Ginger liqueur is bursting with warm & cosy fresh root ginger flavour. Perfect for sipping or for mixing into cocktails, this fiery homemade ginger liqueur is easy to make, with only 4 ingredients, and it also makes a lovely Christmas gift.
This warming liqueur would partner well with sweet nibbles such as chocolate salami or bite-sized pieces of espresso brownie.
🔍 Recipe Snapshot:
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Infusion Time: 3 days
- 🕒 Total Time: 3 days & 15 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6 (based in 50ml per serving)
- 📊 Calories: 149 kcal per serving
- 🔥 Cook Method: No cooking involved
- ❄️ Frozen Option: ❌ Not recommended
- 👩🍳 Flavour Profile: Fiery, sweet and boozy
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 💡 Best For: Christmas, other festive holidays, homemade gifts
- 🥗 Pairs Well With: Chocolate and ginger-based desserts
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Why I Love This DIY Ginger Liqueur Recipe
- Easy: The only hard part is waiting for your ginger liqueur to infuse for a few days.
- Customisable: Increase or decrease the infusion times to perfect the ginger flavour to your liking and switch the base spirit.
- Great seasonal gift: Make a larger batch, decant into pretty bottles and gift to loved ones.
- Versatile: Enjoy it neat, over ice or mixed into cocktails.
Don't miss my gingerbread liqueur - it's a rum-based infusion and can be made with or without cream. It's also great for gifting.
Insider Knowledge: Infuse At Leisure
Don't rush the infusion. Three days is the minimum to leave your homemade ginger liqueur to steep and allow the fresh ginger flavour to permeate the vodka base sufficiently.
Anybody wishing to enhance the fiery taste of ginger further can leave the jar to infuse for up to a week.
Ingredients Notes
Ginger: Use fresh root ginger for this recipe. You will need to grate the ginger finely to extract the juice as well as using chopped ginger. Do not use ground ginger, crystallised ginger or jarred stem ginger as they are not suitable substitutions.
Alcohol: I used vodka - it doesn't have to be top-notch, just a brand you are happy to drink. My affordable go-to for such recipes is Absolut vodka.
Sugar: Use white caster or granulated sugar. Do not use brown sugar as it will affect the final flavour of your liqueur.
Optional Extra: A strip of orange zest helps freshen up the base flavour in this DIY ginger liqueur recipe but it can be left out (or switched for lemon zest).
How To Make Ginger Liqueur (Step-By-Step Instructions)
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Put the sugar, orange zest and vodka into a sealable jar or bottle with a wide neck.
Step 2. Peel the ginger. Chop 30g of it into small cubes. Grate the remaining 70g ginger finely.
Step 3. Put the grated ginger into a fine meshed sieve and use the back of a spoon to press it against the sieve to extract 30ml ginger juice. Discard the pulp.
Step 4. Add the chopped ginger and ginger juice to the jar, seal, shake lightly and leave to infuse for at least 3 days, shaking twice a day.
Step 5. When the infusion time is complete pass the liquid through a fine meshed sieve (or through a nut bag or muslin cloth for a bery clear finish). Mix in the water, decant into jars and store for up to 6 months. Shake lightly before use.
Storage Instructions
Once ready, you should store your homemade ginger liqueur is a cool, dark place. There is no need to keep it in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- Choose fresh ginger that looks firm and plump. Avoid any that looks dry as you will struggle to extract the juice.
- Don't skip adding the ginger juice: This really enhances the fiery nature of your ginger liqueur and takes it beyond the ordinary.
- Taste frequently: As ginger is a natural product, its strength can vary considerably. After 3 days, taste the infusion and decide if you are happy with the strength of the ginger flavour. If not, leave it to infuse for another day before tasting again. Repeat until you are satisfied your liqueur is fiery enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not have to peel your root ginger, but you liqueur will have a more cloudy appearance if it is not peeled.
Technically, no, you do not need to add water. However, it serves to dilute the alcohol and the final flavour of the drink to make it a sweet liqueur that is enjoyable to sip leisurely or to include in cocktail recipes with confidence.
This is natural and it is just very fine ginger particles present in the liqueur settling on the bottom. Shake the bottle lightly before pouring a glass to redistribute them. You won't feel them as you sip your ginger liqueur.
Variations
Try making this ginger liqueur recipe with different spirits as the base:
- Whisky: Consider adding an extra 25g sugar to counter-balance the strong flavour of this spirit.
- Bourbon: Smooth, mellow & fiery.
- Rum: Warming and comforting - think along the lines of a dark and stormy cocktail but in liqueur form.
More Homemade Liqueurs
Have you spotted my collection of homemade liqueurs yet? Here are a few particularly popular ones:
Have you made this ginger liqueur recipe? Please rate the recipe or leave a comment - I love hearing how you get along with my creations.
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📖 Recipe
Ginger Liqueur (homemade vodka ginger liqueur - sweet and fiery)
Ingredients
- 100 g Root Ginger
- 250 ml Vodka
- 60 g White Sugar Caster or Granulated
- 1 Strip of Orange Zest optional
- 50 ml Water
Instructions
- Put the sugar, orange zest and vodka into a sealable jar or bottle with a wide neck.
- Peel the ginger. Chop 30g of it into small cubes. Grate the remaining 70g ginger finely.
- Put the grated ginger into a fine meshed sieve suspended over a bowl or jug. Use the back of a spoon to press the ginger against the sieve to extract 30ml ginger juice. Discard the pulp.
- Add the chopped ginger and ginger juice to the jar, seal, shake lightly and leave to infuse for at least 3 days, shaking twice a day.
- After 3 days taste the infusion. If you are happy with the strength of the ginger proceed to the next step. If you want a stronger flavour, leave it to infuse for another day or two and taste again. Repeat until you are happy with the flavour.
- When the infusion is complete pass the liquid through a fine meshed sieve (or through a nut bag or muslin cloth for a very clear finish). Mix in the water, decant into jars and store for up to 6 months. Shake lightly before use.
Notes
- Choose fresh ginger that looks firm and plump. Avoid any that looks dry as you will struggle to extract the juice.
- Don't skip adding the ginger juice: This really enhances the fiery nature of your ginger liqueur and takes it beyond the ordinary.
- Taste frequently: As ginger is a natural product, its strength can vary considerably. After 3 days, taste the infusion and decide if you are happy with the strength of the ginger flavour. If not, leave it to infuse for another day before tasting again. Repeat until you are satisfied your liqueur is fiery enough.
- Store in a cool dark place: There is no need to store your liqueur in the fridge.
Variations
Try making this ginger liqueur recipe with different spirits as the base:- Whisky: Consider adding an extra 25g sugar to counter-balance the strong flavour of this spirit.
- Bourbon: Smooth, mellow & fiery.
- Rum: Warming and comforting - think along the lines of a dark and stormy cocktail but in liqueur form.
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