Black Currant Rum Liqueur (Printer View)

Vibrant ruby liqueur blending Jamaican rum with fresh blackcurrants for a smooth, sweet berry-infused spirit.

# What you'll need:

→ Base

01 - 500 grams fresh blackcurrants, washed and stemmed
02 - 25.4 fluid ounces Jamaican dark rum

→ Sweetening

03 - 8.8 ounces granulated sugar
04 - 1 vanilla bean, split (optional)

→ Aromatics

05 - 1 small cinnamon stick
06 - Zest of 1/2 lemon, avoiding white pith

# Method:

01 - Place washed and stemmed blackcurrants into a large, clean glass jar with at least 50-ounce capacity.
02 - Add sugar, vanilla bean if using, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest to the jar with blackcurrants.
03 - Pour Jamaican dark rum over all ingredients, ensuring fruit is completely submerged.
04 - Seal the jar tightly and shake gently to begin dissolving the sugar.
05 - Store in a cool, dark place for 14 days, shaking gently every 2 to 3 days to facilitate flavor melding and sugar dissolution.
06 - After 14 days, strain through fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean bottle, discarding solids.
07 - Seal the bottle and rest for at least 2 additional days to allow flavors to harmonize.
08 - Pour neat, over ice, or incorporate into cocktails as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in a professional kitchen, but you're mostly just waiting and occasionally shaking a jar.
  • The deep berry flavor is sophisticated enough to impress guests straight-up, but friendly enough to sneak into desserts and cocktails without pretense.
  • Once it's done, you have a gift-worthy bottle that costs a fraction of what boutique liqueurs run at specialty shops.
02 -
  • The infusion time is genuinely important—rushing it to ten days leaves you with something that tastes more like sweet rum with berry hints rather than a truly integrated liqueur.
  • Shaking every few days isn't just tradition; it's science helping the sugar dissolve and the flavours distribute evenly, so don't skip this step or do it once and forget.
  • Cheesecloth during straining prevents the fine particles that make liqueur cloudy, and patience while straining (no squeezing) keeps it crystal clear and elegant.
03 -
  • If you find the liqueur too sweet after straining, thin it slightly with more rum rather than adding water, which dilutes the flavour and muddies the colour.
  • The lemon zest can be bumped up to a full lemon if you prefer brightness and tartness to cut through the richness, but add it only on day one so it doesn't overpower during those two weeks of infusion.
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