DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (2024)

  • Ginger

This homemade ginger liqueur can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work.

By

Marcia Simmons

Marcia Simmons

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Updated December 02, 2022

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DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (1)

In This Recipe

  • What's Available to Buy?

  • Why DIY?

  • How to Use It

Why It Works

  • This homemade ginger liqueur can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work.
  • Steeping time is very short, so this is a perfect DIY holiday gift.
  • Unleash your creativity by experimenting with different flavor combinations in small batches to make something you won't find on a liquor store shelf.

Ginger liqueur offers an exciting blend of sweet and spicy flavors. It can turn a basic drink into an intricately layered co*cktail experience. Sure, you can use ginger liqueur all year (it's great with sparkling wine, especially when muddled with peaches in the summer) but this potion especially calls to us in winter, when it's just the thing to spice up our drinks.

What's Available to Buy?

Domaine de Cantonis the most common ginger liqueur on the market. The ginger kick in Canton is balanced with vanilla, honey, and Cognac—it's elegant, but a bit sweet.Snapis a bolder ginger liqueur featuring nutmeg, cinnamon, and Rooibos tea in its mix of spices. It reminds me of a hearty gingerbread. Both cost about $30 a bottle—though I think Domaine de Canton is a more flexible co*cktail ingredient. TheKing's Gingeris a slightly more expensive high-proof ginger liqueur with an intense bite—smooth but barely sweet.

Stirrings also offers a less complex ginger liqueur for half the price. Though it has a lovely flavor, I find that it doesn't add any more dimension to mixed drinks than a well-made ginger simple syrup would.

Why DIY?

As easy as it is to buy a bottle of Canton, my recipe for DIY ginger liqueur takes only 30 minutes of work and tastes just as delicious and refined. The steeping time is very short, so this is a perfect homemade holiday gift. (Hear that, procrastinators?)

It's also fun to play with different flavor combinations in small batches. Add some cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom for an earthier liqueur that's a good match for ciders and warm holiday drinks. A little lemon zest and lemongrass will give you a bright, Asian-inspired flavor. The beauty of homemade liqueur is unleashing your creativity to make something you won't see on the shelf at some liquor store.

Use It!

Your homemade liqueur is perfect for jazzing up all sorts of co*cktails. The simpleTom Collinssuddenly tastes exotic with a bit of ginger, but you can also get more complicated than that. Add a little to a hot toddy on a cold night. And yes, it's goodin eggnog, or shaken up withrosemary and pears.

Ginger pairs well with so many flavors—think about food recipes that you like that include ginger, and then use those flavors in a co*cktail. Carrots, oranges, lemons, apples, pumpkin, green tea—these things are natural partners for ginger and could be the basis for a great new drink. If you give your liqueur as a gift, you can include some handwritten recipe cards featuring your favorite ginger liqueur co*cktails. That is, if you can bear to part with some of it.

December 2011

Recipe Details

DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe

Prep5 mins

Cook25 mins

Active25 mins

Infusing Time72 hrs

Total72 hrs 30 mins

Serves16 servings

Makes2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces ginger root

  • 1 vanilla bean

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 1 orange

  • 1 1/2 cups brandy

Directions

  1. Peel ginger and cut it into thin slices. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise.

    DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (2)

  2. Bring ginger, vanilla, sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until ginger is soft—about 20 minutes. Let the syrup cool. Do not strain yet.

    DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (3)

  3. Zest orange and place zest only in a sealable glass container along with the syrup and brandy. Seal and shake, then let this mixture steep for one day.

    DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (4)

  4. After one day, remove vanilla bean and let mixture steep for an additional day.

    DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (5)

  5. Strain mixture through a coffee filter into your bottle or jar for storage. Let it sit for one more day before using to let flavors mellow.

    DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (6)

Notes

Peeling ginger with a spoon allows you to navigate the curves and bumps more easily than using a peeler.

Store as you would any liqueur—no refrigeration is required. This should keep for a year, but if it develops off flavors or a cloudy appearance, discard it.

Special Equipment

Zester

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
87Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
0g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories87
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg3%
Calcium 1mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 3mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is ginger liqueur made of? ›

It is very easy to make and requires very few ingredients: ginger root obviously, alcohol, water and sugar. Like with any good liquor, a lengthy maceration and resting time is necessary, so that all the flavors are absorbed and for it to become nice and golden in color.

What is a substitute for ginger liqueur? ›

When you want to lighten up the alcohol content of your ginger co*cktails, replace the ginger liqueur with ginger-infused syrup. It's easy to make at home and has a similar sweetness and ginger flavoring, but without the liquor base.

What is French ginger liqueur? ›

Domaine de Canton is a popular brandy-based ginger liqueur with a brilliant sweet and spicy flavor accented by vanilla and honey. Produced in France and enjoyed in co*cktails throughout the world, it's a bottle you'll find behind many bars, and in nearly any liquor store you visit.

How long does ginger liqueur last? ›

Most opened (and well-sealed) liqueurs should last for six months to a year (or even longer), depending on the alcohol content and preservatives.

Does ginger liqueur go bad? ›

Most liqueur should be used within 6 months to a year after opening. While stable liquors mainly lose their potency and flavor after their seal is broken, liqueurs can spoil and grow bacteria over time. The more sugar in the beverage, the faster it will spoil.

Does ginger liqueur need to be refrigerated? ›

Store as you would any liqueur—no refrigeration is required.

What is the name of the ginger liquor? ›

While Domaine De Canton prides itself on being the original and is the most widely known ginger liqueur, it isn't the only on worth trying.

What can you substitute for liqueur in a recipe? ›

Flavored liqueurs often make their way into baked goods. Here's another spot where you can replicate the original flavor. Coffee-flavored liqueurs can be replaced with espresso powder dissolved in water, or plain brewed coffee; ditto chocolate liqueur and cocoa powder.

What does ginger liqueur taste like? ›

So how does it taste? The honey-colored liqueur has a good dose of ginger in the aroma, but when you take a sip you get hit by a syrupy sweetness first, and then the spiciness of the ginger only kicks in after a beat or two. The end result is that it seems heavier than it really is.

What is whiskey and ginger ale called? ›

Call it a "whiskey ginger" or an "Irish buck," they are essentially the same great drink. The basic but delicious co*cktail contains Irish whiskey and ginger ale to create a tall, refreshing drink, much like the whiskey tonic or classic highball. The combination of any whiskey with any light soda is hard to beat.

Does Canada Dry have real ginger? ›

Ginger Ale

Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND LESS THAN 2% OF: GINGER EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), CARAMEL COLOR.

What is King's ginger liqueur? ›

The King's Ginger is made using a grain spirit base, lemon, ginger, sugar syrup and water. The recipe was altered when the bottle was redesigned into this beauty, though it remains a liqueur emphatically flavoured with ginger and lemon.

What percentage is ginger liqueur? ›

Overall: Syrupy sweetness was countered by 41% alcohol, fiery ginger and zesty citrus in the old King's Ginger liqueur.

How much alcohol is in King's ginger liqueur? ›

29.9 Percent

What is the origin of ginger liqueur? ›

The King's Ginger was intended to invigorate and warm His Majesty during the reign of King Edward VII, who liked to be exposed to the wind in his Daimler at all times of the year and in all weathers. The then purveyors to the court, Berry Bros. and Rudd, created this liqueur dedicated to the King around 1903.

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