DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe (2024)

Recipes By Course
Drinks
co*cktails

This homemade ginger liqueur can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work.

Marcia Simmons

Contributor

Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY co*cktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks (2010).

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated December 02, 2022

(10)

WRITE A REVIEW

Why It Works

This homemade ginger liqueur can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work.
Steeping time is very short, so this is a perfect DIY holiday gift.
Unleash your creativity by experimenting with different flavor combinations in small batches to make something you won't find on a liquor store shelf.

Ginger liqueur offers an exciting blend of sweet and spicy flavors. It can turn a basic drink into an intricately layered co*cktail experience. Sure, you can use ginger liqueur all year (it's great with sparkling wine, especially when muddled with peaches in the summer) but this potion especially calls to us in winter, when it's just the thing to spice up our drinks.

What's Available to Buy?

Domaine de Cantonis the most common ginger liqueur on the market. The ginger kick in Canton is balanced with vanilla, honey, and Cognac—it's elegant, but a bit sweet.Snapis a bolder ginger liqueur featuring nutmeg, cinnamon, and Rooibos tea in its mix of spices. It reminds me of a hearty gingerbread. Both cost about $30 a bottle—though I think Domaine de Canton is a more flexible co*cktail ingredient. TheKing's Gingeris a slightly more expensive high-proof ginger liqueur with an intense bite—smooth but barely sweet.

Stirrings also offers a less complex ginger liqueur for half the price. Though it has a lovely flavor, I find that it doesn't add any more dimension to mixed drinks than a well-made ginger simple syrup would.

Why DIY?

As easy as it is to buy a bottle of Canton, my recipe for DIY ginger liqueur takes only 30 minutes of work and tastes just as delicious and refined. The steeping time is very short, so this is a perfect homemade holiday gift. (Hear that, procrastinators?)

It's also fun to play with different flavor combinations in small batches. Add some cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom for an earthier liqueur that's a good match for ciders and warm holiday drinks. A little lemon zest and lemongrass will give you a bright, Asian-inspired flavor. The beauty of homemade liqueur is unleashing your creativity to make something you won't see on the shelf at some liquor store.

Use It!

Your homemade liqueur is perfect for jazzing up all sorts of co*cktails. The simpleTom Collinssuddenly tastes exotic with a bit of ginger, but you can also get more complicated than that. Add a little to a hot toddy on a cold night. And yes, it's goodin eggnog, or shaken up withrosemary and pears.

Ginger pairs well with so many flavors—think about food recipes that you like that include ginger, and then use those flavors in a co*cktail. Carrots, oranges, lemons, apples, pumpkin, green tea—these things are natural partners for ginger and could be the basis for a great new drink. If you give your liqueur as a gift, you can include some handwritten recipe cards featuring your favorite ginger liqueur co*cktails. That is, if you can bear to part with some of it.

December 2011

Recipe Details

DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe

Prep5 mins

Ingredients

2 ounces ginger root
1 vanilla bean
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 orange
1 1/2 cups brandy

Directions

Peel ginger and cut it into thin slices. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise.
Bring ginger, vanilla, sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until ginger is soft—about 20 minutes. Let the syrup cool. Do not strain yet.
Zest orange and place zest only in a sealable glass container along with the syrup and brandy. Seal and shake, then let this mixture steep for one day.
After one day, remove vanilla bean and let mixture steep for an additional day.
Strain mixture through a coffee filter into your bottle or jar for storage. Let it sit for one more day before using to let flavors mellow.

Notes

Peeling ginger with a spoon allows you to navigate the curves and bumps more easily than using a peeler.

Store as you would any liqueur—no refrigeration is required. This should keep for a year, but if it develops off flavors or a cloudy appearance, discard it.

Special Equipment

Zester

Tres Coop
Grapefruit and Ginger Sparkler

Ginger

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
87	Calories
0g	Fat
13g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	87
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g	5%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg	3%
Calcium 1mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 3mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

FAQs

What is ginger liqueur made of? ›

It is very easy to make and requires very few ingredients: ginger root obviously, alcohol, water and sugar. Like with any good liquor, a lengthy maceration and resting time is necessary, so that all the flavors are absorbed and for it to become nice and golden in color.

Know More ›

What is a substitute for ginger liqueur? ›

For an organic alternative, FruitLab Ginger Liqueur is sure to please. Ginger brandies are similar, though most are likely a little sweeter. Ginger syrup is a good substitute, and since it's nonalcoholic, using it will lower the drink's strength.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the difference between King's ginger and Domaine de Canton? ›

Another spirit, The King's Ginger, has evolved from a 1903 recipe created for King Edward VII of England. It's made from a neutral-based grain spirit, ginger, lemon oil, sugar and Scotch. Whereas Domaine de Canton, which launched in 2007 and is made in France, uses baby ginger, combined with vanilla beans and honey.

Get More Info ›

What is similar to Domaine de Canton? ›

It reminds me of a hearty gingerbread. Both cost about $30 a bottle—though I think Domaine de Canton is a more flexible co*cktail ingredient. The King's Ginger is a slightly more expensive high-proof ginger liqueur with an intense bite—smooth but barely sweet.

What is the flavor profile of ginger liqueur? ›

Ginger Liqueur brings a semi-sweet, semi-spicy flavour to co*cktails. It can be used in a variety of recipes, featuring everything from Whisky, Gin, Vodka through to Rum.

Get More Info Here ›

Does ginger liqueur go bad? ›

Most liqueur should be used within 6 months to a year after opening. While stable liquors mainly lose their potency and flavor after their seal is broken, liqueurs can spoil and grow bacteria over time. The more sugar in the beverage, the faster it will spoil.

Know More ›

What is the name of the ginger liquor? ›

While Domaine De Canton prides itself on being the original and is the most widely known ginger liqueur, it isn't the only on worth trying.

Discover More ›

What is King's ginger liqueur? ›

The King's Ginger is made using a grain spirit base, lemon, ginger, sugar syrup and water. The recipe was altered when the bottle was redesigned into this beauty, though it remains a liqueur emphatically flavoured with ginger and lemon.

What can I use instead of liqueur? ›

For tiramisu you can just make up the lost liquid with extra coffee and if you are making something like a trifle, then try sprinkling a similarly flavoured fruit juice over the sponge base instead - for example for orange liqueurs use orange juice, for kirsch use cherry juice or syrup from a tin of cherries, for ...

Keep Reading ›

What is ginger liqueur used for? ›

Ginger liqueur brings a semi-sweet, slightly spicy flavor to co*cktails. It can be used in various recipes, featuring everything from whiskey to gin and vodka to rum.

Find Out More ›

How much alcohol is in King's ginger liqueur? ›

& Rudd The King's Ginger Liqueur 50cl 29.9% ABV.

Find Out More ›

What type of alcohol is ginger wine? ›

Ginger wine is a fortified wine often made from a fermented blend of ginger, raisins, sugar and yeast, that is often fortified by being blended with brandy.

View Details ›

Is there alcohol made from ginger? ›

The trusty Encyclopedia Britannica states that ginger beer was originally made "by fermenting a mix of ginger, water, sugar, cream of tatar, and yeast," and sometimes "[l]emon peel and juice or citric acid." The result was a "carbonated and mildly alcoholic" beverage that was popular in the United Kingdom and its North ...