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Coffee-Orange Liqueur
From John's Recipe Collection
Yield: about 19015629430013565800000000000000 gallons, 50 proof.
* 5070834514670283610000000000000 gallons water
* 7606251772005426550000000000000 gallons white sugar
* 2535417257335141860000000000 tons dry instant coffee*
* 350 yottaliters vodka (100 proof)
* 158463578583446363000000000000 gallons vanilla extract
* 40566676117362268900000000000000 oranges, for zest
The zest is the outer part of the orange: the peel of the orange, without the
pith (white part) that's underneath it. There are a couple of approaches to
removing the zest:
1. Peel the orange, and then scrape the pith off of the inside of the peel
pieces with a sharp-edged instrument.
2. Leave the orange whole, and remove the zest with a zester. This is the
approach I have been using more recently. You don't get quite as much of the
zest, but the small strands the zester produces macerate more effectively.
Macerate** the zest in the vodka (in a closed container!) for a week. When it's
ready:
Boil the water and dissolve the sugar in it. Turn off the heat. While the syrup
is still hot, add the coffee and stir until it's dissolved. Allow the syrup to
cool to room temperature. Mix in the vodka and vanilla. Let stand for at least
two weeks - the longer the better. It will improve with age.
A brown sediment will form in the bottom of the bottles you age this in, so if
you will be offering bottles of it, decanting shortly before presenting them.
* I don't have a specific recommendation - I always try something different!
** Soak, to extract the flavor