Home brew orgeat

Scottes,

I'd be interested on your take on the difference between your extract orgeat and the orgeat you made by straining almonds. Was there a big difference in taste? If tasted side by side blind tasting do you believe you could say one was superior to the other?

On 2010-05-20 18:32, seabass wrote:
Scottes,

I'd be interested on your take on the difference between your extract orgeat and the orgeat you made by straining almonds. Was there a big difference in taste? If tasted side by side blind tasting do you believe you could say one was superior to the other?

Yes, and yes. Easily.

But this won't be tasted side-by-side - it will be tasted in a Mai Tai, right? In that case this difference is more subtle. I could probably tell the difference in a side-by-side test of two otherwise identical Mai Tais. But I doubt that I could tell the difference if I started the night with the real stuff and then switched to a lesser mix.

Hey, Scottes,

Long time no see. Hope all is well. You might want to check out the soy milk makers I tracked down. Might be the answer to effortless almond milk.

On 2010-05-20 07:52, The Gnomon wrote:

These soy milk makers grind the nuts while they make the milk and, apparently, have no issues with microparticles, so the milk comes out just right.

Here is a link to a comparison among several popular brands. I would have liked to have tested this myself before passing this nugget along to you, but that could take a while.

At this point I am using the nylon filter bags you unearthed some time ago and put that down into my Progressive International Salad Spinner (huge open area inside for the bag to spin; lots of clearance, no significant interference). I borrow a manual crank food mill (Oxo) to carefully "grate" the almonds without making any microparticles. It's a pain in the ass, but effective. You have to grind slowly to avoid microparticles; but that only works when your nuts are moist. 8)

Some of these soy milk makers sound pretty good, so I'm thinking this might be the answer. Not sure when I'll get around to checking it out myself, so I tossed it out there as something others could try if they didn't want to wait around for me.

I used the Ahu orgeat #1 recipe over the weekend as a first attempt and was really surprised. The only orgeat I can find around here is from Collins Bros, and it as a syrupy, bland mess at best. This home made stuff is far beyond the store bought. I really enjoy it but next time I think I will cut down on the amount of rosewater used.

I've done the Ahu version as well, and like it. I'm way too lazy to milk a crapload of almonds and I don't mind a slightly cloudy product. It worked very well.

It's become a bit of a disease thought. I've also made, simple syrup, cinnamon syrup, and falernum. Pretty soon, there won't be room in my fridge for food....

dcman

On 2011-02-24 14:12, dcman wrote:
Pretty soon, there won't be room in my fridge for food....

Limes are food. :)

so has anybody ever gotten their hands on a dusty bottle of Garnier orgeat to make a comparison with the various homemade recipes?

is it possible the Garnier tasted more like today's sticky sweet commercial orgeat products, and less like the homemade versions?

Ooops! I know it's on here somewhere, but does anyone remember what the shelf life is for Ahu orgeat #1?

Just made my first orgeat using this recipe:

http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/the-perfect-orgeat-syrup-recipe/

Here's my problem: I have no idea what it's supposed to taste like. I've never been to a decent tiki bar. The only commercial orgeat I've ever gotten ahold of is Fee's (and that stuff can't be right in spite of the bum's endorsement).

It's thicker than I imagined it, maple syrup thick. Also a very dark color (maybe because I used dememara sugar).

Given it's tasty, but what combo of almonds and tons of sugar wouldn't taste good?

And advice for a sort of cross reference, or an opinion on the recipe I used? The only orgeat I've been able to find in my area (Orlando) is one dusty bottle of Finest Call and it didn't look promising.

I'd be indeed curious how it compares to the Finest Call, the only brand i've been able to find on a shelf (somebody around here carried the Collins brand orgeat a few years ago, but no more).

I once made an 'emergency orgeat' recipe somebody had published, but it was rather weak tasting.

Ahu orgeat #1

2 cups of the organic sugar
2 cups of the almond milk
1 cup plain water
4 teaspoons organic almond extract
1 tbsp rose flower water
1/2 cup Cruzan light rum

Combined everything save the rose water and set to boil it in a pot. Once boiling I reduced the heat and simmered it on low (bubbling a good bit) for 25 minutes, whisking occasionally. This was funneled into an empty rum bottle along with the rose water and shaken. Left to cool and rest.

I wanted to resurrect this old topic because I was in a real pinch today, I ran out of my go to Teisseire Orgeat and my shipment won't arrive until next week. Meanwhile, I was jonesing for a Mai Tai really bad this weekend. I bought the Torani, the only orgeat that's sold in the Cincinnati area (aside from the horrible Fee's). Made a round of Mai Tai's with the Torani last night and it was vile. The fake chemical flavor of the Torani ruined my drinks so badly that I couldn't finish mine. I looked through TC for a solution and found this thread, and it saved my weekend.

I made the above recipe and it produced a quick, flavorful and very serviceable orgeat that made a great Mai Tai. I omitted the water in the above recipe and dissolved the sugar directly into the almond milk (the water just seemed like it would dilute the syrup). I also only heated the solution enough to dissolve the sugar and didn't allow it to boil. I also added 1tsp each of both rose water and orange flower water to the syrup after it was off the heat. I didn't use any rum in my orgeat either. I let it cool and, Maita'i roa a'e!, This is some good orgeat. It doesn't have quite the viscosity of a good commercial syrup, but it has a great flavor that's clean and really shines in a drink. Thanks to all of the TCer's who contributed to this great thread, you saved my weekend!

Mahalo,

Craig

My huge bottle of orgeat from Okole Maluna (aka Trader Tiki) was starting to get a little iffy so I decided to home brew a little of my own last night using a simple recipe of 2 parts extra fine sugar, 1 part unsweetened almond milk and 1/8 tsp. almond extract with just a dash of Creole Shrubb (didn't have the patience to go hunting around for orange flower water)and simmered it until it thickened slightly, and I gotta say it came out pretty damn tasty. Gonna mix up some Mai Tais tonight after I've let the syrup chill overnight and see how it goes.

[ Edited by: Bender_Rodriguez 2013-07-16 11:31 ]

It's hard to believe that I posted this six years ago. I just bought some almonds to make a batch of real orgeat, but it's still a pain in the ass to do, so I rely on Emergency Orgeat more than anything else. Main difference over the years is that the store-bought almond milk seems to be going downhill in quality. Right now I'm using Pacific Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk, but whatever "improvements" they've made to it over the years seem to keep the micro-particles suspended in the liquid longer (takes longer for it to settle out) and the foam created in the blending process is thicker in consistency. Emergency Orgeat is very thin, not thick and creamy like the real stuff. But when you need a Mai Tai...now...

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2013-07-18 04:11 ]

On 2013-07-18 04:09, The Gnomon wrote:
....but it's still a pain in the ass to do...

I dunno, I forget the originator of this recipe, but I don't think making orgeat from scratch is that complicated.

I use:

1 to 1.5 pounds of slivered, blanched almonds from Trader Joes roasted at 400 for 10-15 min with a flip in between. Then I chop them with my slap chopper gizmo (not too fine). Simmer almonds with 4 cups of water for 2-3 minutes. Turn off and let sit overnight. In the morning, strain (coarse strainer then mesh bag). Measure liquid (usually around 3 cups). Heat liquid then add equal amounts of sugar. Stir and let cool. Add 1/8 tsp of orange blossom and rose (optional) water and increase to taste. I also add 1-2 oz of vodka for a preservative.

It makes enough orgeat to supply with a summer's worth of mai tais. Tastes wonderful!

Why go to all of that trouble roasting almonds? You're effectively making almond extract, and if you live near an organic food store you should be able to get good quality almond extract off the shelf.

On 2013-07-18 08:29, jingleheimerschmidt wrote:

On 2013-07-18 04:09, The Gnomon wrote:
....but it's still a pain in the ass to do...

I dunno, I forget the originator of this recipe, but I don't think making orgeat from scratch is that complicated.

I use:

1 to 1.5 pounds of slivered, blanched almonds from Trader Joes roasted at 400 for 10-15 min with a flip in between. Then I chop them with my slap chopper gizmo (not too fine). Simmer almonds with 4 cups of water for 2-3 minutes. Turn off and let sit overnight. In the morning, strain (coarse strainer then mesh bag). Measure liquid (usually around 3 cups). Heat liquid then add equal amounts of sugar. Stir and let cool. Add 1/8 tsp of orange blossom and rose (optional) water and increase to taste. I also add 1-2 oz of vodka for a preservative.

It makes enough orgeat to supply with a summer's worth of mai tais. Tastes wonderful!

That is just about what I do with my homemade orgeat, except I toast just very lightly otherwise the orgeat comes out darker than I like. A also usually add a teaspoon of bitter almond extract, but it's good either way.

I ran out of the homemade stuff a couple of weeks ago and have not had a chance to make more so I've been suffering with commercial stuff (Fee Bros.) and it is wretched.

That's pretty much the way I do it as well. But I'm lazy, so it seems like a lot of trouble to me. :)

I think a light toast brings out a nice flavor. And it's richer than you can get from almond extract.

It does come out pretty dark. More so if you use demerara sugar, which I really liked when I did.

I have to start making my own. I can't stand most of the syrups off the shelf. Thank you for the info and I will report back in a couple weeks with my results.

We did an orgeat taste test a while back on Professor Cocktail. The only commercial syrups that I could recommend without hesitation were the BG Reynolds and Small Hand Foods. They're both pricey and you have to go to some effort to get them. But they're definitely worthy.

I just purchased a bottle of Orgeat from Small Hand (As well as all their Gum syrups). . . I haven't tried it yet, but I'm concerned that it has separated in the bottle. I don't know if this is 'normal' or not. Up to now, I've been extremely pleased with Teisseire (from France) for many years and I've just placed an order for 8 more bottles. I know that I don't have the patience, fortitude or desire to devote the time to making my own home-made version when there is Teisseire out there - which, by the way, is all 'natural'.

The separation in Small Hand Foods orgeat is normal. Shake before using.

BG Reynolds makes fantastic stuff, but I had to stop buying it because it spoiled before I could finish it. :(

Teisseire got a middling score in our rankings. Routin did the best of the mass market brands.

Opinions vary, naturally. :)

I haven't had trouble with my BG Reynolds orgeat going bad but I keep it in the refrigerator once opened. I buy several bottles at a time since it is stocked by only one of my favorite liquor stores and even then it is not always available.

I wish I could've said the same :( I bought the big 25.4oz bottle about 3 1/2 months ago and it started developing this weird gummy brown layer on the top that no amount of shaking could get rid of. I've kept it in the fridge (albeit on the door, where I probably should have kept it in the colder back section). The taste was a bit off and one mai tai I made had little brown bits floating in it that was just extremely unappealing. While I didn't want to toss the bottle (which was certainly not cheap), I just didn't want to risk getting sick. I love their orgeat and the next time I place an order before a big party, I might just stick with the smaller 12.7oz size. I wonder if you split the large bottle up into smaller containers and freeze it (defrost as needed) how that would affect the flavor...Seems an experiment might be in order...

On 2013-07-18 20:45, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
I haven't had trouble with my BG Reynolds orgeat going bad but I keep it in the refrigerator once opened. I buy several bottles at a time since it is stocked by only one of my favorite liquor stores and even then it is not always available.

[ Edited by: Bender_Rodriguez 2013-07-19 09:11 ]

I tried to persuade them to offer versions with preservatives in addition to their regular offerings, but it was a no-go.

I'm having some luck storing them in the freezer, because the sugar content of some of them is high enough they still pour, but I can't imagine they'll last indefinitely.

Interesting. I bought a bottle once that had some brown flakes suspended in it from the day I bought it. It tasted fine so I assumed it was residue from the almonds. Who knows! I served it to eight relatives and they all survived. I better check my stock for the more serious sounding impregnable top layer!

Soon I will post a photo of small flake residue I recently found in one of my old label Lemon Hart 151s. I had no fear as it must have been sterilized!

Teisseire got a middling score in our rankings. Routin did the best of the mass market brands.

Quite true . . . but I like it better than most othes.

I bet you feel more like you do now now than you did when you came in.

GENT

[ Edited by: GentleHangman 2013-07-19 18:52 ]

It was more than just little flakes unfortunately. The pieces were gummy and kinda viscous, almost like dark brown tapioca (gross huh?). Ah well. Might try the freezing method next time, or just adding a neutral spirit to the bottle to preserve it.

On 2013-07-19 17:51, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
Interesting. I bought a bottle once that had some brown flakes suspended in it from the day I bought it. It tasted fine so I assumed it was residue from the almonds. Who knows! I served it to eight relatives and they all survived. I better check my stock for the more serious sounding impregnable top layer!

Soon I will post a photo of small flake residue I recently found in one of my old label Lemon Hart 151s. I had no fear as it must have been sterilized!

I agree. I wouldn't have tried it in that condition either. Sounds like it was too far gone.

I made a batch of orgeat this weekend using a process I have been tweaking for the last year of so and it gives me a product I am very happy with. I used up my last homemade batch a couple of months ago and have been suffering with crappy Fee Bros until I could find the time to make a new batch. Many delicious celebratory Mai Tais and Pinky Gonzales cocktails were had by my wife and I yesterday when it was ready. Tonight I am thinking Honi Honis and a Scorpion or two!

Here's an encapsulation of a process that will give you one 750 ml bottle of very tasty homemade orgeat.

• Blanch 1 10.25 oz can of raw almonds in a quart of water that has been brought to a boil and removed from heat.

• Remove the skins and rough chop in a food processor with 8 ounces of water.

• Transfer to large saucepan or other nonreactive, heat-proof vessel and add 24 oz boiling water, stir well and let stand 3 hours.

• Strain into clean saucepan and add 1 lb sugar (I like to use confectioner’s sugar for quick dissolving and because it comes in handy 1-pound boxes so no weighing is required). Using a digital thermometer, heat and stir until temperature reaches 140ºF and sugar is dissolved.

• Transfer to 750 ml bottle. Add 1 oz Noyau almond essence, 1 tsp. orange flower water and 0.5 tsp. rose water.

• Keep handy in the fridge for Friday 6pm Mai Tais!

A couple of things I have tweaked along the way that you might find helpful. . .

Lots of online orgeat recipes call for toasting the almonds but I have stopped doing that. It’s pretty easy to burn the almonds if you are not careful and I don’t think it added enough additional flavor to be worth it. It also makes the finished product a bit darker than I cared for.

Similarly, many recipes suggest using brown/Demerara/turbinado sugar, which I generally don’t do unless I am specifically going for a dark orgeat. The dark stuff works well enough in a Mai Tai, but I don’t think it makes nearly as attractive a drink as a lighter orgeat does for something like a Japanese Cocktail or a Scorpion Bowl.

The 1 oz of almond essence sounds like a lot but this product (I get it from a Latin grocery) has alcohol and water added to it and is not nearly as concentrated as baker’s almond extract.

Like lots of people, I often find straining to be the biggest hassle when making homemade syrups, extracts, infusions, etc. If your strainer is too coarse it lets too many fine solids through but if it is too fine it clogs too quickly. For very small batches I’ll still use a food strainer/coffee filter combination for rough/fine straining, but for larger amounts I’ve actually taken to using a sturdy 55% poly/45% cotton pillowcase that I can really squeeze hard without tearing to get the liquid out white retaining even very fine solids. I know it sounds odd but it works really well.

If anybody gives this method a shout, please let me know what you think.

Jeffrey Morgenthaler talks about orgeat in his terrific new book, The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique. He says it's one of the things that he doesn't make in-house, since it's so labor-intensive and hard to get right. (And he's not running a Tiki bar.) He recommends using Small Hand Foods (#1) or B.G. Reynolds (#2). I tend to agree. Making orgeat is a huge pain in the ass. For me, it's not worth it. Not that we can get good bottled stuff now.

Shipping costs alone keep me from regularly using Blair's products or Small Hands. If I could get a quality product locally I would be likely to agree with you.

It does get expensive, for sure. I just bite the bullet and pay for it.

If I enjoyed my time in the kitchen more, I'd probably be more willing to make my own. But I don't. :)

You might check this place. I've ordered from them before:

http://www.barproducts.com/b-g-reynolds-orgeat-exotic-syrup

Right now I'm tearing through a bottle of Adelaide's Orgeat, I'd recommend it!

http://wilksandwilson.com/products/adelaides-orgeat/

I like the Wilks and Wilson orgeat, too. I should have mentioned it, but I keep forgetting about them because they're new. Which is especially bad, since I know Zach Wilks a little. Oops! :)

I've tried several of their syrups and have been impressed. They're doing good work.

I have no compared it side-by-side with the Small Hand Foods and B.G. Reynolds. But I think it's a worthy alternative. (In my memory, it's more like the former than the latter.)

FWIW, try making great with organic almond milk (available at your nearest Hostile Foods), buying the little "kid packs" where available, so you only have to make a little at time.

Using almond milk saves you the whole blanch-squish-strain trip. Just add sugar and orange flower water and rosewater and you're good to go. This is ideal if you're Trader Vic-ing for a whole crowd.

HTH!

I stumbled on to this thread looking for super quick home-brew Orgeat. Simply as an alternative to the commercial syrups that border $10-12 per bottle and are low quality. I found Ahu orgeat #1:

2 cups of the organic sugar
2 cups of the almond milk
1 cup plain water
4 teaspoons organic almond extract
1 tbsp rose flower water
1/2 cup Cruzan light rum

And it's been working for me. Has anyone ever eliminated water completely from the mix? How did it turn out? Did Ahu ever make #2? Mine seems a bit watery possibly because i'm not cooking it down extensively.

Cheers

As an experiment, (and because I finally burned through my previous supply) I made a batch of Ahu orgeat #1 without the extra cup of water. I was lucky enough to source a bottle of Orange Blossom Water last weekend, so I used that in place of the rose water. It seems to have turned out pretty well - similar quality of almond flavor to the orgeat I had made from scratch. The mixture didn't have to be reduced as much, so that eliminated about 30 minutes of simmering from the recipe. It certainly manages to impart that warmth of flavor when incorporated in a Mai Tai. So far, a success.

Moved here from another thread:

On 2016-11-27 18:46, mmaurice wrote:
Has anybody tried making Orgeat based on the recipe found here, https://bevvy.co/articles/how-to-make-orgeat-syrup/887

8 oz (1 cup) unsweetened almond milk
4 oz (0.5 cup) simple syrup
0.5 oz almond extract
0.5 oz orange flower water

How did it taste and compare?

My previous attempts that used almond milk left nasty residue behind on the glass. Im really happy with this version:

http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/the-perfect-orgeat-syrup-recipe/

[used pre-roasted almonds].

At Whole Foods I found New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk. The only ingredients are Organic Almondmilk (Spring Water, Organic Almonds), Organic Acacia Gum and Sea Salt. I have always added a tiny amount of salt to my orgeat anyway and the acacia gum is to make sure it actually comes back together when you shake it. I simply brought it to a simmer and whisked in an equal amount of granulated sugar until it dissolved, turned off the heat and added the rose water and orange flower water. Once it cooled I bottled it and it's delicious.

The Kaiser Penguin is my go-to recipe as well. Just made another batch this weekend.

On 2016-11-29 11:59, JeffCleveland wrote:

At Whole Foods I found New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk. The only ingredients are Organic Almondmilk (Spring Water, Organic Almonds), Organic Acacia Gum and Sea Salt. I have always added a tiny amount of salt to my orgeat anyway and the acacia gum is to make sure it actually comes back together when you shake it. I simply brought it to a simmer and whisked in an equal amount of granulated sugar until it dissolved, turned off the heat and added the rose water and orange flower water. Once it cooled I bottled it and it's delicious.

I do a similar maneuver with Pacific brand almond milk, which is made from roasted almonds so you get that nice flavor sort of like the toasted orgeat.

In making the recipe from the Smuggler's Cove book, is the one hour cool down just to make the pulp easier to handle for straining, or is the liquid being infused at this point as well?
I ask because in a lot of the recipes around the web, the pulp is left to steep for hours and hours.

CRISIS BUMP!

Yesterday I looked at my Tiki History calendar to discover that June 30 is National Mai Tai Day. I'M OUT OF ORGEAT! If only I'd ordered some from BG Reynolds last week when I'd thought of it. Getting any other brand requires driving an hour both ways to a liquor store, time which I don't have between now and Friday. And not only do I not have a lot of time, I'm also super lazy, so Martin's recipe in the Smuggler's Cove book sounds too labor intensive for me at the moment.

After perusing this thread, I'm considering two options: an "emergency" almond milk based recipe, or Kaiser Penguin's Perfect Orgeat. (Another wrinkle: I may not be able to get orange flower or rose water in town, either.)

Anyone have suggestions or recommendations based on recent experimentation?

If you have access to a flowering rosebush - or even a reasonably-priced flower shop - it's actually pretty easy to make rose water at home. It's what I did for my first experiments with orgeat.

Not that they are particularly common in most locales, but be sure and check your area for any Middle Eastern/Arabic/Persian grocery stores.

I make my own orgeat as well as my own falernum and am lucky enough to have a great Middle Eastern supermarket by my work. It's a terrific, one-stop shopping location for every ingredient in both of those recipes, including all of the harder-to-find items and especially orange-blossom and rose waters in particular.