcohol: this is 95% alcohol by volume, which is the strongest concentration of ethanol that's commercially available. Everclear also makes a 190-proof grain alcohol, as do a few other manufacturers, but this product is not available in some US states. It's not recommended to dilute this down, as it tends to retain a strong alcoholic taste even when diluted. This spirit can result in final products that are as strong as 60% alcohol by volume.
In the Needham area, your best bet for vodka is typically Costco, where Kirkland Signature vodka can be had for well under $20 a handle (1.75 liters). For grain alcohol, Total Wine in Natick tends to carry a variety of brands for both 150 and 190-proof products.