Liqueur Making Recipes

Crème de Menthe

These recipes both call for mint extract. For fresh mint leaves, see the Fresh Mint section.

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups vodka
• 1 tbsp mint or peppermint extract (real, not artificial)
• 1 tsp glycerine (optional)

Boil sugar and water together. Cool. Combine all other ingredients in a container for aging. Then add sugar syrup, stirring to combine. Age for a month. Yield: 1 1/4 quarts.

• 12-14 tablespoons of fresh or 6 teaspoons dried, well-crumpled mint* leaves
• 3 cups vodka
• 1 teaspoon glycerine (optional)
• 1 cup sugar syrup

*mint: mint, peppermint or spearmint are interchangeable for this recipe.

Steep leaves in vodka for 10 days, shaking occasionally. Strain and filter. Squeeze out all the oils you can. Add syrup, mature 2 weeks. If it comes out too weak, just add more flavoring and repeat steeping/filtering/aging. Should oil globules appear on the surface, remove with a blotter or paper towel.

Recipes courtesy of Gunther Anderson.

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