In cocktail DIY, here’s how to make chestnut liqueur and use it in cocktails.
Chestnut Liqueur – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Chestnut liqueur is a versatile cocktail ingredient, adding a nutty and autumnal note to drinks. For the home bartender, making chestnut liqueur requires simple steps that anyone can master.
The first step involves roasting the chestnuts, preferably on a bed of coal or over a fire to give the chestnut a slightly smoky flavour. The second step begins with making demerara syrup and leaving it to cool before everything comes together. It is then left to macerate for a minimum period of time. Once the desired flavour is reached, the chestnuts are removed and the liquid is fine strained to remove any solids. The liqueur will most likely have a cloudy appearance. Running it through a coffee filter will remove some of the opacity but will also strip some of the flavour.
How to Make Chestnut Liqueur
Original recipe by Cocktails & Bars
Ingredients
- 500g chestnuts, roasted whole then peeled
- 500ml brandy
- 500g demerara sugar
- 500ml water
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
Equipment: glass jar with tight-fitting lid, small pan, fine strainer, swing top glass bottle
Method
- Make a slit in the skin of the chestnut and roast in a hot oven. Once cooked, and while the chestnuts are still hot, carefully peel the hard exterior shell and fine skin.
- In a small saucepan, bring the demerara sugar and water to the boil. Simmer for two minutes then leave to cool.
- Once it has cooled down, add the roast chestnuts to a glass jar, top with brandy, demerara syrup and the scraped vanilla bean. Close the lid tight and give the jar a gentle shake.
- Place in a cool and dark spot, and give the jar a gentle roll every 2 days until it’s ready. It takes a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. Taste as you go to ensure it’s to your liking.
- Once it’s ready, fine strain to remove the solids and store in a swing top glass bottle in a dark and cool place until required.
Tips for Making Chestnut Liqueur
- Choose fresh chestnuts that are firm to the touch with glossy skin.
- Don’t cut through the chestnut while making a slit, only the skin. You want the heat to penetrate and steam cook the nut.
- While roasting chestnuts in a hot oven or griller works well, cooking them over fire or charcoal yields a more pronounced smoky note which adds flavour to the liqueur.
- In this recipe, brandy is used as the base alcohol. If using high proof rectified spirit, the maceration time will be reduced.
- Don’t discard the macerated chestnuts. They can be used in desserts or dehydrated and used as garnish.
How to Use Chestnut Liqueur in Cocktails
Chestnut liqueur is well-suited to autumn and winter cocktails. It can be used in a variation on the Manhattan/Rob Roy with equal parts sweet vermouth and liqueur, in a blue blazer style drink, in a French 75 style with whisky instead of gin, or in a Royale topped with sparkling wine with freshly grated nutmeg on top.
