Fresh Mint Liqueur

Ingredients:

• •  1 1/4 cups fresh mint leaves*

  • 3 cups vodka

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 tsp glycerine

  • 8 drops of green food coloring

  • 2 drops of blue food coloring

 *Corisican mint (mentha requienii) is great to use in mint liqueurs

Instructions:

Wash leaves in cold water several times. Shake or pat dry gently. Snip each leaf in half or thirds. Discard stems. Measure cut mint leaves, packing lightly. Combine mint leaves and vodka in an aging container. Cap and let stand in a cool place for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally.

After initial aging, strain the leaves from the liqueur and discard them. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let cool. Add cooled syrup to liqueur base, stirring to combine. Add glycerine and food color, pour into aging container for secondary aging of 1-3 more months