Recipe: Fresh Mint Liqueur

With today being St Patrick\’s today I thought I would post about something green, Fresh Mint Liqueur.  Creme de Menthe is probably not something you keep stocked in your bar, but I remember it fondly in my first sip of an alcoholic drink ever, the Grasshopper.  This lovely minty ice creamy concoction has never been forgotten, and every once in a while I buy a cheap bottle of Creme de Menthe, make big frosty glass and imagine myself in an impossibly hot Wisconsin summer day.

I have always found the mint flavor to be a bit lacking, too artificial chemical sweetness; thankfully I found a great recipe using real mint.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups fresh mint leaves, slightly packed
3 cups vodka
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp. glycerine (you can buy online or at any brew shop)

Wash leaves in cold water several times.  Shake or pat dry gently.  Snip each leaf in half or thirds; discard stems.  You may want to wear rubber gloves unless you want you hands to smell minty fresh.  Measure cut mint leaves, packing slightly.

Combine mint leaves and vodka in an aging container.  Cap and let stand in a cool place for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally.  After initial aging, pour mixture through colander into a large bowl to remove leaves; discard leaves.

In saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Let cool. Add cooled sugar syrup to mint liqueur base, stirring to combine.  Add glycerine, pour into aging container for a secondary aging of 1 to 3 more months.

Because we used fresh mint instead of peppermint oil, this liqueur is far superior in taste.  Milder, and much more delicate then the bottom shelf liqueurs I have purchased in the past.  This recipe comes out of one of my favorite books of all time Classic Liqueurs.

Of course, for St Patricks day you can always add some green food coloring, enjoy!