The Pistachio Liqueur was such a success, I decided I needed to make a lot of it. Christmas is rapidly approaching and just about every gift we give is food-related and homemade. The liqueur was relatively easy to make. The only tedious part is the straining. It needs numerous strains though first cheesecloth and then coffee filters to get as much of the sediment out as possible – especially 8 liters worth!
I made 22 375ml bottles. Not a bad afternoon’s work. The only change I made from the first batch was this time I soaked the pistachios in Everclear instead of Vodka. It’s definitely stronger than the first batch we made, but that pistachio flavor is still right there.
I started off with 10 pounds of pistachios and 4 1.75 liter bottles of everclear as the base.
The original recipe is here – I’m sure you don’t want to make a vat of it – but if you do – just multiply it out.
Pistachio Liqueur
- 8 oz roasted pistachios
- 3 cups vodka
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup simple syrup
Coarsely chop pistachios and place in a mason jar. Add raisins and vodka. Seal and let sit about 2 weeks, shaking now and a gain.
Strain pistachios very well through a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Strain, again, through a coffee filter.
Make a simple syrup with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Cool.
Mix syrup with pistachio vodka. Pour into a 750ml bottle and enjoy!
I also came up with what I think is a great label and really had fun putting it together. It’s worth the time.
Really.