Post #750348 by AceExplorer on Sat, Sep 5, 2015 5:23 AM

Good to hear that you have citrus trees. Kaffir limes and Persian limes are different, the latter being most commonly used for cocktails. I recommend doing a side-by-side comparison of the two, or reading online what the differences in flavor are. I wouldn't discourage using Kaffir, but I would just note that you may want to run out and get a Persian lime if space in your yard permits. My Persian lime tree is about 4 years old now, and it is producing about 3 CASES of limes this season. I'm flooded in limes and loving it, because I squeeze and freeze juice from some of the surplus limes.

Falernum from the store is a great start. However once you make home-made falernum, you'll be very pleasantly surprised how superior it is. If you bought Taylor's Velvet Falernum, I found that it is very weak. I've been making falernum, so I don't currently own any store-bought falernum.

The sugar question is a very good one. It is used to help preserve the syrup. My understanding is that a high concentration of sugar in the syrup results in cellular osmosis which dehydrates and kills any organisms which would otherwise come to ruin your syrup. I add 1 to 2 oz Everclear to my syrups, as a backup, and have found that dilution isn't a problem because fresh homemade are generally much more full-flavored than store-bought products.

I hope you're having fun learning and experimenting with your cocktails.