Making Your Own Coffee Liqueurs

It's easy to make your own coffee-flavoured liqueurs.

When most of us think of alcoholic coffee drinks, we tend to picture a hot mug of coffee containing some blend of alcohol and likely topped with whipped cream. Maybe some cinnamon or chocolate shavings on top. But how about actual coffee liqueur, like Kahlua. Did you know you can make your own coffeeflavored liqueurs? It's not that hard. Below are some recipes to get you started. Most of them are very similar, so you might have to experiment to find one that produces a beverage that you like. Don't worry, you don't have to start fermenting things to make alcohol. You'll just need to start with an alcoholic base, like vodka. Coffee Liqueur #1 3 cups sugar 3 cups water 3 1/2 tbs instant coffee 1 quart vodka 1 tbs vanilla extract Combine sugar, water and coffee crystals in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for around 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the vodka and vanilla. Pour the liquid into containers with breath-able lids (cheesecloth perhaps) and let sit for a month. After that, transfer to air-tight containers and enjoy! Coffee Liqueur #2 2 cups coffee 1 1/4 cup sugar 2 cups vodka 1/2 vanilla bean (split) Add the sugar to hot coffee, and mix until dissolved. Let cool and add the vodka and vanilla bean. Transfer liquid to a bottle. After 2-4 weeks, strain out the vanilla bean and pour liqueur into a new bottle Coffee Liqueur #3 3 1/2 cups water 4 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup instant coffee crystals 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 bottle vodka (750mL) Melt together the water, sugar and coffee in a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes and then remove from heat. Let cool thoroughly. Add vanilla and vodka. Pour into bottles and store in the refrigerator. Coffee Liqueur #4 2 cups water 1 1/4 cups white sugar 2 tbs freshly ground coffee 1 tbs vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups vodka Mix everything except vodka in a saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Strain out the coffee grounds. Add vodka. Pour finished liqueur into a bottle and store in a cool place.