Angelica Liqueur

After the less-than-satisfying experiment with angelica, I cut up what I hadn't used (about 4 ounces or so) and put it into a 1-pint canning jar, and filled the jar with inexpensive neutral vodka to see if it would at least make a passable liqueur.

Picture above shows it steeping. Turned it approximately every other day and kept the jar in a relatively cool and dark place. Six weeks later, it was time to give it a try.

Turns out, this is not such a bad thing. The liqueur itself was sweet, much of the sugar having been extracted from the candied angelica. The candied angelica eaten as is taste tasted only of sugar. The liqueur, though, had a distinctive herbal flavor. It was clean and subtle, almost grassy, with a floral hint coming through mostly in aromatics. I think I would have liked the resulting drink better if I had infused the candied angelica (or, better yet, plain angelica herb) in a smoother liquor - maybe a dry, neutral brandy or even rum, but with the vodka I knew the flavors I was getting were coming from the herb.

I'm not going out of may way to order any more angelica for this purpose, although if I had friends who liked interesting liqueurs it would be a great hostess gift presented in a nice bottle. And at least it made the purchase a partial success.