Monica's favorite gear for
making Peppermint Liqueur
This essential oil is highly concentrated. A little bit goes a long way. This is what I used for making liqueur.
This pure peppermint extract is more commonly used in cooking than peppermint oil. Either works well in this liqueur recipe.
These wide-mouth, half gallon jars are perfect for making this liqueur. I also use them for chilling water, tea, & other beverages. They also make handy canisters.
Also available: wide-mouth funnel
These screw-top bottles are a nice size for gifting the liqueur. One recipe will fill 4 of these bottles.

Homemade Peppermint Liqueur

It's easy to make this great gift and cocktail mixer!


Peppermint Liqueur

By Monica              Makes 4 cups
This liqueur is similar to peppermint schnapps and is delicious for sipping by itself or as a cocktail mixer. It makes a great holiday gift.

This liqueur is similar to peppermint schnapps and is delicious for sipping by itself or as a cocktail mixer. It makes a great holiday gift.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil OR 2 teaspoons peppermint extract (For stronger mint taste, add 3/4 teaspoon of peppermint oil or 3 teaspoons of peppermint extract)
  • 3 cups Vodka
  • 4-6 drops red or green food coloring (optional)

Directions
--Make sugar syrup: in small saucepan,  combine water and sugar; over medium heat, cook until sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear--approx. 5 min. Let cool completely.
--Into a sterile quart jar with tight fitting  lid, pour vodka, sugar syrup, and peppermint oil or extract. Stir well. Store in cool, dark place, allowing it to steep for 2 weeks. Turn jar upside down every 2-3 days to mix, or remove lid and stir. Transfer to smaller sterile bottles, if desired.
NOTE: For a sweeter, thicker liqueur, add more sugar syrup.

This peppermint liqueur recipe is similar to peppermint schnapps. It's an easy-to-make liqueur that is tasty to mix in hot chocolate and a number of mixed cocktails. This liqueur is festive and perfect for holiday giving. In a follow-up post to this one I share peppermint cocktail recipes using this liqueur.

The procedure for making this peppermint liqueur is similar to the one explained in my previous post about Homemade Cranberry Liqueur. One difference, though, is that this liqueur needs to steep for 2 weeks before it can be drunk. So, you need to plan ahead if you want this for a specific occasion or gift.

I adapted this recipe from similar versions I found at cdkitchen.com and pastrywiz.com.

Step-by-step photos for making
Homemade Peppermint Liqueur:

 

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients: water, vodka, sugar, pure peppermint oil or peppermint extract. (Peppermint oil is available at drug stores, health food stores, and some grocery stores. I found mine at Whole Foods. Peppermint extract is widely available at grocery stores.)

view on Amazon:  peppermint oil, peppermint extract

ingredients

 

Step 2. Make a simple sugar syrup. Add the sugar and water and heat it up on the stove top. Stir and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear, not cloudy.

View Simple Sugar Syrup Recipe

 

sugar in pan  dissolved in pan

 

Step 3. Add the sugar syrup to a large jar or air tight container. Mine is a 2 quart jar. A canning funnel makes the job much tidier.

Step 4. Add the vodka.

Optional: You can add 4-6 drops of red or green food coloring, if you want a colored liqueur. I left mine clear.

view on Amazon: 2 quart (half gallon) jars, canning funnel

syrup in jar  vodka in jar

 

Step 5. Add the peppermint oil or extract and stir. Put the lid on the jar and tighten.

peppermint in jar  redo

 

Step 6. Put the jar in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. Every 2-3 days, flip it over or give it a stir. 

Finished! Wasn't that easy? And look how beautiful the peppermint liqueur looks in these bottles. I love the swing-top bottles pictured below. It's easy to pour from them, and they make an impressive gift. You can use any kind of bottle or jar, as long as they have an air-tight top. Cork top bottles are not recommended, because the cork is porous and will allow the liquid to slowly evaporate.

view on Amazon:  8-oz swing-top glass bottles (a good size for gifts), other bottle sizes

3 bottles

Recipes and gift tags for this liqueur!

Don't miss my follow-up post with Peppermint Liqueur Cocktail Recipes, it includes:

  • 6 easy recipes for winter and summer cocktails using this peppermint liqueur. 
  • how to turn this into an awesome gift, with free downloadable gift tags and recipe card.

view Peppermint Liqueur Cocktail Recipes

IMG_9095crop - thumbnail.png

You might also be interested in these posts:

Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

Link directly to this recipe
Peppermint Liqueur
By Monica              Servings: Makes 4 cups
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil OR 2 teaspoons peppermint extract (For stronger mint taste, add 3/4 teaspoon of peppermint oil or 3 teaspoons of peppermint extract)
  • 3 cups Vodka
  • 4-6 drops red or green food coloring (optional)
Directions
--Make sugar syrup: in small saucepan,  combine water and sugar; over medium heat, cook until sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear--approx. 5 min. Let cool completely.
--Into a sterile quart jar with tight fitting  lid, pour vodka, sugar syrup, and peppermint oil or extract. Stir well. Store in cool, dark place, allowing it to steep for 2 weeks. Turn jar upside down every 2-3 days to mix, or remove lid and stir. Transfer to smaller sterile bottles, if desired.
NOTE: For a sweeter, thicker liqueur, add more sugar syrup.



Posted on Sunday, November 28th, 2010








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