United States
Coffee and a coffee chaser: this is the best way to end your Sunday lunch and more.
A small glass of liqueur helps you to digest, even better if it’s home-made.
What we would like to bring you today is a recipe for preparing an exceptional coffee liqueur and some delicious variations.
The essential equipment
Before we describe the recipe, let’s look together at some useful tools which you should keep handy when preparing the coffee liqueur.
Small saucepan: it must have high sides, so that you can stir the liquid without the risk of splashing, furthermore it is better if it has a double bottom in steel. The size, will obviously vary according to the quantity of liqueur that you want to prepare.
Funnel: this may seem obvious, but decanting liquids from one container to another, even if you are using large-necked bottles, could lead to losing a part of the content. By using a funnel, you can avoid this drawback.
Strainer: this should be positioned above the funnel to prevent any unwanted impurities, such as coffee powder, getting into the bottle.
Spatula or wooden spoon: useful for stirring the mixture and, especially for dissolving the sugar.
Graduated jug: will help to measure the quantity of liquids.
Mocha: you may also opt for the espresso machine coffee, but the classic Mocha, especially if a two or three-cup capacity, speeds up the preparation.
Dark bottle: it is important that the bottle you will use for storing the liqueur is dark, in order to keep it safe from sunlight.
The glass bottle which is typically used to store oil, for example, if correctly washed and dried, will be fine.
If you don’t have one try covering a traditional glass bottle with newspaper or aluminum foil.
Coffee liqueur: 3 infallible recipes
Let’s now look at the preparation of the recipes which have several versions: the first is the classic one and flavored with a touch of vanilla, the second is enriched with the sweetness of chocolate, and finally, a creamy version with a lower alcohol content.
Classic coffee liqueur
For any recipe to come out well, having quality raw materials is essential.
In this case, choosing a poor quality coffee would compromise the result.
This is why we recommend that you go with a tried and true product like the Filicori Zecchini strong blend .
Ingredients for about one liter of liqueur
- 16.91 fl oz of Filicori Zecchini coffee
- 17.64 oz of sugar
- 10.14 fl oz of alcohol 95°
- Vanilla stick (optional )
Method
- Prepare the coffee with the Mocha (link) and pour it into a graduated jug to be sure to get the right quantity; then decant it into a small double bottom, high-sided saucepan.
- Add the sugar, put on a low heat, and, using a wooden spoon, start stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. If you want to flavor the liqueur with the vanilla stick, open it and scrape out the pulp with the tip of a knife, adding it to the coffee. Stir well, then turn off the heat and leave to rest.
- When the coffee is cold, pour in the alcohol and stir well. Once you have done this, decant the coffee liqueur into dark, bottles which have been thoroughly cleaned and dried beforehand. Close well to avoid air getting in and leave to rest for a period of 15 days, taking care to tip the bottles upside down every so often in order to dissolve the sugar which will inevitably deposit on the bottom.
- Once that time has passed, transfer the bottle to the fridge for at least three hours and, then, serve the cold liqueur. If you prefer, you can even keep the bottle in the freezer also because the alcohol will stop the liqueur from freezing. Just be careful, especially if you a re positioning the bottle horizontally, to use a bottle with a hermetic seal. The coffee liqueur is now ready and can be served cold or iced: remember it should be consumed within 90 days of being made.
Coffee liqueur with chocolate
The combination of coffee and chocolate is almost a cliché.
What do you think of combining the two ingredients in the preparation of a liqueur?
Ingredients for about 25.36 fl oz of liqueur
- 15.22 fl oz of coffee
- 14.12 oz of sugar
- 5.29 oz of dark chocolate
- 8.45 fl oz of alcohol 95°
Method
- Prepare the coffee with the Mocha and decant it into a small high-sided saucepan. Pour in the sugar and turn on the heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coarsely chopped chocolate and continue mixing until it is has melted completely.
- Leave it to cool, stirring from time to time. If you want to speed up this phase, we recommend decanting the coffee into a glass bowl, immersed in a large saucepan full of icy water until it has cooled completely.
- At this point, pour in the alcohol and stir carefully. Filter with a strainer and pour the liquid into a dark bottle with an airtight seal and store in a cool, dark place for at least 14 days. Shake the bottle before serving your cold coffee and chocolate liqueur.
Creamy coffee liqueur
For those who don’t love strong alcoholic drinks, you will appreciate this creamy liqueur with a slightly lower alcohol content compared to the classic coffee liqueur.
Ingredients for around 2 x 25.36 fl oz bottles
- 15.22 fl oz of Filicori Zecchini coffee
- 16.91 fl oz of fresh cream
- 6.09 fl oz of alcohol 95°C
- 17.64 oz of brown sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
Method
- In a small non-stick saucepan, heat the cream but turn off the heat before the cream reaches boiling point. Open the vanilla pod with the knife and scrape out the pulp. Add it to the cream, together with the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Prepare the coffee using a Mocha, leave it to cools and then add it to the cream, stirring continually. Pour in the alcohol and stir again.
- Filter and put into bottles and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 10 days. Remember to shake the bottle first before you use your cold creamy coffee liqueur.
If, while you were reading this, your mouth started watering and you can’t wait to taste a coffee liqueur, you should visit our shop on line and pick up all the ingredients necessary to start making your own.