Kahlua

I enjoy a good coffee drink. The only problem is that liquors like Kahlua and Amaretto cost a pretty penny. Try buying a couple of Irish Coffees or other "adult" coffee drinks in a bar or restaurant and you'll find yourself having to take out a loan to pay the tab.

Years ago I had some German friends in Atlanta that made their own kahlua. It was good rendition of the store bought stuff, and I always wanted to try to figgure out how to do it myself.

I did a little research and found a number of recipes for making Kahlua on the Internet, so I’ve started making it and adding a little “kick” of my own. Instead of 40 proof (20% alcohol), I expect mine comes out somewhere between 80 and 100 proof.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

2 cups water
6 tbsp coffee
¼ tsp cinnamon

2 cups water
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 dash of red pepper
1 dash of nutmeg

3 cups golden grain alcohol

Now roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work.

First make yourself a small pot of extra strong coffee. Let it cool off well.

Meanwhile, in a medium boiler heat the water, sugar, and spices until boiling, then turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

Once everything has cooled, add the coffee to the water/sugar/spice mixture, then add your grain alcohol.

BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING GRAIN ALCOHOL, unless you want your friends and family to see you on the evening news.

Let your mixture sit overnight, then bottle it in an old wine bottle or a new decorative bottle.

Enjoy Y’all,

The Redneck Gourmet