Distilling of alcohol for consumption is illegal in Canada and the United States unless you have a commercial license. However you can make liqueurs economically using Top Shelf essences without distilling. You can ferment your own alcohol base which will produce up to 20% alcohol by volume. Fermented alcohol without distilling will give you a slightly different flavour. It won’t be as clean-tasting as distilled alcohol but when you add the Top Shelf essence it’s barely noticeable and some people prefer it over the hotter alcohol taste.
Another option is to simply add Top Shelf essences to your purchased vodka or grain spirits. This is not as economical as making it from the alcohol base method but it usually costs a fair bit less than commercial liqueurs. If you wish to go this route you can follow the instructions on the Top Shelf bottle label.
Instructions for making a fermented alcohol base
You will need the following:
- 30 Litre or larger fermenting pail & lid
- 5 Feet of siphon tubing
- 23 Litre carboy or pail
- Sterilizer
- Mixing spoon or paddle
- Still Spirits Power Turbo Yeast
- Turbo Carbon
- Turbo Clear
- 10.5 kg (23 lbs 5oz) of dextrose
1. Add 20 litres (21 Quart) water at 30°C (86°F) to the fermenting pail. Slowly pour in the dextrose while stirring. Stir well to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the Turbo Carbon by cutting off the top of the sachet and squeeze the contents into the mix. Use a little water to rinse out the sachet. This carbon will absorb fermentation flavours and give your fermented alcohol a cleaner taste.
3. Sprinkle Power Turbo on top of the mix. Fit airlock and leave it to ferment. This will take 7 to 10 days depending on the room temperature. The ideal room temperature is 18 – 24°C.
4.Once all fermentation has ceased we take the unusual step of stirring the whole thing up to remove all the gas from the mix. This mixing should start slowly at first so the mix doesn’t froth over, but increased to vigorous after five to ten minutes. This helps to remove most of the gas. If you don’t degas the mix you are likely to have problems getting it clear during the next process.
5. After all the gas has been removed, add Part A of the Turbo Clear pack and stir well to mix completely. One hour after adding Part A of the Turbo Clear we need to add Part B. Unlike Part A we want to try to add this to the top layer of the mix with as little disturbance as possible. Sprinkle it over the surface and try to gently stir it in to the first 25mm (1 inch) of the mix.
6. After 24 hours the wash should be brilliantly clear. If it’s not, leave it for a little longer. Once it is clear then siphon or carefully pour the clear mix off the sediment.
7. The mix is now ready to be used to make liqueurs. The Liqueur recipes on the bottles and pack are all designed for use with 40 or 50% alcohol. Your fermented alcohol will be approximately 20% ABV so replace any water called for in the recipe with more of your alcohol. Add the Top Shelf base pack and essence and then top up to 1.125L with your fermented alcohol.
