DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (2024)

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  • co*cktails

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 good substitute for ginger liqueur? ›

For an organic alternative, FruitLab Ginger Liqueur is sure to please. Ginger brandies are similar, though most are likely a little sweeter. Ginger syrup is a good substitute, and since it's nonalcoholic, using it will lower the drink's strength.

What is the difference between King's ginger and Domaine de Canton? ›

Another spirit, The King's Ginger, has evolved from a 1903 recipe created for King Edward VII of England. It's made from a neutral-based grain spirit, ginger, lemon oil, sugar and Scotch. Whereas Domaine de Canton, which launched in 2007 and is made in France, uses baby ginger, combined with vanilla beans and honey.

What is similar to Domaine de Canton? ›

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. The King's Ginger is a slightly more expensive high-proof ginger liqueur with an intense bite—smooth but barely sweet.

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.

What are the ingredients in King's ginger liqueur? ›

The King's Ginger is made using a grain spirit base, lemon, ginger, sugar syrup and water.

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 are the health benefits of ginger liqueur? ›

Ginger Liqueur helps to improve blood circulation and expel “coldness” from the body. It is especially beneficial towards conditions such as cold hands and feet.

What liquor tastes like gingerbread? ›

Gingerbread Flavored Whiskey | Bird Dog Whiskey.

What is French ginger liqueur? ›

Domaine de Canton is a ginger-flavored liqueur made in France since 2007. Its earlier formulation (called Canton) was made in China from 1992–1997.

What is the best ginger to use? ›

“In addition to these, ginger also provides a range of health benefits that you can enjoy in many forms. However, dry ginger or sunthi is better than fresh ginger, and it can be consumed throughout the year,” she told indianexpress.com.

Why has King's ginger changed? ›

We have brought production back to the UK from Holland, as it first was in 1903. However, the recipe has benefited from an increase in the level of ginger to deliver more of what King's Ginger does best. This enhances the freshness and better complements the ginger bite.

How is Domaine de Canton made? ›

Made from an infusion of baby ginger with cognac, Tunisian ginseng, Tahitian vanilla beans and Provence honey. The ginger is picked, washed and cubed, all by hand, before being cooked with herbs and spices. The ginger is then shipped to Jarnac in France where it is infused with cognac.

Who owns Domaine de Canton? ›

Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the nation's largest family owned and operated distilled spirits company, today announced it has acquired the worldwide rights to the Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur from Maurice Cooper et Cie.

What type of alcohol is ginger wine? ›

Ginger wine is a fortified wine often made from a fermented blend of ginger, raisins, sugar and yeast, that is often fortified by being blended with brandy.

What is ginger of the indies liqueur? ›

This liqueur is surprising and full of contrasts : heat, sweetness, power and light. Aroma: Strong aromas of ginger and coriander softened by a vanilla touch and enhanced by the intensity of orange blossom. Tasting Notes: Sweet and floral but very quickly spices intensify the peppery sensation of ginger.

Is there alcohol made from ginger? ›

The trusty Encyclopedia Britannica states that ginger beer was originally made "by fermenting a mix of ginger, water, sugar, cream of tatar, and yeast," and sometimes "[l]emon peel and juice or citric acid." The result was a "carbonated and mildly alcoholic" beverage that was popular in the United Kingdom and its North ...

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