LIQUEURS PEACH LEAF LIQUEUR Ingredients: 70 peach leaves The yellow zest of half a lemon A bottle of Moscato d'Asti,

less one sip 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup grain (190 proof, 95%) alcohol Preparation: Combine all the ingredients in a jar and steep them for 6 weeks, shaking the jar every now and again. Filter the mixture, using funnel and filter paper, into a nice looking bottle, cork it, and age the liqueur for at least six months before breaking it out to serve it as an after dinner cordial, or with a dessert. It will be about 38% alcohol (76 proof). Yield: About a quart (1 l) peschen. ORANPEAR ORANGE PEAR LIQUEUR A sweet liqueur made from oranges and pears, which is very tasty over ice cream or in fruit cocktails, and will be a pleasant reminder of winter when the thermometer's too high to contemplate. Alcohol content about 30%. Ingredients: 1/2 pound (225 g) pears 1 1/4 cups (270 g) sugar 1/2 pound (225 g) peeled oranges 1 cup grain alcohol Preparation: Slice the pears and put them in a jar with the sugar, seal the jar, and set it in a warm place with lots of sun. Leave it there for a week, shaking it every day to help the sugar dissolve. At the end of the week peel the oranges, cut the sections crosswise, and add them to the jar, together with the alcohol. Put the jar in a dark place and let it sit for a month, shaking it every now and then. Filter your liqueur into an elegant bottle and

let it age in a dark place for at least six months before breaking it out. AGRUMINO CITRUS LIQUEUR A tasty liqueur made from lemon and orange zest, which is a very pleasant close to a meal, or perfect sprinkled over ice cream in the summer. It will also be handy in mixing up cocktails. Alcohol content about 40%. Ingredients: The zest of 4 oranges The zest of 2 lemons The zest of a half a citron (a cousin of the lemon, which looks like a lemon but is twice its size -use another lemon, if need be, or perhaps a lime for variety) 1 small mandarin orange, quartered 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) grain alcohol Preparation: Bring the water to a boil, remove it from the fire, and dissolve the sugar into it. When the syrup has cooled transfer it to a jar with the other ingredients. Seal the jar and let everything steep, shaking it daily, for 10 days. Filter using gauze into an elegant bottle, and age it for 6 months before you break it out. For an amazingly delicate variation, use the zest of a dozen tangerines instead of that from the oranges and lemons. DRIED APRICOT LIQUEUR Ingredients: 1 11-oz (about 300 g) package dried apricots 1 cup (225 g) sugar 2 cups (500 ml) vodka Preparation: 1. Boil apricots to soften. 2. Combine all ingredients in a quart jar.

3. Seal tight. Let it sit for 3 weeks. Quick, easy, and the perfect way to bring summer into the picture at any time of year. AMARO ALLE ERBE ITALIAN HERBAL LIQUEUR Amaro is the quintessential after dinner cordial, made with all sorts of herbs. The major commercial varieties include Amaro Ramazzotti, Jgermeister, and Amaretto di Saronno, and there are hundreds more, many made by monasteries scattered throughout the Peninsula. This recipe yields a simple amaro that's fairly dry and not too strong, about 30% alcohol. A tiny glass will be very tasty at the end of a meal, and will spread a pleasing warmth through your insides. Ingredients: 5 leaves balm-mint (melissa officinalis) 5 leaves sage 10 leaves (not sprigs) rosemary A flowered top of a European Centaury plant 15 juniper berries 5 cloves 1/2 inch cinnamon stick A piece of Florentine Iris root (orris root), fragmented A piece of sweet calamus root (sweet flag), fragmented A piece of yellow gentian root (bitter root), fragmented A piece of carline thistle root, fragmented 2 leaves from a flowering milk thistle 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar 2 2/3 cups good quality white vermouth 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons grain alcohol Preparation: Macerate the herbs in the alcohol for 5 days; if it's sunny wrap the jar in dark paper to keep the light out

and set it in the sun. Meanwhile, combine the vermouth and the sugar in a second jar and let them sit in a dark place; the sugar will gradually dissolve. Strain the alcohol into a clean bottle, stopper it, and transfer the steeped herbs to the vermouth jar. Steep them for another week, then strain the vermouth into the alcohol bottle. Let the mixture sit for a day, then filter it into an elegant bottle. Cork the bottle and let it age in a dark place for at least 8 months. BASIC HONEY LIQUEUR 500 gpure honey (equals about 350 ml honey, or just under 1.5 cups) 1/4 liter water (1 cup) 3/8 liter alcohol (just over 1.5 cups) Dissolve honey in hot water. The water should not be hotter than 45 degrees celsius. Let the mixture cool down, then add spirit of wine (alcohol). You may exchange the spirit of wine with spirits like whisky, brandy or a similar strong liquor, to get a lighter liquor. CORN WINE CRACKED CORN Cracked corn can be purchased at feed stores and other stores that sell feed for birds or chickens. Do no attempt to make this wine with fresh corn. 2 lbs cracked corn 1 lb chopped golden raisins 3 lbs granulated sugar 4 tsp acid blend 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1/2 tsp tannin water to one gallon 1 crushed Campden tablet

Champagne or Sherry wine yeast Rinse the corn well, checking for any pebbles or other foreign matter. Put chopped raisins and corn in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover the corn. Soak overnight. The next day, pour corn and raisins in a fine nylon straining bag, tie the bag closed, and put in primary. Pour the soaking water into primary. Put remaining water on to boil with sugar in it. Stir well as water heats up until sugar is dissolved and water comes to a boil. Pour water into primary. Add the acid blend, yeast nutrient and tannin. Cover primary with a sheet of plastic held in place with a large rubber band or loop of elastic. When cooled to room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet, recover, and set aside for 24 hours. Meanwhile, boil a cup of orange juice, transfer to a sterilized pint jar and set in refrigerator 30 minutes to cool. When cool, add yeast to orange juice and cover with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, add orange juice to primary. Stir daily for two weeks. Remove bag of corn/raisins and allow to drip drain (do not squeeze). Discard corn/raisins, recover primary and allow liquor to settle overnight. Rack into secondary and fit with airlock. Rack every two months for six months. After sixth-month racking, check for dryness. If not completely dry (specific gravity of 0.990), allow another two months and rack again. When dry, bottle the wine. May drink immediately. [Adapted from Terry Garey's The Joy of Home Winemaking] http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques44.asp FRESH CORN Freshly picked corn on the cob is so much better than ears of corn bought at the supermarket that the difference is like night and day. It is far, far sweeter, has much better texture, and is more tender. I can certainly understand why one would want to make wine from it. So, to answer Ron's question, yes, I have a recipe for making wine from fresh corn. The

key is "fresh." Do not pick the corn until you are ready to make the wine. Then get right to it. This recipe is from Doris Beck of San Antonio, as reported by Dorothy Alatorre and adapted by the author. 4 to 6 ears of freshly picked corn 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 1-1/2 tblsp acid blend 1/8 tsp tannin 1 tsp yeast nutrient water to 1 gallon Sherry wine yeast Put a large pot containing half the water on to boil. Meanwhile, clean the corn and cut it from the cobs. Cut cobs into 2-inch sections and put the cobs and corn in the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain into the primary and add 1-1/2 pounds sugar to it, stirring until dissolved. Add remaining water to make up a gallon less one cup. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When at room temperature, add pectic enzyme, acid blend, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Recover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover. Stir daily for 7 days. Boil one cup of water and dissolve one pound of sugar into it. Set sugar water aside to cool, covered. Rack wine into secondary and add sugar water. Fit airlock and set aside for 30 days. Rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 60 days, rack, top up and again refit airlock. Set aside for 4 months, checking fluid in airlock from time to time. Wine should be clear. If not, treat as for starchy haze. Rack into bottles and set aside for 3 months. Will improve with further aging. [Adapted from Dorothy Alatorre's Home Wines of North America] HONEY LIQUEUR LITHUANIAN HONEY LIQUEUR [KRUPNIKAS]

INGREDIENTS: 2 teaspoons caraway seed 10 whole cloves 10 whole allspice 4 sticks cinnamon 2 sticks vanilla 2 pieces yellow ginger 2 pieces white ginger 10 cardamom seeds 1/2 nutmeg 3 strips orange rind 3 strips lemon rind 1 pinch saffron 4 cups water 2 lbs honey 1 quart grain alcohol Crack cardamon seeds and nutmeg. Boil spices, rind and water in a covered pot until liquid is reduced to about 2 cups. Strain. In a pot large enough to hold the spiced liquid, alcohol and honey, bring honey to a boil. Skim off the foam. Pour spiced liquid into honey and stir. Remove from heat. Place far away from heat to prevent flare-up or expolsion of alcohol. Slowly, and very carefully, pour in alcohol. Replace pot on LOW heat. Heat, being careful not to simmer or boil, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in the same covered pot overnight. Following day, pour into bottles and allow to settle (about 2 weeks). The longer it sits, the clearer it becomes and the better it tastes. Note: When I make this, I let it settle for a week. Pour off the clear liquid into a separate bottle, being careful not to disturb the sediment. Filter the sedimented

portion (through a coffee filter) into a separate bottle. Do this several times over the next month. You will end up with a clear liqueur that is akin to the nectar of the gods. http://www.angelfire.com/ut/recipes/honey.html

VERMOUTH I love a good martini but Ill be honest, Ive never given much thought to one of the major ingredients dry vermouth. The Art of the Drink blog has an article on the general idea of making vermouth and I wanted to give it a try. You will need a dry wine, herbs, and a liquor to pump up the alcohol content. Vermouth was born a long time ago, arguably as far back as the fifth century B.C. The word comes from wermut, the German word for wormwood. Wormwood along with other herbs and alcohol where added to off wine to mask the flavor. Vermouth evolved with time and by the 1800s French (dry) and Italians (sweet) where making incredibly drinkable brands like Martini & Rossi, now the largest producer. We see vermouth used in many drinks behind the bar but vermouth on the rocks and even the vermouth cocktail have almost slid out of sight. Dry Vermouth Recipe: 1/2 teaspoon wormwood 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon gentian 1/4 teaspoon chamomile 1/4 teaspoon bitter orange 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon angelica root 1/8 teaspoon elderflower 1/8 teaspoon cinchona bark 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1 whole clove 1 whole allspice

1 oz (30ml) sugar (about 4% of 750ml) 1 bottle dry Riesling (I used Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling) Pour entire wine bottle into a pot and bring to boil. Boil uncovered and keep boiling for 3-5 minutes to oxidize and reduce by about 100ml. Remove from heat and add all ingredients, cover and let cool. After an hour or so strain the solids and add about 2 oz of vodka, pour into a screw cap bottle and refrigerate for a day to fully infuse; then keep refrigerated for no more than about a month. I have done many versions since this one and will do many more. Use this recipe as a start point for your own house vermouth and let me know what you come up with. Article By: Mark Sexauer http://marksexauer.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/makin g-dry-vermouth/ There seems to be about 4 ways to make vermouth which vary in temperature, time, and method for extracting the herbal components and oxidizing the wine. The first is to briefly boil all the wine with the botanicals. The second is to take about a quarter of the volume and simmer it with the herbs for a short time. The third is a longer, unheated extraction. And the fourth is to extract the botanicals separately in high proof alcohol and add them drop-wise to the wine to reach the desired effect; this fourth way is apparently how many of the larger commercial houses make it these days. The only common botanical in recipes is wormwood which is how the beverage was named after the German word for it, Wermut(h). Some recipes have only a few while others have twenty-something ingredients. Most vermouths are made from white wine -- even the sweet vermouths, save for Punt e Mes, Carpano

Antica, Barolo Chinatos, and a few others. The dark color in most sweet vermouths is not imparted from the grape skins but from caramelized sugar and the botanicals. A common wine to start from is Trebbiano. Two last components to discuss before I launch into how I did my batch are brandy and sugar. Vermouths are fortified wines so a high proof alcohol such as brandy (although I have seen recipes that use vodka) is used to bring the alcohol content up to 15-18%. The higher alcohol content helps to stabilize the contents better over time. Vermouths are also sweetened. Dry vermouths often have under 7% residual sugar left and sweet vermouths are up to 15%. For other information about vermouth, including their history and other alternative recipes, please consult the links below. I placed the following herbs into a pot: 1 tsp of each: wormwood 1/2 tsp of each: gentian, elder flower, chamomile, anise seed, tansy, dried orange peel 2 pinch of each: angelica root, fennel seed, peach leaf 1 pinch of each: lavender flower, betel nut, dandalion leaf, sassafras root bark, burdock root, thyme, oregano, basil, centaury 1/2 pinch of each: licorice root 1 whole clove, 1/2 small cinnamon stick Added 200 mL of wine to the pot. The wine I used was a 750mL bottle of 2007 Cavit Pinot Grigio since I did not see any Trebbiano wines where I was shopping that day. I brought the wine-botanical mix up to a boil and simmered it covered for 10 minutes.

I let it cool for 75 minutes, and filtered through a strainer over a coffee filter. For the caramelized sugar, I heated up 2 oz sugar (by volume) until medium-dark brown. I added 2 oz of boiling water to the molten sugar to make a caramelized simple syrup. To the wine bottle, I poured out some into a glass (besides the 200 mL from before) to be added later. I added 4 oz of 80 brandy (to bring the alcohol up to approximately 16%), the caramelized simple syrup, and the filtered aromatized wine concentrate. I topped off the bottle with the wine I poured off. Lastly, I added sugar to taste: 1/2 oz by volume seemed sufficient http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2008/11/sweetvermouth.html