Make Your Own Falernum

A Corn 'n Oil isn't a bad idea either when homemade falernum is nearby.

Kevin

I will try Corn 'n' Oil, I looked it up and it's a very simple rum cocktail. With the inherent complexity of falernum, and the richness of the black rum, you don't need a lot of other ingredients. Thanks for the recommendation!

I make it on the rocks in a small glass:

1.5 oz falernum, dash angostura bitters, pour 1/2 oz black rum (the black rum will float on top like an oil sheen).

a good ole Floribbean/Floritiki drink!

Should it be refrigerated?

I was just gifted some, and have only ever had the velvet, which does not.

I refrigerate all my syrups, even if they contain alcohol. But I also take the Bum's advice and add 1/2 to 1 oz of neutral grain alcohol to each bottle in an effort to be safe and help preserve the mixture longer than it would otherwise last in my fridge. I usually end up with two bottles of falernum -- the second bottle gets a dose of NGS and then is stored in my freezer until I finish the first bottle.

Hope that helps.

Homemade rum-based falernum (and pimento dram) are more a liqueur than a syrup. If you adjust the addition of the sugar syrup so that you're bottling above 20% ABV, unrefrigerated shelf life isn't a problem. I don't refrigerate my homemade falernum, pimento dram or limoncello and I've never had anything go bad. Of course that's with the assumption that you're not adding fresh lime juice to the falernum. If so, the shelf life isn't that great even in the fridge. I'm not an expert so I won't argue against anyone saying adding 1/2 - 1 oz of booze to an entire bottle of syrup increases shelf life but I don't see how it could increase the alcohol content enough to really matter.

When I made my falernum, I looked at several recipes and combined the elements I liked. This is what I came up with and I'm very happy with the result:

8 oz overproof rum (I used Trader Vic's 151)
1½ cups skinless, blanched almonds (lightly toasted)
½ cup peeled and roughly chopped ginger
1 tbsp whole cloves
1 tbsp whole allspice
4 anise pods
1 nutmeg
Zest of 4 limes
2 cups sugar
1 cup "almond water"

Toast almonds on a cookie sheet in oven at 350 F for 20-30 min. Place almonds in a large glass jar, cover with a quart of water. Let sit for 30 min, shaking occasionally. Strain almonds, discard water and wash out jar. Roughly chop almonds and place back into jar. Cover with 1 cup of water and let sit for four hours. Strain out almond water into a measuring cup and add more water if necessary to make 1 cup. Discard almonds and wash out jar again. Place spices in a large saucepan, over medium heat, tossing frequently for 1-5 minutes. Add spices to jar with rum, ginger, lime zest and rum. Let it sit in a cool place for 24 hours. Make the syrup by putting sugar and almond water in a large pot over a medium-low heat for about five minutes, until sugar has dissolved. Using cheese cloth, strain the mixture from the jar into the syrup. Press on the solids to extract as much as you can. When cooled to room temperature, strain using coffee filter into a bottle. Voila.

"I am Lono!" -- Hale Ka'a Tiki Lounge

[ Edited by: arriano 2012-12-03 10:15 ]

I do refridgerate mine, because I have the space in the fridge behind the bar. But, this is a mixture that should come out roughly 60-70 proof 30-35% by volume AND it contains sugar, which is also a preservative. It should be fine on the shelf.

Mai-Kai Memories Series Custom ceramic mugs!

[ Edited by: swanky 2012-12-03 09:45 ]

I usually put my almonds (for orgeat and falernum) under the broiler, which is much faster. It's also MUCH easier to burn them, and burnt almonds taste horrible and will ruin the flavor of everything that they come into contact with.

On 2012-12-02 06:09, poutineki wrote:
...I've never had anything go bad. Of course that's with the assumption that you're not adding fresh lime juice to the falernum. If so, the shelf life isn't that great even in the fridge. I'm not an expert so I won't argue against anyone saying adding 1/2 - 1 oz of booze to an entire bottle of syrup increases shelf life but I don't see how it could increase the alcohol content enough to really matter.

poutineki -- Adding the lime juice does seem to be problematic. Adding the neutral alcohol may help extend shelf life but certainly does not prevent spoilage with the exception of what I store in my freezer. I have not ever omitted the lime juice and I may try that in my next batch. Your feedback is helpful, many thanks.

I have often read here that "sugar is a preservative" but I have seen refrigerated 1:1 simple syrup develop clear "globs" if stored too long. So I am careful to monitor my stuff and write the born-on dates on my bottles.

On 2012-12-04 07:39, AceExplorer wrote:

On 2012-12-02 06:09, poutineki wrote:
...I've never had anything go bad. Of course that's with the assumption that you're not adding fresh lime juice to the falernum. If so, the shelf life isn't that great even in the fridge. I'm not an expert so I won't argue against anyone saying adding 1/2 - 1 oz of booze to an entire bottle of syrup increases shelf life but I don't see how it could increase the alcohol content enough to really matter.

poutineki -- Adding the lime juice does seem to be problematic. Adding the neutral alcohol may help extend shelf life but certainly does not prevent spoilage with the exception of what I store in my freezer. I have not ever omitted the lime juice and I may try that in my next batch. Your feedback is helpful, many thanks.

I have often read here that "sugar is a preservative" but I have seen refrigerated 1:1 simple syrup develop clear "globs" if stored too long. So I am careful to monitor my stuff and write the born-on dates on my bottles.

The clear globs in your syrup are likely just the sugar precipitating out of the solution, not spoilage. My concern is mold growth on the surface or in the bottle elsewhere. When I have had stuff go bad, that is what happens.

You can help prevent your syrup from precipitating by adding a little citrus when you are making it to speed the process. You want to make sure the sugar fully seperates and becomes liquid. A couple of drops of lime juice is enough.

A good clean container is a big thing too of course.

So what the hell am I supposed to do with two bottles of velvet falernum?

On 2012-12-04 09:24, Hale Tiki wrote:
So what the hell am I supposed to do with two bottles of velvet falernum?

Its backup, for when, like last weekend, I ran out of my home made and I needed to make drinks anyway. It'll keep.

Its backup, for when, like last weekend, I ran out of my home made and I needed to make drinks anyway. It'll keep.

Good call!

[ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2012-12-06 07:45 ]

As a side note here...

I had made a batch of allspice dram and instead of storing it in the fridge, I had it on the shelf. That is a similar mix of sugar syrup and high octane booze. But, last night I found there was mold growing on the surface and the entire full bottle had to be pitched. Sucks.

I am going to run my bottles through the dishwasher I think and keep it in the fridge in the future. I am not sure what is the root cause. Dirt in the bottle, or something coming in after bottling, or it is a fact of life. You might be able to skim the mold off the surface and use the product, but, I am not chancing it. And this is why it is good there is St. Elizabeth availabel at the store...

On 2012-12-06 08:38, Swanky wrote:
I am not sure what is the root cause. Dirt in the bottle, or something coming in after bottling, or it is a fact of life.

It must be spontaneous generation! (Thinking waaaaaay back to my science class when I was a wee tiki kid...)

You don't want botulism, put it in a jar with a rubber seal and boil it completely submerged for 20 or 30 minutes. Old maple syrup jars are great. And make sure everything is really clean.

Heat treating is something I've never thought of doing, but I'm sure it would work as you've outlined. The only thing I would be careful about is elevating the temperature too long and too high, like to the boiling point -- that could very likely have an impact on the flavor of the syrup. But elevating the temperature is good, I wonder what the appropriate temperature and length of time would be? 140 degrees? 180 degrees? And for how long do you maintain that temp? Then it would also be important to drop the temperature very quickly afterwards so that the syrup ingredients don't "cook" and change flavor. I think a web search on pasteurization would yield additional guidance. I would also do a "heated" and "non-heated" taste test for comparison. And I also think that some syrup flavors would be less impacted by heating - cinnamon syrup for example - than others. Interesting thoughts and ideas here. Fire up the bunsen burners in the tiki drink laboratory!

Perhaps freezing the Syrup in ice cube trays would work. You could control the portion and pop some out of the freezer when you need them.
Tiki Popsicles next.

For those who like to experiment

On 2013-01-05 02:56, Kilaueakyd wrote:
You don't want botulism, put it in a jar with a rubber seal and boil it completely submerged for 20 or 30 minutes. Old maple syrup jars are great. And make sure everything is really clean.

You cannot get botulism from your Falernum going south. Mold may grow on the surface, but it WILL NOT be Botulism. I read a lot about this stuff at one time and can't quote the exact reasons, but it has to do with the sugar. It was covered in some articles on home made jams going bad. Botulinum toxin will just not grow in these conditions.

It was also hinted that the mold, if it grows, is not likely a big problem either. In jam making, they just remove it. With this stuff though, I was too worried to just skim the mold off the top and keep using it. The place of the mold is just not discrete enough for me on the surface of a liquid as opposed to the side of a jar or surface of jam.

You cannot get botulism from your Falernum going south. Mold may grow on the surface, but it WILL NOT be Botulism. I read a lot about this stuff at one time and can't quote the exact reasons, but it has to do with the sugar. It was covered in some articles on home made jams going bad. Botulinum toxin will just not grow in these conditions.

It was also hinted that the mold, if it grows, is not likely a big problem either. In jam making, they just remove it. With this stuff though, I was too worried to just skim the mold off the top and keep using it. The place of the mold is just not discrete enough for me on the surface of a liquid as opposed to the side of a jar or surface of jam.

Hey, since I want to make sureI see your smiling faces at future tiki events, so here are few food preservation facts useful to syrup-making.
Cheers,
Gina of the Jungle...aka Martiki-bird

The botulism-causing bacterial toxin pops up in some odd places, so don't assume that it won't pop up in your syrups.

The sugar in Falernum sucks the moisture out of bacteria, killing it through dehydration. But if the sugar/water ratio is not ideal, bacteria can grow.

Falernum is probably not acidic enough, or salty enough, or oxygen-rich enough to be considered a hostile environment at room temperature.

Many will tell you that the odds of getting dangerously sick from using contaminated/old syrup are LOW, but LOW is not the same as NO.

Play it safe. Food poisoning sucks!

Good Food management practices:

• Sterilize your bottles.
• Refrigerate your syrups.
• Store homemade syrups toward the back of the fridge (the coldest place.)
• Clean your fridge regularly so to keep ahead of mold.
• If your Falernum has gone bad (cloudy, moldy), toss it.
• If your homemade grenadine has gone bad, toss it.
• If your syrup has gone moldy, toss it.

More facts for your perusal:

MOLD is not BOTULISM, but MOLD does have the potential to make you sick.

MOLD is a microscopic fungi.Some cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems. Certain molds produce mycotoxins, which are poisonous.

MOLD has a higher tolerance for sugar, salt and cold than BACTERIA.

BACTERIA needs water to live. Sugar and salt create hostile living situation for bacteria...

BACTERIA thrives between 41 - 140 degrees F. BACTERIA still multiplies while in the fridge, but at a much slower rate. As soon as it warms up, those little boogers are back in action.

BOTULISM is a life-threatening illness. It is caused by a toxin produced by a bacteria (the bacteria and its spore do not make you sick). The BACTERIA that can cause this thrives in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) low-acid environment.

FYI, the practice of scraping mold off jelly is no longer considered safe. Aside from the mold that you can see, there may also be bacteria lurking alongside the mold.

FOOD TEMPERATURE CHART
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/safetysanitation/a/dangerzone_tab.htm

From the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/botulism/

From the USDA:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Molds_On_Food/index.asp#6

You can also get in touch with your County Extension to get the latest info regarding safe food preservation methods. This info is free.

"Growth of the bacterium can be prevented by high acidity, high ratio of dissolved sugar, high levels of oxygen, very low levels of moisture or storage at temperatures below 3°C (38°F) for type A. Honey, corn syrup, and other sweeteners may contain spores but the spores cannot grow in a highly concentrated sugar solution."

I can't find what concentration level of sugar is enough anywhere.

Drink your stuff as fast as you can make it would be a good rule of thumb! I've always followed the "add an oz of vodka" and refrigerate policy for syrups, and have never had a problem

An article regarding the history of falernum in the January 2013 issue of Smithsonian Magazine.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/falernum-the-elusive-cocktail-syrup-to-name-drop-at-your-next-party-7673835/

Recipe printed in 1896 in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

That's good info! Some turn their noses up at making Falernum at home, but I look forward to it. With the right Microplane grater, the hardest part of the work, grating the lime zest, is easy. The result is very pleasing to most who visit my home bar.

Alright, I just finished reading through almost 15 years worth of falernum threads cuz I'm finally prepared to make a homemade batch and was hoping to find the "definitive" recipe. Alas, I'm lost. Obviously everyone has different flavor preferences (the endless Fees vs Velvet debate can attest to that), but what recipes have we narrowed it down to?

Dale DeGroff's? Kaiser Penguin's? Dr Adams? Paul Clarke's Falernum 8? 9? 10???

Is each successive published recipe that much better than the predecessor? How significant are the changes?

Am I completely over-thinking this and should just pick one and jump in?

What do you people make at home?

What works? What doesn't?

Which is the Bum's recipe? I think it's titled "Falernum No. 8" or something.

Falernum #9 is what's on the Total Tiki app. Not sure if the Bum posted #8 in a previous publication as my books aren't in front of me. Paul Clarke has since introduced #10 which omits the lime juice, something posters on here have recommended doing since the fresh juice reduces shelf life.

This site has the recipe for #10 which I may be leaning to:
http://looka.gumbopages.com/2009/02/16/mixology-monday-xxxvi-hard-drinks-for-hard-times/

Has anyone tried it?

On 2016-01-08 14:19, kkocka wrote:
Which is the Bum's recipe? I think it's titled "Falernum No. 8" or something.

Over the years I've had several discussions with The Bum about this. His preferred recipe for the general public is Kaiser Penguin's #8. When I specifically discussed the differences between KP #8 and KP #9 we concluded that #9 had a few more steps than #8 because you have to extract the almond flavor from fresh almonds. In the end this most likely has minimal impact for most of us at home, however #9 clearly has a higher risk of "under almonding" the Falernum due to the variations in how you extract the almond oils and flavors at home, the freshness/brand/quality of the almonds used, and a few things like that.

Mike, if you were to ask The Bum, I am confident (based on my discussions) that he would also tell you to just make Kaiser Penguin's #8 and you'll be pleased with the outcome. A few more tips and comments:

Use a Microplane grater to harvest as much of the green from your limes and as little of the white pith as you can.

Do not grate your ginger - I've done that and it goes way too much toward ginger. Follow the recipe and slice your ginger as described.

Taylors vs home-made Falernum are two completely different flavor profiles. Taylors is much more subtle than the KP #9, however the KP #9 (per the Bum) gives results which are very close to the actual flavor profile of the original Falernum which was typical of the mid-century tiki era. That's reality - there is no debate - they are two completely different flavor profiles. Which one you should use IS a personal decision which in my opinion should be weighed based on the time period of the cocktail recipe or on personal preference.

On 2016-01-08 14:45, AceExplorer wrote:

On 2016-01-08 14:19, kkocka wrote:
Which is the Bum's recipe? I think it's titled "Falernum No. 8" or something.

Mike, if you were to ask The Bum, I am confident (based on my discussions) that he would also tell you to just make Kaiser Penguin's #8 and you'll be pleased with the outcome.

Now I'm confused. I thought the numbered falernum's were Paul Clarke's and Kaiser Penguin had an entirely different recipe...

http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/remixed-astro-aku-aku/

On 2016-01-08 14:37, mikehooker wrote:
Paul Clarke has since introduced #10 which omits the lime juice, something posters on here have recommended doing since the fresh juice reduces shelf life.

Has anyone tried it?

I haven't tried #10, but given the reasons for #8 having been previously embraced, I would try #10 as an experiment and then taste-test side by side against #8. Since Falernum is a pain in the butt to make, shelf life is truly important. I have solved that problem by adding two ounces pure grain alcohol to each bottle, and storing it in the freezer when I'm not actively using it -- the shelf life problem is thereby rendered completely non-existent. Again this also came from the Bum.

My position on #9 (and possibly #10 to some extent) is that #9 came about partly from a desire to reduce the almond extract and replace it with "honest" freshly toasted nuts in the recipe. #10 still uses an interesting blend of fresh nuts and extract, as if the nuts themselves aren't enough for almond flavor, but quite acceptable for the toasted almond aspect which is not present in the #8. My quandary is that the #8 has been described by the Bum as a very close approximation to the real Falernums of the times, based on taste-tests of well-preserved bottles of the real thing from the time period.

There's plenty of wiggle room here. I think that only by experimenting and talking to folks will you come to a personal conclusion. I don't want to be a #8 fiend over everything else, but my personal conversations with The Bum have cemented this formula into my repertoire and I've been quite happy with the results. The #8 is very similar to the home-made Falernum I have tasted straight at Frankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas, for what that's worth.

Mike, let us know what you end up doing, and what your impressions are. Have fun with it. I often have one or more friends come over and we have a Falernum making party. Sounds like I need to make one of each 8, 9, and 10 the next time for all of us to taste-test and compare.

Cheers!

On 2016-01-08 14:57, mikehooker wrote:
Now I'm confused. I thought the numbered falernum's were Paul Clarke's and Kaiser Penguin had an entirely different recipe...
http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/remixed-astro-aku-aku/

Oops, you are entirely correct, my bad. It's been a long week and I'm exhausted. My mind hyperlinked between KP, The Bum, and Paul Clarke.

I meant Paul Clarke's. I went through KP's recipes and eventually settled on Paul's based on input from other tiki cocktail aficionados during the past 10 years or so.

The weekend starts NOW...

On 2016-01-08 14:45, AceExplorer wrote:

...we concluded that #9 had a few more steps than #8 because you have to extract the almond flavor from fresh almonds. In the end this most likely has minimal impact for most of us at home, however #9 clearly has a higher risk of "under almonding" the Falernum due to the variations in how you extract the almond oils and flavors at home, the freshness/brand/quality of the almonds used, and a few things like that.

OK, so if fresh almonds are not a necessity, the only other thing that really differs between #10 and #8 is the lack of lime juice.

On 2016-01-08 15:04, AceExplorer wrote:

Since Falernum is a pain in the butt to make, shelf life is truly important. I have solved that problem by adding two ounces pure grain alcohol to each bottle, and storing it in the freezer when I'm not actively using it -- the shelf life problem is thereby rendered completely non-existent. Again this also came from the Bum.

A lot of people have stated that lime juice will make their falernum spoil which is why Paul took it out of #10. If we already have 6 oz of overproof rum in the mix, does another 2 ounces of PGA really make the difference in killing whatever bacteria will form from the fresh lime juice? I suppose if the batch is super big, I can freeze some excess but ultimately I want this to be ready to go whenever I want to use it and not have to worry about thawing it. At the same time, I would like to get a few months shelf life out of it.

I may just do #8, omitting the lime juice for my first trial. Some people have said they add extra fresh lime juice when making a cocktail. Others say it's not even needed.

Has anyone experimented with using LH151 or another overproof instead of Wray & Nephew? Besides changing the ABV I wonder if it will vastly enhance the flavor.

Yes, LH makes it better IMO but it is not being sold in the U.S. Right now so it kinda hurts when I use it :)

I experiment with different rums all the time, and I always put a Demerara in the mix. I think the better rum you use, the better it tastes, definitely. I usually use 3 rums, one being overproof.

Use a Microplane grater to harvest as much of the green from your limes and as little of the white pith as you can.

I second the Microplane grater, I do recommend wearing a new leather work glove when you hold the lime to minimize the harvesting of your knuckle skin :wink:

That's a great tip. I bought a microplane grater last night and started work on Falernum #8. The tools I had on hand would have taken me forever to zest the limes so it was a life saver. I'm doing this batch half sized as I want to try a couple variations and not end up with gallons upon gallons of falernum I'll never get through. I put the cloves in whole. Looks like Falernum #9 and #10 call for them to be toasted. I think I've seen others mention they crush them. Does anyone have preference on any of these methods?

And one last question/observation before I finish up this batch tonight. Paul Clarke's recipes all call for a cold process rich sugar syrup to be added to the mixed solution after it's been strained. I've never made 2:1 syrup without heat because I've read that it will be unstable. Has anyone had issues with their falernum crystallizing or had any negative effects from the cold process?

On 2016-01-09 11:32, mikehooker wrote:
That's a great tip. I bought a microplane grater last night and started work on Falernum #8. The tools I had on hand would have taken me forever to zest the limes so it was a life saver. I'm doing this batch half sized as I want to try a couple variations and not end up with gallons upon gallons of falernum I'll never get through. I put the cloves in whole. Looks like Falernum #9 and #10 call for them to be toasted. I think I've seen others mention they crush them. Does anyone have preference on any of these methods?

And one last question/observation before I finish up this batch tonight. Paul Clarke's recipes all call for a cold process rich sugar syrup to be added to the mixed solution after it's been strained. I've never made 2:1 syrup without heat because I've read that it will be unstable. Has anyone had issues with their falernum crystallizing or had any negative effects from the cold process?

Good to hear you're enjoying the Microplane - it lasts a long time and produces excellent results.

I always put the cloves in whole - that's what the recipe seems to call for. I would not crush them as that would make your Falernum much more clove-forward, and it's fine to follow the recipe closely. The toasting is referencing the almonds, this seems to be a personal preference or option, and is partially the basis for Falernums #9 and #10. Side note - I don't know where Paul Clarke got his "original Falernum" flavor profile from, but I do know that The Bum was working with someone else to make comparisons to the original as closely as possible, and #8 is what they settled on. I recall that they had actual bottles of well-preserved falernum from many many years ago to use as a guide.

About the cold process simple syrup... Many years ago I came to understand that the hot process created invert sugar and that was not desirable. More recently here on TC someone shared that the hot process lasts longer (and possibly that there is no discernible flavor difference.) I have been using cold process (by blending for 3-5 minutes on highest speed) for years and adding pure grain alcohol. Then I refrigerate what I need, and keep my leftovers plus some for sudden parties in my freezer. My first batches of simple syrup were hot process, and they spoiled in the fridge. Theoreticaly the hot syrup should have sterilized the bottles, and I've never been able to explain how I got lumpies in my syrup. My cold process, with added PGA per The Bum's suggestions when I was a wee tikiphile, have not been plagued with any issues. Keep in mind that I'm a fiend for refrigeration, and freezing the surplus, and it never sits out longer than a 4-5 hour cocktail party. Nowadays I don't think I'd quibble about cold versus hot if the flavor is the same, but I'd only quibble about shelf life, and maybe the convenience factor. The cold process has always been a lifesaver in the middle of a party if I run low on syrup, and it's MUCH more speedy and convenient. But the hot process has sterility benefits which are very attractive to me.

So there you have it - those are my experiences. Feel free to share yours. Your Falernum looks good in the photo!

Cheers.

Interesting points Ace. I think I'll try your blender approach as shaking for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar sounds awful. I've never refrigerated my sugar syrups, be it rich or simple, hot or cold pressed, and never had a problem with spoilage. And I've never added PGA to them either. Maybe I just go through my batches before they have a chance to go bad. All other homemade syrups I keep refrigerated though.

Yup, see how the blender works for you. Remember it will be milky-white when you're done blending, then all the air bubbles slowly rise to the top and it becomes clear after 20-30 minutes or so.

On 2016-01-09 12:56, mikehooker wrote:
Interesting points Ace. I think I'll try your blender approach as shaking for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar sounds awful. I've never refrigerated my sugar syrups, be it rich or simple, hot or cold pressed, and never had a problem with spoilage. And I've never added PGA to them either. Maybe I just go through my batches before they have a chance to go bad. All other homemade syrups I keep refrigerated though.

I've always refrigerated my sugar syrup regardless of how i make them and have never had any issues with spoilage and have never used PGA either. Having said that, i do only make about a cups worth at a time and it lasts for weeks in the fridge before i make a new batch, and although i may have used the cold process only a few times in the past, that is the only way i make it now. Two reasons: 1.) I'm lazy. I don't have to clean a saucepan or worry about getting distracted and having it 'cook' for too long. 2.) The time it takes for it to cool down is about the same time it takes for it to dissolve if you are shaking it, if not longer.

And unless you are in a super hurry mikehooker, you don't need to shake it for five minutes. I personally give it a good shake then leave it and a few minutes later shake it again and keep doing that. It only takes 10-15 minutes for it to be fully dissolved that way.

On 2016-01-09 17:12, swizzle wrote:
I've always refrigerated my sugar syrup regardless of how i make them and have never had any issues with spoilage and have never used PGA either. Having said that, i do only make about a cups worth at a time and it lasts for weeks in the fridge before i make a new batch, and although i may have used the cold process only a few times in the past, that is the only way i make it now.

That is my experience as well. I only make rock candy (24 oz volume sugar : 12 oz water) syrup, cold process, which yields about 28 oz and refrigerate. I've never had a spoilage problem, with this or any syrup I've made. Ironically, lately I've switched back to Velvet after making homemade for years.

Alright, so my first batch is done. I tried to make cold process rich sugar syrup in a small Kitchenaid mixer and after a couple minutes of blending it was just cloudy with tons of excess sugar floating up to the top of the container so I decided to pour it into bottle and shake like crazy. Paul Clarke says to shake for 5 minutes. Swiz said shake a bit and let it rest, then repeat a few times over 10 minutes. My wife found something online that says just let it sit for 45 minutes and all the sugar will dissolve. Well I shook... and shook... and shook... and shook with several minutes rests in between over the course of an hour and the sugar never dissolved. So I said screw it and boiled that down which took like one minute but I didn't want to wait for that to cool before mixing with my 24 hour zest/clove/ginger solution so I just grabbed rich sugar syrup I had previously made (hot process) that I store at room temperature and mixed it with the solution, added appropriate almond extract and lime juice and voila, I have something that resembles Falernum #8!

We put it to the test....

My wife, three friends and I all tried the three options and the reviews were pretty mixed. Ultimately, they are all very different. Velvet is a mild flavored liqueur, Fees is a thick sweetened syrup, and the homemade had nice flavor but I wouldn't say it was hands down the winner. Everyone seems to swear by homemade falernum saying it's life changing and you'll never go back to store bought, but I gotta say, it didn't blow me away. For one, the added lime juice at the end made it too citrus-y. Next time I will omit that because the zest does plenty to bring in the citrus element. But at the end of the day, all three options have their merits and entirely different flavors so the ultimate test will be seeing how they fare in mixed cocktails to determine which works best. I anticipate depending on the cocktail, any one of these can reign supreme.

Once I get near the end of this bottle I'll do my next batch using LH151 as my overproof rum, leave out the lime juice, and either increase the almond extract or include toasted almonds because the ginger and lime completely overshadow any of the flavor the 1/4 tsp of extract may have provided.

Mike, start experimenting. I have my own recipe that I use that is many recipes combined and then changed to my taste. I use very little ginger and I never put lime juice into the mix. I like the way mine turns out and the way it blends into drinks, and a lot of my friends that stop by want the recipe. My advice is, don't stick to a recipe, make it taste the way you want it to taste.

Mike, good feedback. You're certainly right, all three Falernmums have their application in various drinks. I've never had my Falernum come out too citrusy, so I'm not sure how that happens. The Falernum is in many drinks a background player in what can become a very complex and layered effect on the palate. And if it is citrusy, that's part of its flavor profile, and it blends well with other rum/sugar/lime concoctions.

I'm remembering reading that early in the 20th century some drank Falernum neat, or on-the-rocks, and that it had a pleasant yet assertive and definitive taste on its own. So the real Falernum goal for me personally is to take "period-similar" ingredients and come up with "period-similar" cocktails.

Let us know how your LH151-extracted Falernum turns out -- I'm guessing the LH151 will be an even stronger extractive solvent for the lime and clove and ginger oils than the Wray & Nephew. I'm sure it will be tasty, and hearty in its own unique way. You may need to dial back the spices due to the higher proof of the LH151.

On 2016-01-11 11:20, mikehooker wrote:
Velvet is a mild flavored liqueur, Fees is a thick sweetened syrup, and the homemade had nice flavor but I wouldn't say it was hands down the winner. Everyone seems to swear by homemade falernum saying it's life changing and you'll never go back to store bought, but I gotta say, it didn't blow me away.

Totally agree with each thing you've said here mikehooker except unfortunately i cannot do a comparison against all three as i don't have any homemade and can only go by my experience of my first and only time i've made my own. Last year when was in the U.S. i brought some Wray $ Nephew O/P home with me and made the #8 recipe using that (although i cut the number of cloves back by about half as i hate the flavour of cloves) and can't say i was blown away by the finished product. I remember it being okay but nothing special.

I really should have another go at making some more as now i actually have some Fees and the Velvet to compare it to but sadly my options for O/P rum are not only extremely limited, but also very expensive. My only choices, that i can think of that i can get easily, are Bacardi 151 and Bundaberg, and i'm not sure i want to go down either of those roads. Inner Circle is another brand that makes an O/P but unfortunately not only was that difficult to find in the first place, the one place that i could get it now no longer stocks the brand. My only other option is a an O/P neutral grain alcohol.

Just need some Almond Extract and I can start my own Falernum. I'm a little paranoid in general about homemade stuff, but extra paranoid because using my precious LH151 to make something that I could screw up is scary!

Is it possible to halve the ingredients to make half the amount? I'm not sure if I'd use a whole batch in 2-3 months and I'd hate to waste that precious, precious Lemon Hart

Here's the one I was going to make: http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/make-your-own-falernum/

I've seen references to #8 and #10... is this one of those?

[ Edited by: Warboys 2016-02-24 02:27 ]

On 2016-02-24 02:24, Warboys wrote:
Just need some Almond Extract and I can start my own Falernum. I'm a little paranoid in general about homemade stuff, but extra paranoid because using my precious LH151 to make something that I could screw up is scary!

Is it possible to halve the ingredients to make half the amount? I'm not sure if I'd use a whole batch in 2-3 months and I'd hate to waste that precious, precious Lemon Hart

Here's the one I was going to make: http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/make-your-own-falernum/

I've seen references to #8 and #10... is this one of those?

[ Edited by: Warboys 2016-02-24 02:27 ]

KP's recipe states you can use Lemon Hart or Wray & Nephew Overproof. There is quite a big flavor difference between those two, and I've been using only Paul Clarke's recipes where he calls for the WAY more neutral Wray & Nephew. In both KP's and Paul Clarke's recipes the rum is used to extract flavors and oils from the ingredients. If you use KP's option to use Lemon Hart then you will come up with a much more rum-involved version of Falernum. From my discussions with Jeff Berry, that's not going to yield a Falernum which approaches the original flavor profile of Falernum's in use in the old days. If you're not worried about recreating an older flavor profile, then you don't have to worry about it, you can use any high-proof rum you like.

On the other hand, the world of using Falernum in drinks has recently (to me) become very fragmented and people are now holding many different opinions of what constitutes "Falernum." I would like to stay away from that controversy, as I have personally quite solidly settled on the authenticity of the flavor profiles of Paul Clarke's recipes, and that's what I use and am quite happy with. This is not a reflection on Kaiser Penguin's work at all, or on anyone else's opinions and preferences, but is a reflection of the research I have done with others who are much more knowledgeable than me.

My suggestion and conclusion? It depends entirely on what you are trying to accomplish. You can save your Lemon Hart and instead find Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum or something very similar as your flavor extraction medium. But ultimately I think it depends on what you want as your "Falernum."