Beech Leaf Noyau

[greyhound]

Have you started yours yet?  Don't miss the moment - the leaves need to be very young: texture like lettuce, or tissue paper ....

[PurpleHeather]

http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Processing_Food/Fruit_Liqueurs/

For those who need to know click above

[Ishard]

Thanks for the link PH 

[killerflies]

How did it turn out??

Tried it for the first time this year and boy is there a kick.

I ended up leaving it for 6 weeks as I forgot about it for a while. Hasnt suffered from it!

It is certainly something for a cold winter's eve.

And as I think of it...............seemingly it ages very well and is vastly improved by leaving for 6 months before tasting.

[greyhound]

No intention of going near it for at least a year. 

A friend made some that was put away (having been deemed horrible at an early tasting) and then forgotten ..... for 12 years!  I was privileged to try it and it was sublime.

[greyhound]

Well! had a little slurp of the 2008 today and it's simply wonderful.  I had decanted it into small bottles, so will still be leaving some to age further as this really improves a lot over time. 

So just a timely heads-up as the beech leaves will soon be unfurling.

1 bottle gin
8 oz sugar
1 glass of brandy

Fill a jar with young beech leaves and pour in a bottle of gin. Steep the leaves in it for three weeks before straining them off.

Boil up the sugar in half a pint of water and add this to the gin with a good sized glass of brandy.  Mix well and bottle when cool.  Put it away at the back of a dark cupboard  and try to forget about it for a year or two!

[gwynleg]

Thanks for the reminder. I kept thinking last year - how will I remember? Right, all I need now is some beech leaves!
Gwynleg

[greyhound]

Went to get some gin today and Sainsbury's have 20% off spirits.  Very convenient!