Ingredients
-
2 liters of 96% alcohol
-
800 grams of sugar
-
30 leaves of basil
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1 lemon
-
600 grams of water
Directions
The homemade basil liqueur is fantastic nectar, very fresh, full of scents, and enveloping, which you can drink as a digestive, use to flavor cakes and biscuits, or even use to make a thousand cocktails. Just put a few centiliters in a glass with rum, lime, sugar syrup, and soda to make a super refreshing and delicious cocktail.
But like all very aromatic digestive liqueurs, the basil liqueur is not easy to make because, if you leave the leaves in infusion for too long, the liqueur will be bitter. On the other hand, you can’t even correct too much with post-production sugar; otherwise, it loses momentum and freshness, so it’s better to ponder doses before making this magic liqueur.
Another consideration concerns the other flavorings present in the basil liqueur, which are usually lemon and mint. Honestly, it is better not to overdo with the “aromatics.”
The basil has a complete and totalizing flavor; it’s better not to add too many suggestions, or it will become a babel of flavors and fragrances that goes nowhere.
Lemon is more than sufficient as a companion, but if you want to try making mixes of aromatic herbs, mint and lemongrass are an amazing couple.
Ingredients and doses for making the perfect homemade basil liqueur
- 2 liters of 96% alcohol
- 800 grams of sugar
- 30 basil leaves
- 1 untreated organic lemon
- 600 grams of water
How to make the perfect basil liqueur
Let’s start with basil, of course; if you find the Genoese one even better, it has lots of aromas and an unmistakable flavor. Wash the leaves and spread them on a kitchen towel, then pat them to dry them.
Wash the lemon and peel it; the white part, the albedo, is bitter, so take only the rind.
To make the syrup, dissolve water and sugar in a pan; it does not take hours; it is ready in a few minutes.Just bring the solution of water and sugar up to 50 degrees, and you’re done. If you want, you can also prepare it by heating the water and then dissolving the sugar in it. It is not necessary to cook it!
Well, when you are done with the syrup, take a large container with a lid, put in the leaves, the lemon zest cut into strips, the alcohol, and the sugar syrup, and seal the container. Macerate for 8-10 days in a dark place.Remember to shake the container gently every evening.
After ten days, open the jar, filter the liqueur, and bottle it. If you use dark bottles, it is better because the liqueur will not oxidize, and then plug it immediately after pouring it into the glasses.
How to serve your delicious homemade basil liqueur and which cocktails you should make
Well, now that you have made the basil liqueur, you can serve it in ice-cold glasses as a digestive or after dinner. But that’s not all, this green nectar has a thousand uses: remember that it is a perfect liqueur to flavor great sparkling cocktails like Gin Tonic, Gin Fizz or Bellini. But it is also excellent served in a glass with soda and lemonade.
