Post #224589 by KuKuAhu on Sun, Apr 2, 2006 6:51 PM

I do not... uh.. distill spirits at home.. er.. because that.. well, that would be illegal.

Actually I have looked into making okolehao, and the process for growing ti and making the mash would be easy. And while the equipment to distill the result would be easy to acquire, and the raw liquor relatively simple to make, there is a problem.

Aging.

I really don't have the patience to sit on a barrel of oke for a year or two. I mean, maybe I could do it, but... I just don't know. And the unaged stuff would be like white lightning. Not exactly good for cocktails.

Now if we assume that the okolehao used in old recipes is the moonshine-like young stuff, then it is doable. But I'm guessing it isn't.

Hibiscus liqueur is bright blood red and very fruity, almost citrusy. Looks a lot like proper grenadine, and the flavor is reminiscent of rosehip tea. I make mine with hawaiian sugar and organic hibiscus flowers.

Some recipes call for lemon zest or even vanilla beans, but I prefer to keep it purely hibiscus flavored. I use an alcohol steep followed by a spring water steep to extract as much from the flowers as possible. Then I use the water steep in the sugaring process. It makes for a thick syrup if you leave it in concentrate form as the hibiscus seems to have a sort of pectin property. It even "crystalizes" a bit of jelly at the top of the rest bottle. I have used it in place of grenadine in drinks and it really shines.

Ahu

[ Edited by: KuKuAhu 2006-04-02 18:57 ]