Holiday Cocktails to Serve and Give
The Christmas holidays are a perfect time to get together with friends and enjoy some lovely alcoholic beverages. Those you make yourself are the most special of all.
Consider these the homemade treats:
Homemade Limoncello
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of vodka
- 10 lemons
- 3 cups white sugar
- 4 cups water
Zest the lemons and place the lemon zest into a large jar. Pour in the vodka and let it infuse for one week at room temperature. Then combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil without stirring for fifteen minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature. Stir the vodka into the syrup and strain the mixture into glass bottles and seal each bottle with a cork. Age at room temperature for two weeks before freezing the bottles. Serve when icy cold.
Coffee Liqueur
Ingredients:
- 3 cups white sugar
- ¼ cup instant coffee granules
- 1 bottle of vodka
- 1 vanilla bean
- 4 cups water
Combine sugar, water and instant coffee in a saucepan. Allow it to boil and simmer for an hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Then stir in vodka, place a vanilla bean in a bottle and fill the bottle with the coffee/vodka mixture. Allow it to set for 4-6 weeks before serving.
Amaretto Liqueur
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp almond extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine white sugar, water and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until boiling and until all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for ten minutes. Pour in vodka, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix well and store in a sealed bottle.
Peppermint Schnapps Liqueur
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 16 ounces of light corn syrup
- 2 cups vodka
- 2 tsp peppermint extract
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a sauce pan and heat until sugar dissolves, stirring regularly for about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vodka. Cover and cool to room temperature. Stir in peppermint extract. Pour into a sealable bottle.