Every season has its own abundance of fruits, herbs and vegetables – sometimes an overabundance. When I have more than I can use in my garden, or discover a perfectly ripe bargain at the farmers market, I often use the excess to whip up a batch of drink-mix syrup or flavored spirits.
The syrup is made by macerating herbs or fruits in a hot sugar and water combination. Honey, maple syrup, agave and other sweeteners mixed with an equal part water may be substituted according to your tastes. The solids are then strained away and discarded or used in another recipe. The flavored syrup is then mixed to taste with seltzer, water or even sparkling wine. It’s also delicious poured over fresh fruit or whizzed into a shake. These syrups are best stored in the refrigerator and used within a few weeks. Otherwise, they should be frozen and used within 6 months or so.
Here, I’ve given a recipe which I make in spring with lovage, the first herb to appear in my garden after winter. Lovage is well worth growing both for its looks and its taste. Starting out looking like small, purplish sprigs of celery – indeed, it tastes like celery with super-powers – by the end of the summer, the plant stands 4 feet tall. After flowering, it produces seeds that can be harvested and used as celery seed (celery seed from the grocery store is actually lovage seed).
If you don’t have lovage, don’t worry. The same recipe works with just about any fresh herb you choose – such as mint and basil – as well as with citrus (use both the rind and the juice for maximum taste).
Flavored spirits are just that – vodka, brandy, gin and so on, poured over a jar full of fresh fruit to extract its essence. This technique is wonderful with juicy fragile fruits like berries and cherries, especially if you don’t have enough to make a pie or jam. It also works well with highly scented flowers (organically grown, of course) such as roses and lavender. And of course, the sliced rinds (minus the pith) of well-washed, organic citrus fruits are wonderful here.
It’s essential to choose a liquor that matches the flavor profile of the fruit on hand. Flowers, for instance, are best in a neutral spirit like vodka, or to add an extra layer to an already floral spirit like gin. Pineapple, as in the recipe below, seems as though it was created for rum. When in doubt, use vodka, and not the priciest one either; I like Smirnoff.
Rose petals, lavender and other strongly scented flowers and herbs will not need very long to impart their flavor to alcohol – begin tasting after a few days and strain out the flavoring when the alcohol tastes right – left too long, the taste will become soapy and unpleasant. Discard the soggy petals.
Fruit, however, needs an extended period of time in a cool dark place in order for the spirits to extract the maximum flavor from it. For most fruits it pays to wait at least three weeks before straining and sipping. Dense fruit, like the Montmorency sour cherries I used in the recipe below, can remain in the alcohol for months and will continue to impart flavor. This means you can drink the cherry spirits and then top up the bottle again with fresh alcohol a few times before the flavor runs out.
When your spirits taste done, the fruit can be strained out and then the alcohol can be poured into a bottle and sealed. Try to use the boozy fruit if you can. The cherries, for example, are great in drinks.
Sugar is sometimes added to the fruit and alcohol mixture. This can happen at the beginning of the maceration process, or after it, depending on the recipe. This tones down the alcohol and turns the mixture into a liqueur.
Alcohol and sugar are potent preservatives, but once the liqueur tastes the way you like it, it’s wise to stash it in the refrigerator or a very cool place to keep it tasting fresh. It will keep refrigerated for months (if it lasts that long).
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup chopped young lovage leaves
To Serve:
seltzer or club soda
ice
lovage stems (or garnish)
Combine the sugar and water in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer a few minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens a little. Add the chopped lovage, stir and remove from heat. Allow the lovage to macerate for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature. Strain the syrup and discard the lovage leaves. Store the syrup in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.
To serve, fill a glass with ice, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lovage syrup (or to taste) and fill the glass with seltzer or club soda. Stir well and garnish with a lovage stem. Serve immediately.
375-ml. bottle dark rum such as Gosling Black Seal
375-ml. bottle white rum, such as Bacardi
750-ml. bottle golden rum such as Cruzan
2 very ripe pineapples, peeled and cut into eights
1 cup sugar
the rind of 3 limes, cut into long strips with no pith
To Serve:
seltzer water or club soda
ice
sprigs of mint
chunks of fresh pineapple
pieces of lime
Combine the rums, pineapple, sugar and lime zest in a large container with a tight lid, making sure the pineapple is submerged in the rum. Set aside in a cool, dark place for three weeks.
With clean hands, squeeze as much of the juice out of the pineapple pieces as you can into the rum. Discard the pineapple (or eat it!). Strain the rum and pineapple mixture into bottles and cork. Store in the refrigerator.
To serve, fill a glass with ice. Add several pieces of pineapple. Pour in a few ounces of rum punch. Garnish with sprigs of mint. Squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top if desired.
375-ml. bottle of vodka, such as Smirnoff
2 quarts fresh sour cherries, Montmorency if you can get them, washed and stemmed (leave the pits in)
Divide the cherries between two or three large glass jars. Pour the vodka over the fruit. Ideally, the fruit will come about to the top of the jars and the vodka will fill in the spaces in between the fruit. Seal with a lid and store in a very cool dark place for at least three weeks.
When the vodka has turned a nice reddish color, taste it. If it tastes like cherries, strain out half the vodka from each jar (leave the cherries in the jars) and combine the strained vodka in a bottle. Seal the bottle and store in a cool place or the refrigerator and use as desired.
Make the lavender syrup. Divide it between the remaining jars of cherries and vodka. If desired, you may top up the jars with more vodka. Seal the jars and refrigerate. You can begin to use this right away, but it will continue to become more full-flavored over time.
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 or 3 stems fresh lavender sprigs with leaves and flowers
Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a small pan. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has thickened a bit. Add the lavender stems, and remove from heat. Allow the mixture to macerate until it tastes good, but not like soap. Remove the stems and discard. Store refrigerated in a sealed glass jar.
To Serve:
Sour Cherry Vodka with Lavender Syrup
seltzer or club soda
sprigs of lavender
ice
Fill a glass with ice. Pour a few ounces of Sour Cherry Vodka with Lavender Syrup over the ice. Add several sour cherries from the jar. Fill the glass to the top with seltzer or club soda; stir. Garnish with a sprig of fresh lavender and serve.