Today we present you the recipe for licorice liqueur. After exploring all the properties of Glycyrrhiza glabra and discussing the benefits and contraindications of this plant, we have decided to share this unique homemade preparation.
This alcoholic digestif features a simple recipe that is accessible to everyone and provides a high yield of the final product. It’s a special liqueur to enjoy on Sundays or during festive periods and makes for an original gift for friends.
As always, we will accompany the liqueur recipe with a photo gallery illustrating all the preparation steps in detail.
Ingredients for Licorice Liqueur
Let’s start with the necessary ingredients for preparing licorice liqueur:
- 300 g of licorice powder (available for purchase here)
- 1 kg of cane sugar
- 1 liter of food-grade alcohol
- 2 liters of water
Preparing Licorice Liqueur
Now that we have all the ingredients at hand, we can proceed with the preparation of our licorice liqueur.
Dissolving Licorice Powder and Cane Sugar
To prepare the licorice liqueur, start by getting two sufficiently large pots. Pour one liter of water into each pot.
In one pot, add the 1 kg of cane sugar. In the other pot, add the 300 g of licorice powder.
Now, turn on the heat to low under both pots and start stirring carefully with wooden spoons.
Since you have two pots on the heat, it’s advisable to have an assistant to help with this step.
Continuously stir the licorice powder to prevent clumps from forming. The mixture should dissolve slowly and thoroughly.
Continue stirring the licorice powder until it is completely dissolved, smooth, and free of lumps.
The same goes for the sugar. In this case, though, make sure to keep the heat low to avoid caramelization. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the flame.
The whole process of dissolving the two syrups should take about 15 minutes.
As seen in the image above, the cane sugar syrup is quite dark. However, this is not an issue for licorice liqueur. Since the licorice powder is already black, the cane sugar even enhances its color. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In the recipe for pomegranate liqueur, for example, we opted for regular sugar for this reason.
Combining the Two Syrups
Once the two syrups are dissolved, you can proceed with the next phase of preparing the licorice liqueur: combining them.
Perform this operation with the heat turned off. The two syrups are still hot, so be careful. Pour the water and cane sugar syrup into the one with the dissolved licorice powder.
As seen in the image below, the surface of the two combined syrups appears light brown.
Start stirring immediately. Thoroughly stir until the new syrup is well blended, and little by little, you’ll notice its color changing back to the glossy black typical of licorice. Once the syrup is well blended, let it cool and rest for about 30 minutes.
Adding the Alcohol and Bottling
We have reached the final phase of preparing the licorice liqueur. Now it’s time to add the pure food-grade alcohol.
Pour the alcohol into the pot containing the syrup and, of course, mix thoroughly. This step ensures the perfect amalgamation of alcohol and syrup.
As mentioned before, this operation should be performed while everything is cold. Once everything is well combined, the final step is transferring the liqueur into bottles. Now your licorice liqueur is ready to be enjoyed, but you’ll need to wait at least 15 days and store the bottles in a dark place for the alcohol scent to dissipate.
To be honest, we couldn’t resist the temptation and had a little taste the same evening. We had to test the recipe for the blog’s readers, and we assure you it’s excellent!
The liqueur tastes even better when served cold, but it also makes an excellent impression at room temperature. It’s an exceptional after-dinner drink, recommended as a digestive.
Final Evaluation of the Licorice Liqueur Recipe
At this point, it’s appropriate to assess the licorice liqueur quantitatively, considering its cost and yield. We spent 15 euros for 1 liter of alcohol, a little over 15 euros for 300 g of licorice powder, and 2.50 euros for 1 kg of cane sugar. So, a total of 32.50 euros.
As previously mentioned, we used 2 liters of water and ended up with 4 liters of licorice liqueur. In our opinion, an excellent yield, with a cost of about 8 euros per liter. Considering that commercially available licorice liqueur costs between 18 and 30 euros per liter (depending on the brand), we can confidently say that homemade production is worthwhile.
Lastly, we would like to thank our friend Sara for sharing her knowledge and her kitchen to create this fantastic licorice liqueur. Feel free to explore other liqueur recipes, such as those for walnut, wild fennel, bay leaf, mint, hemp. Or try the classic limoncello. For a great gift idea, you can pour the liqueur into these bottles.
