Homebrew Underground

Blue agave syrup (also called agave nectar or blue agave sweetener) is made from the blue agave plant grown in Mexico. It is much sweeter than sugar and more healthy because it has a lower glycemic index than sugar. It is similar to honey – being very viscous although it is less viscous than honey plus it dissolves quickly in cold beverages. Depending on how it is processed, it can be light or dark amber in color.

Blue agave syrup is made from the same plant that is used to make tequila (the blue agave plant). In fact, when used as a sweetener in a non-alcoholic drink with lime juice, lemon juice and club soda, it seems to impart some of the unique flavor of a Margarita.

Stevia extract is a natural sweetener that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. A couple of our recipes in previous posts used to have Splenda in the ingredients list, but in light of some recent findings about possible health risks, we have replaced Splenda with Stevia because we feel it is a healthier choice.

According to SplendaInfo.com "Splenda is not a natural product and is not grown or cultivated as a natural product would be." Stevia, on the other hand, is a plant extract and although not without some controversy, is clearly a better, more health conscious choice.

We love our cocktails, but we should take care of our livers. Research has shown that milk thistle has proven to be effective in protecting the liver from damage from alcohol. The website for The University of Maryland Medical Center (Milk thistle) states that today "several scientific studies suggest that active substances in milk thistle (particularly silymarin) protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins, alcohol," and that "five of seven studies evaluating milk thistle for alcoholic liver disease found significant improvements in liver function."

Photo is provided for reference only and is not an endorsement of any product.

These studies suggest that milk thistle and its active substance, silymarin can be effective in protecting the liver from minor damage, but it is less effective with more serious damage such as cirrhosis. The same web page states that "Cirrhosis is characterized by scarring and permanent, non-reversible
damage to the liver. It is often referred to as end-stage liver
disease." Needless to say it is wise to be temperate and to not over-indulge.

Milk thistle and its active substance silymarin is widely available as a dietary supplement.

Recently I was working on a new recipe for homemade Kahlua (coffee liqueur). I noticed that Kahlua was more viscous than other liqueurs that I have made. I got the idea that maybe I could use Karo light corn syrup as a sweetener because it is very thick and viscous. Besides, I have seen other homemade liqueur recipes that used light corn syrup so I thought I might give it a try. I made a small test batch and made a blending stock with some caramel syrup and light corn syrup.

Well, it had a lingering aftertaste – a sort of a tacky – sweet aftertaste. It was not as smooth as it could be. I decided against it and used a modified version of my standard sugar syrup and I got a much better result. But I began to look into corn syrup a little more and there are more reasons than taste alone to avoid using corn syrup in your homemade liqueurs and other food preparation.

Recently the FDA has declared HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) as not "natural". In a recent article by Lorraine Heller at NutraIngredients-USA.com (02-Apr-2008), it is noted that "Products containing high fructose corn syrup cannot be considered ‘natural’ and should not be labeled as such". I believe that this is an important announcement and that there is a link between obesity and the ubiquitous nature of corn syrup in our food supply.

I recommend avoiding the use of corn syrup altogether. Despite the fact that sugar is not exactly a health food, I believe that it is not as bad as corn syrup.