The bay leaf liqueur I propose is homemade with my family’s recipe. It is a delightful, sweet, and very fragrant alcoholic beverage, very easy to make, and doesn’t require any special kitchen tools. The bay leaf liqueur can be served chilled in summer or at room temperature in winter; it is suitable as both an aperitif and a digestive to sip after meals, especially when we’ve overindulged. Among the numerous properties of bay leaves is that it’s an effective aid for digestion. We can prepare bay leaf liqueur to offer as a Christmas gift.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 15 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 1 liter pure food-grade alcohol at 90*
- 50 leaves fresh bay leaves
- 1 liter water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Tools
- 1 Brush
Steps
Thoroughly wash and brush the bay leaves, dry them, and put them in the alcohol in a large container with an airtight lid.
Leave the container in the dark for 15 days. I wrap the container in a large kitchen towel. During this time, the leaves will lose their bright green color and take on a much paler hue.
After the infusion time, prepare a syrup with water and sugar by boiling the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-4 minutes). Make sure the sugar is perfectly dissolved and let the preparation cool.
Only when the syrup is cold, add it to the alcohol and leaf mixture, mix well, strain to remove the leaves, and bottle the liqueur in bottles with airtight seals.
Let the bay leaf liqueur refine for another ten days before tasting it.
Tip. If you want a less alcoholic liqueur, less intense in flavor, the doses for the water and sugar syrup are:
1.4 liters of water
3¼ cups of sugar.
The bay leaf liqueur will still be aromatic and very fragrant but will be less intense alcohol-wise on the palate.
If you want to prepare a smaller quantity, simply halve the doses of all ingredients.
