The difference between a liquor (e.g., vodka) and a liqueur, is that the latter is back-sweetened with fruit or sugar to bring the sugar content up to a minimum of 2.5% and the former is just a distilled beverage. That's the idea anyways. You should probably use a coffee bean of a coffee you really enjoy. This batch uses Stumptown's house blend whole bean coffee. It's recommended for extracts that 100% proof vodka be used, but I am using Kirkland vodka (80% proof) because that's all I have on hand. You can get 1-liter flip-top bottles from Bed Bath & Beyond or similar stores.
Day 1
Ingredients
2 c vodka
1/2 c ground coffee
1-2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean split in half
Grind enough coffee beans for 1/2 c ground coffee. In a large jar, combine coffee, 2 c vodka, and 1-2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 whole vanilla bean sliced in half). Secure lid on jar and refrigerate for 24 hours, shaking the jar occasionally.
Day 2
Ingredients
2 c brown sugar
4 c filtered water
Make the brown sugar syrup.
In a 2-quart pot, combine 2 c brown sugar and 4 c water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the volume has reduced by half.
As the syrup cools, it'll thicken.
.
Use a coffee filter to strain the infused vodka from the ground coffee. Compost the leftover coffee. Set aside. I used two filters for this step. A gold filter and a paper coffee filter set inside the gold filter.
Into a clean, sterilized bottle, fill with cooled brown sugar syrup and coffee-infused vodka.
Shake to combine.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
If you like bits floating around in your tea, you can certainly skip straining the liquid before drinking. I strained it because I didn't want the spices to steep longer than they should. I would caution that you shouldn't drink this at night or before going to bed. These spices, while warming, are also stimulants. First time making this and after tasting, the recipe still needs some tweaking. Recipe can be doubled, as necessary.
Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
1 cup organic milk (whole cow milk, coconut milk, almond milk, etc.)
1 tbsp organic pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp loose leaf black tea or green tea (instant coffee, instant espresso, or 2 tbsp freshly ground coffee)
sweetener to taste (I used 2 tsp organic sugar)
ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)
organic whipped cream for garnish (optional, only 8 calories per tbsp!)
Directions
Heat milk, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan. Don't let it scald or boil, a gentle simmer until the milk starts to foam. Remove from heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a mug. Stir in vanilla extract and sugar. Enjoy.
Let's face a basic fact about coffee. Call it what you want, java, cup of Joe, mocha, mud, or battery acid; your body simply does not care how it gets its daily caffeine fix. Your taste buds, on the other hand, seem to care a lot if the coffee tastes good and isn't weak, bland, burnt, or stale.
The beans:
Affluent coffee drinkers (and Food Network chefs) will tell you that you should skip the convenience of instant or pre-ground coffee for a DIY grind and brew. This is awfully time-consuming and why alternatives exist.
The grind:
fine - drip-styled, unbleached or gold mesh filters
medium or coarse - French press
The method:
Most electric coffee filter machines recommend 1 level tablespoon (i.e., that plastic spoon that comes with the machine is just that) per 6 oz of finely ground coffee. It's a good start, but if you grind whole beans for this purpose, you may find that this ratio produces a pretty weak cup of coffee.
Today I am drinking a medium grind cup (8 oz) of coffee created from 16 grams of whole roasted coffee beans (Stumptown house blend) plus 1 tsp organic granulated sugar and about one ounce of organic whole milk. Basically, a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. To me, this tastes about right, or what I would expect from a medium roast at a coffee retailer.
