ok, so i want to try something new. i have a few things i've wanted to try, and here is what i've narrowed it down to when i buy my next bottle: galliano, chartreuse, benedictine, or anisette. i've never had any of these, from what i gather they all sound to be potentially delicious. take these into consideration: -your personal taste preferences -i'm on a limited budget and would like something good and cost effective (only need a small amount to get pleasantly tipsy, doesn't cost TOO too much) -i haven't tried any of these and want something i can drink neat. if i'm buying something like this, i'm not about to mix it with coke! so in your opinion, what would be the best thing for me to try next? i know it's all preference, but there are so many choices that it's hard to think about!
btw, liqueurs i've already tried and loved: jagermeister (absolutely amazing!), amaretto (both disaranno sp? and homemade), spiced rum, bailey's irish creme, 90 proof coconut rum my favorites among those are jager and amaretto, though i find things like storebought amaretto and bailey's to be just a bit overwhelmingly sweet for my taste at any rate, i'd like to try more herbal based liqueurs rather than things like fruit shnapps or something. i'm looking to expand some motherfucking horizons here
the only spiced rum i've had that was worth drinking was captain morgan's private stock...other stuff i've tried is syrupy and gross...but private stock is one of my favorite alcoholic drinks ever. but then, i'm a rum kinda guy.
Yeah, the one I had was syruppy and gross. Maybe it would have been OK mixed with something, but yuck...not straight. What do you mean "something you can drink neat"? I've never heard that expression.
I vote Chartreuse, because I just read a book where it was the drink of choice for some of the main characters, and it sounds interesting.
nah, if i decided to get anisette i'll just get liquor and make it homemade, that way i control how sweet it is anyway, i've decided on none of these...got a lot of 110 proof vodka coming to me today, and i'm going to make a lot of amaretto (of course, slightly less sweet than storebought) both for myself and as gifts for people, as well as some smaller experimental liqueurs.... so i wont be SURE to get something great (except the amaretto) because i could fuck it up, but i'm saving money and learning, and this is something i've wanted to try my hand at a little more made some amaretto somewhat recently (a few months ago) and it was pretty good...this time i think it will be better though!
finally! the liqueurs are being made. tonight i'm sipping some quick amaretto, nothing fancy just some honey, sugar, vodka, almond extract and vanilla bean....drinking just a little, made a small batch to hold me over for a while since it finishes the quickest.... also got a small batch of a spice liqueur in the works for next batch i'll be drinking. finally, i've got a larger batch of about a quart of orange liqueur macerating. vodka, orange, vanilla bean, allspice, clove, coriander and cardamom, along with honey and sugar syrup...this will take longer than some of the others, i'm letting it age like you're supposed to (probably the purely spice based one will, too) because a little age apparently helps the flavors...though i've heard citrus based liqueurs shouldnt age as long as other types. i also have about enough for another large batch. its a tough choice right now on flavoring for my next one.....allspice, chamomile, green tea, apple, plum, berry, or mint....also, methinks a ginger or sassafrass liqueur could be quite nice indeed...
well if you can control how sweet it is... I find anisette to be nice. Didn't think about adding grain alcohol so it's not syrup (duh!). Next time I pour a drink i'm going to add some grain alcohol, just for a try.
or get a bottle of really cheap vodka, some anise seed or extract, and make it as sweet or strong as you want! it'll probably be cheaper, too. i bottled the orange spiced liqueur, and after trying a little i'd say it's absolutely great! it still needs some slight tweaking to the recipe, but it's DEFINITELY a great start....gave a fifth of it to some friends of mine as a gift (its fine to make stuff you like, but to get positive feedback from others really lets you know you're doing something right) and they've just tried a little bit, but so far it's a hit! still needs something to mellow it out just a little and add some slight body to it. i'm thinking i'm gonna need to just spend a couple bucks on some finishing formula
That's totally awesome that you make all of those. My husband has brewed his own beer before and it was fantastic. You could really get spoiled drinking home brew.
yeah, my dad always used to homebrew as a hobby, but it's unfortunately rather expensive and labor intensive...he's had a couple leg injuries this year, and he was gonna start showing me the ropes but just isn't physically up to carrying full carboys and such, and i would have no idea what i was doing, plus our schedules dont always match up, so it would be tough for him to show me how to do it right now....but some day..... making liqueurs is much easier and cheaper, and you can still come out with some terriffic drinks, so i'm gonna go this route for a while. someday i want to learn to homebrew, but i'm more interested in brewing sake than beer most of the time (though having a bunch of homemade stouts or something would be awesome!)
homebrewing is actually pretty easy, after the first two batches it is a piece of cake. It i cheaper than buying beer in the store, too. Drink on!
