Ratafias Et Liqueurs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the infusions
Infuse 1½ grams of black tea in ½ liter of water; let it cool and strain.
Prepare a decoction of oak wood chips in ½ liter of water strong enough to color 6 liters.
Blend and age
Combine the decoction with 2 liters of water and 3 liters of 33‑degree alcohol.
Filter through fine paper.
Age in a barrel for one year to improve quality.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Black tea
- Adds tannins that give the liqueur a dry, slightly astringent character.
- Oak wood chips
- Release color and oak flavor into the liquid when simmered as a decoction.
- Alcohol (33 degrees)
- Acts as the solvent that extracts flavor and color and keeps the liqueur stable.
The step that matters
Judging the oak decoction strength. The decoction must be strong enough to color all 6 liters. Oak releases color and flavor slowly, and once diluted with water and alcohol, a weak decoction will look pale and taste thin.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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