Step Two: Straining, Filtering and Clarifying

Shown below is a photo of the infused spirit after macerating for 4 weeks. It is ready to strain.

Using a metal coffee filter, carefully pour off any clarified part into a clean 2 qt. Mason jar.

When all the infused spirit has been poured out, empty the contents of the jar into the filter and let it strain naturally for 10 – 15 minutes to recover as much spirit as possible. Discard the strainings afterwards. Normally I would try to press the strainings through a cheesecloth, but in this case these remains are very bitter and cloudy and will only spoil the flavor and clarity.

Shown below is a photo of the strained, infused spirit. Set it aside for 3 to 4 weeks to allow it to clarify. The sediments will settle to the bottom of the jar and you can rack off the clarified part.

After 3 or 4 weeks the infused spirit should be mostly clarified. At this time carefully rack off the clarified part into a clean 2 qt. Mason jar. You can see the difference. It is totally clarified.

Sweetening and Blending

Note: Blending a number of batches may produce unexpected results. The batches may become cloudy when blended together. If you have more than one jar to blend, then I strongly suggest that you wait and see if the infused spirit becomes cloudy when you blend the batches. If so, then wait an additional 4 weeks or so the allow the infused spirit to clarify again, then rack off the clarified part, then filter it with paper coffee filters to remove any "sludge."

Shown below is a shot of the clarified infused spirit, standard sugar syrup and a measuring cup.

Combine one part infused spirit with one part standard sugar syrup. It is now ready to bottle and serve!

My goal in developing this recipe was to create a homebrew orange liqueur that I could use as a mixer. I wanted a good substitute for Cointreau that I could use in cocktail recipes.

Cointreau is 40% ABV (alcohol by volume). That is rather high for a liqueur. Most liqueurs range from 18% to 22% ABV. In my first attempt I tried using straight vodka for the spirit component when I first began to experiment with this recipe. Vodka, like most spirit (e.g. brandy or gin) is usually 40% ABV and after adding sugar syrup the finished liqueur was around 20% ABV. It was horrible!

After that first failure, I began to see why Cointreau was so much higher in alcohol content than other liqueurs. I discovered that to make a good orange liqueur, the alcohol content would need to be more than usual. It definitely needed more "zing."

In later attempts I used grain alcohol plus vodka and brandy for the spirit component. The grain alcohol raised the alcohol content and the brandy gave the liqueur some depth. The grain alcohol brand is Everclear. It has an alcohol content of 75.5% ABV and it is available in liquor stores. When made according to this recipe, the final ABV should be somewhere around 26%. The finished liqueur works as a substitute for Cointreau in most drink recipes. You can find recipes here in the blog for a Margarita and a Cosmopolitan.

Step One: Infusion

Shown below is a shot of all the ingredients. Back row, left to right: brandy, 2 qt Mason jar, vodka and grain alcohol (Everclear). Front row, left to right: sweet orange peels, bitter orange peels, fresh kumquats, cloves and cinnamon sticks.

One of the key ingredients for this homebrew orange liqueur recipe is bitter orange peel. I decided to use it to add contrast to the sweet orange peel and kumquat flavors. Cointreau is also made with bitter orange peels. The point here is to add a little bit of bitterness to the sweet flavors.

To the left is a shot of the bitter orange peels. Bitter orange peel (also called "Curaçao orange peel", aurantium amarae pericarpium) is available under the brand name "Brewer’s Garden", which is available from most homebrew supply stores. This botanical is used for flavoring other popular citrus liqueurs (Triple Sec, Curaçao and Cointreau) and Belgian Ale.

Kumquats also lend their sweet and bitter flavors to this liqueur recipe. As a kid when I was growing up, one of our neighbors had a kumquat tree in their backyard and we used to raid the tree and eat them raw when they were ripe and juicy. The kumquat has a natural balance of sweet and bitter. The fruit and pulp is bitter, but the rind is sweet. With most varieties of oranges, the opposite is true. For example, with Navel and Valencia oranges, the fruit and pulp is sweet but the rind is bitter.

Remove the button from each kumquat then cut them into wedges similar to the photo below.

Add sweet and bitter dried orange peels to a clean 2 qt. Mason jar then add 1 cup distilled water. Wait about 4 hours to allow orange peels to rehydrate.

Add the wedged fruit and other botanicals plus the spirit to the jar with the rehydrated orange peels, then shake vigorously to thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Set aside and allow to macerate for 4 weeks. Periodically shake the jar to mix the ingredients, but don’t shake during the last week to facilitate clarification.

Continue to Orange Kumquat Liqueur Recipe – Part II