- Recipes By Course
- Drinks
- co*cktails
This homemade ginger liqueur can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work.
By
Marcia Simmons
Marcia Simmons
Contributor
Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY co*cktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks (2010).
Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process
Updated December 02, 2022
(10)
WRITE A REVIEW
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20210615-DIY-Ginger-Liqueur-Recipe-liz-voltz-hero-horz-2-f5ad5f7994bd4816bc50e8924730846d.jpg "DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (1)")
In This Recipe
What's Available to Buy?
Why DIY?
How to Use It
Why It Works
- This homemade ginger liqueur can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work.
- Steeping time is very short, so this is a perfect DIY holiday gift.
- Unleash your creativity by experimenting with different flavor combinations in small batches to make something you won't find on a liquor store shelf.
Ginger liqueur offers an exciting blend of sweet and spicy flavors. It can turn a basic drink into an intricately layered co*cktail experience. Sure, you can use ginger liqueur all year (it's great with sparkling wine, especially when muddled with peaches in the summer) but this potion especially calls to us in winter, when it's just the thing to spice up our drinks.
What's Available to Buy?
Domaine de Cantonis the most common ginger liqueur on the market. The ginger kick in Canton is balanced with vanilla, honey, and Cognac—it's elegant, but a bit sweet.Snapis a bolder ginger liqueur featuring nutmeg, cinnamon, and Rooibos tea in its mix of spices. It reminds me of a hearty gingerbread. Both cost about $30 a bottle—though I think Domaine de Canton is a more flexible co*cktail ingredient. TheKing's Gingeris a slightly more expensive high-proof ginger liqueur with an intense bite—smooth but barely sweet.
Stirrings also offers a less complex ginger liqueur for half the price. Though it has a lovely flavor, I find that it doesn't add any more dimension to mixed drinks than a well-made ginger simple syrup would.
Why DIY?
As easy as it is to buy a bottle of Canton, my recipe for DIY ginger liqueur takes only 30 minutes of work and tastes just as delicious and refined. The steeping time is very short, so this is a perfect homemade holiday gift. (Hear that, procrastinators?)
It's also fun to play with different flavor combinations in small batches. Add some cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom for an earthier liqueur that's a good match for ciders and warm holiday drinks. A little lemon zest and lemongrass will give you a bright, Asian-inspired flavor. The beauty of homemade liqueur is unleashing your creativity to make something you won't see on the shelf at some liquor store.
Use It!
Your homemade liqueur is perfect for jazzing up all sorts of co*cktails. The simpleTom Collinssuddenly tastes exotic with a bit of ginger, but you can also get more complicated than that. Add a little to a hot toddy on a cold night. And yes, it's goodin eggnog, or shaken up withrosemary and pears.
Ginger pairs well with so many flavors—think about food recipes that you like that include ginger, and then use those flavors in a co*cktail. Carrots, oranges, lemons, apples, pumpkin, green tea—these things are natural partners for ginger and could be the basis for a great new drink. If you give your liqueur as a gift, you can include some handwritten recipe cards featuring your favorite ginger liqueur co*cktails. That is, if you can bear to part with some of it.
December 2011
Recipe Details
DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe
Prep5 mins
Cook25 mins
Active25 mins
Infusing Time72 hrs
Total72 hrs 30 mins
Serves16 servings
Makes2 cups
Ingredients
2 ounces ginger root
1 vanilla bean
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 orange
1 1/2 cups brandy
Directions
Peel ginger and cut it into thin slices. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise.
Bring ginger, vanilla, sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until ginger is soft—about 20 minutes. Let the syrup cool. Do not strain yet.
Zest orange and place zest only in a sealable glass container along with the syrup and brandy. Seal and shake, then let this mixture steep for one day.
After one day, remove vanilla bean and let mixture steep for an additional day.
Strain mixture through a coffee filter into your bottle or jar for storage. Let it sit for one more day before using to let flavors mellow.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20210615-DIY-Ginger-Liqueur-Recipe-liz-voltz-12-9e116e9157a64cfc81280ad0d2c03fd2.jpg "DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (2)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20210615-DIY-Ginger-Liqueur-Recipe-liz-voltz-13-91bb9d7e9f3a4714b6125327e5e3afad.jpg "DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (3)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20210615-DIY-Ginger-Liqueur-Recipe-liz-voltz-17-4ce38315af4f4563bb88b9bdd74cb55a.jpg "DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20210615-DIY-Ginger-Liqueur-Recipe-liz-voltz-19-e0881b1839e6413882a652f81126ec6e.jpg "DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (5)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20210615-DIY-Ginger-Liqueur-Recipe-liz-voltz-22-7a204ac6862e4c0cacdbc4dc6a3a69ba.jpg "DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (6)")
Notes
Peeling ginger with a spoon allows you to navigate the curves and bumps more easily than using a peeler.
Store as you would any liqueur—no refrigeration is required. This should keep for a year, but if it develops off flavors or a cloudy appearance, discard it.
Special Equipment
Zester
Read More
- Tres Coop
- Grapefruit and Ginger Sparkler
- Ginger
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 87 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 13g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 16 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 87 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 1mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 13g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 12g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 1mg | 3% |
| Calcium 1mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 3mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
