The gift of coffee liqueur

A few years ago, I was at a summer gathering. It was a potluck deal with lots of games and, naturally, plenty of adult beverages. There were lots of goodies, but the standout was homemade kahlua, which was provided by a friend who has limited culinary skills (and that's probably putting it nicely). My brewing friend and I decided if he could make it, so could we. And we did.

Homemade Kahlua

Ingredients:
- 24 cups of strong brewed coffee
- 4 lbs. of light brown sugar
- 1.75 L of vodka (you can also use everclear)
- 3/4 c. of vanilla

The coffee is probably the most important part. We used freshly ground French roast beans.

Directions:
- Pour the brewed coffee into a stock pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the brown sugar and stir constantly for five minutes.
- Remove the stock pot from the stove and cool. (We used our wort chiller to speed up the process, but an ice bath or putting it in a fridge or freezer would work too.)
- Once cool, stir in the vanilla and the vodka (or everclear).

Two other keys -- the wort chiller and the vodka.

You can bottle it immediately using a funnel. My friend and I opted to put it in our brewing carboy and let it sit for three weeks. Then we put it in mason jars and decorated them so we could give the kahlua as Christmas gifts.

Pretty, right?

It's also delicious. I can't wait to share it with the lucky recipients.