Self-Flavoring

[andrewG]

Is it possible to flavor a rum yourself?
My hunch would be to put the flavoring (fruit for sake for example) at the bottom of a jar and fill the rest of the jar with your choice of rum (silver for the sake of example). After leaving the jar in a cool dark place for several days, strain the liquid out of the jar though a coffee filter or double strainer. Would this WORK????

[Melendez]

On hols recently and had an after-dinner drink made by the restaurant consisting of rum, fresh ginger, fresh vanilla, strawberry liqueur and pepper. Language barriers prevented me from getting the exact details or measurements and one doesn't want to waste the ingredients so any help would be appreciated.

Has anyone ever heard of this drink or how it should be made?

Unless I hear further from someone clever here, my intention is to do the following for attempt 1...

250 ml Golden Rum
Half a thumb-sized piece of ginger sliced
2 vanilla pods split
50ml strawberry liqueur (maybe more, it was sweetish)
2 or 3 peppercorns

Marinate for about 2 weeks(?), strain, glug and figure out what changes are required next time.

[angelsword]

You are asking about a technique called infusion. It works very well but may take longer than a couple of days. I prefer a couple of months for most infusions.

[rumdog007]

You are asking about a technique called infusion. It works very well but may take longer than a couple of days. I prefer a couple of months for most infusions.

Daniel, is spot on, once again. I've found that there is a long cycle of first getting the intensity, or flavor, of the infusion to reach a high enough level. Afterward, time allows this flavor to change and mellow a bit. It seems to become more than the sum of its parts. Forrest taught me this trick.

[RumBarPhilly]

Ive been working this pear infusion now for nearly 6 months.

note: make sure you use RIPE fruits for infusions, or your infusion will sit idly as my pear rum.

[Coastie Mike]

I'm about to try and start doing the same thing. I'm just waiting on getting my herbs/spices in the mail. I did however get my Bois Bande in today so I will be infusing some "Happy" rum come tomorrow g()fy

[angelsword]

I'm about to try and start doing the same thing. I'm just waiting on getting my herbs/spices in the mail. I did however get my Bois Bande in today so I will be infusing some "Happy" rum come tomorrow g()fy

I recommend no more than 15 gm of bois bande per liter. Very bitter!

[Melendez]

On hols recently and had an after-dinner drink made by the restaurant consisting of rum, fresh ginger, fresh vanilla, strawberry liqueur and pepper. Language barriers prevented me from getting the exact details or measurements and one doesn't want to waste the ingredients so any help would be appreciated.

Has anyone ever heard of this drink or how it should be made?

Unless I hear further from someone clever here, my intention is to do the following for attempt 1...

250 ml Golden Rum
Half a thumb-sized piece of ginger sliced
2 vanilla pods split
50ml strawberry liqueur (maybe more, it was sweetish)
2 or 3 peppercorns

Marinate for about 2 weeks(?), strain, glug and figure out what changes are required next time.

Too much ginger, not enough strawberry. Have added more Rum and relatively more strawberry and will leave down for another month. You useless lot should have known that.

[forrest]

You useless lot should have known that.

Yes we who did not taste what you were trying to recreate-- even though you had -only a marginal- idea what was in it, no idea what it was called, or anything valuable along the lines of information that would help us-- help you... it is 'us' who are being lambasted for your failure... Wow-- denial (Thee Nile-- in case you didn't get the reference...) it isn't just a river in Egypt.

[Edward Hamilton]

A little time searching this site will pay big dividends, patience will be rewarded is more than a saying.

Using a higher proof rum/alcohol will not only yield a faster infusion process, but usually yields better results since alcohol, being a solvent, is much better at dissolving the essential oils that make the infusion process worthwhile.

Low proof alcohol will require more time and increases the chances that you'll end up with something that isn't very interesting.

And as has pointed out before in other threads, you're a lot better off making several infusions and then blending them than trying to infuse a blend of things like fruits, spices, etc.

[Edward Hamilton]

You useless lot should have known that.

Unless I'm wrong, again, this is a self deprecating reference which is not uncommonly used in colder parts of the world.

[Melendez]

Yes we who did not taste what you were trying to recreate-- even though you had -only a marginal- idea what was in it, no idea what it was called, or anything valuable along the lines of information that would help us-- help you... it is 'us' who are being lambasted for your failure... Wow-- denial (Thee Nile-- in case you didn't get the reference...) it isn't just a river in Egypt.

I suspect there is more knowledge of things pertaining to rum on this forum than the restaurant owner had. Not only should you have grasped what I was trying to recreate, you should have been able to help me gloriously surpass its magnificence.

I used a Rhum Agricole from Martinique, I think 45% vol. alcohol? Is that high enough alcohol content? I don't think I've seen higher. Or is that the wrong type of Rum for this sort of thing? To be honest I think maybe the infusion process may have worked a little too well in that the ginger ended up a little overpowering. I reckon the addition of extra liquids will do it, though I suppose the ginger will continue infusing.

[forrest]

I used a Rhum Agricole from Martinique, I think 45% vol. alcohol? Is that high enough alcohol content?

Higher proof accelerates the infusion process.

I don't think I've seen higher.

There are many 'higher' proof (standard in Martinique is 50% for instance)

Or is that the wrong type of Rum for this sort of thing?

i'm sure it 'could' be fine (i love Agricole)-- depending on the desired flavors...

To be honest I think maybe the infusion process may have worked a little too well in that the ginger ended up a little overpowering. I reckon the addition of extra liquids will do it, though I suppose the ginger will continue infusing.

i'd pull the Ginger out (actually i would have pulled it out a while ago, but what can you do?). Here is an easy to follow article on infusions.... (http://www.ehow.com/how_2129226_infuse-liquor.html)

Good luck.

[Melendez]

Thanking You! Ginger removed.

[Vanpatt]

Thanks for the link Forrest; I'm going to give some fruit based infusions a try. My hot pepper experiment was horrific, I highly recommend using only a fraction of what the recipes on net suggest (or perhaps letting it sit for months as suggested to let the flavors mellow).

[forrest]

Thanks for the link Forrest;

Hot Peppers rock... There are a million article on the web... Most of them are helpful, but the key is to try your infusion as it evolves... Leaving things like peppers (or ginger) in for a long time will intensify flavors and also start to show more 'earthy' or vegetal tones-- complexity- that complexity is not always you are looking for. For instance ginger starts kind sweet and warm, but the heat evolves and then introduces minerals-- but how many times have you tried ginger and it tasted exactly the same as the other time-- or was it Indian, Chinese, Thai or Vietnamese ginger?? Was it a large tuber or a small one?? Fresh? Whole? Minced? To many variables-- that is why you have to check it as it evolves....

And Vanpatt-- quite often you can adjust 'out' problems that have occurred in an infusion-- add some sugar-- or citrus-- more fluid... Just give it some attention and see what happens...