Make Your Own Falernum
[ If you're one of those skimmer types, you might want to look near the bottom of this post, because I'm giving away a year's worth of falernum. ]
Falernum is one of those mystery ingredients that, more often than not, stop you in your tracks when you’re looking for a new drink. There are some commercial versions out there that you might consider subbing, like Velvet Falernum, which isn’t all that bad of a product, and then there’s Fee’s Falernum. Yep, that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Making your own falernum takes 10 minutes. Sure, like making bread, those 10 short minutes span a 24 hour period, but the effort is well worth the minimal pain. Falernum can be broken down into two simple steps.
Step 1 – Soak Lots of Tasty Things in Rum
Your options here are nearly endless or if you’re a purist, fairly limited. I’ve gone as far to add something like 15 different spices to my falernum, creating a wicked spiderweb of flavor that verged on perfection craziness. You can definitely go this route, but my goal here is to get you to make falernum, so I’m going to share my favorite recipe with you. And it’s very simple. That said, I know this statement comes from someone who feels comfortable calling the French Laundry cookbook his bitch.
The Toast and Soak
- 8oz rum (preferably an overproof rum like Wray and Nephew or Lemon Hart 151, but use your favorite rum if you have neither)
- 50 cloves
- 1T whole allspice
- 1 nutmeg
- 8 limes, zested
- 1/2c julienned ginger
Toast the cloves, allspice, and nutmeg in a skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Drop the spices and remaining ingredients into the rum. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit on the counter to get happy for 24 hours.
Step 2 – Make the Syrup
You’re pretty much done at this point. All that’s left is to strain the deliciously infused rum and add it to syrup. Really, it’s not hard.
The Syrup
- 2c sugar (preferably pure cane sugar that’s not been refined too much, but don’t let this limit you)
- 1c water
- 10 drops almond extract
Heat the sugar and water over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Strain your soaking mix through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into the syrup; press on the solids to get as much goodness out of it as you can. Add the almond extract. Bottle. Rejoice!
Why Adding Lime Juice to Your Falernum is Evil
I used to always add 4oz of lime juice to my falernum, and nearly 35% of the time, it became a mixture that only Captain Planet could save from the nefarious Sergeant Sludge: gross floaty black bits with a “freshly dead” smell. Yum. After much discussion with Gabe, Craig, and Blair, we determined it was the sneaky lime juice that was causing the rot. For the most part, 2:1 syrups and lots of booze prevent spoilage, but that pesky lime juice just kept on fermenting and getting nasty.
If you miss the fresh kick that lime juice gives your falernum, just add a touch of it to your cocktail when you use falernum. Problem solved. MacGyver would be pleased.
The Falernum Challenge
I know that a lot of you are going to read this post and sigh, thinking you can never make your own falernum or will never be this intense. You will also probably not be as awesomely insane as Doug, who has been making tiki drinks all month, including his own falernum. Hell, you probably groan when you have to make simple syrup. But I want to change all that.
The Prize
Homemade Falernum for a year.
How you get it
- Make your own falernum for the first time, tweaking the recipe I’ve given here.
- Post in the comments that you’ve done so with a little story about your quest. Do this by March 30th.
- Mail me a sample (I’ll email you my address once you post in the comments).
- The tastiest one will be the winner.
That person will receive as much falernum as they need for one year. I’ll make it as often as you need it, and mail it to you.
Aperol Sun
- 2oz white rum (used Oronoco)
- 1oz Aperol
- 1oz grapefruit juice
- 1/2oz falernum
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- grapefruit peel, for garnish
Shake with cracked ice, and strain over ice. Garnish in some ridiculous fashion with the grapefruit peel.
Rick from Kaiser Penguin
36 Responses to “Make Your Own Falernum”
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Tiki Ingredient: Falernum | The Pegu Blog
Said this on February 27th, 2009 at 6:21pm:[...] member, Rick at Kaiser Penguin, whose falernum post I am ninja-ing here. Here’s the link, where you can see a photo of his entirely unrealistically attractive falernum in progress, as well a…. Oh, and he has a contest, too. PAUL CLARKE’S LOVE POTION FALERNUM [...]
Tiare
Said this on February 27th, 2009 at 7:24pm:This is a fantastic post! well written and fun! awesome picture of the Aperol drink.
T
Marc @ NoRecipes
Said this on February 27th, 2009 at 8:36pm:I don’t think I’ll be participating, but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your post. I came over from Tastespotting and am digging your blog.
Sascha
Said this on February 27th, 2009 at 8:43pm:Nice read! I will be making my second batch of falernum soon and i’m curious how much a few different spices will change the taste. :)
My first batch looks like this:
200ml W&N White Overproof
50ml Lemon Hart Demerara 151
2 cinnamon sticks
4x cest of limes
1 green cardamom
6 allspice
20 cloves
50ml blanched + toasted almonds
40ml ginger
Soak for 3 days, then strain an mix with lime juice and simple syrup
125 Limettensaft
250ml Zuckersirup (2:1)
It is very good, but 2 sticks of cinnamon is too much (christmas olé), so i will cut back on this and add a little more of the rest. :)
@ Rick: How much ml is a cup in your recipe? Would be nice to know if it is 250ml or ~237ml, so that i can update my little table. ;)
JohnTheBastard
Said this on February 28th, 2009 at 2:20am:I am going to stop drinking water and only drink a 3:1 Soda:Falurnum mix, so I will be needing roughly 1 gallon of falurnum per week.
recipe coming.
Reese
Said this on February 28th, 2009 at 10:08am:Great post and fantastic cocktail picture! I’d love to hear about your photo setup sometime if you have a few minutes.
BonzoGal
Said this on February 28th, 2009 at 5:44pm:Jeebus, I was all set to go until I saw the part about the French Laundry cookbook… Sigh.
Okay, I will do this thing, but I’m more on a par with Peg Bracken than Thomas Keller. ;)
Jeff Frane
Said this on March 1st, 2009 at 1:17pm:I’m psyched. I needed to visit Penzey’s Spices anyway, and this is incentive to get in the car and drive over there. I have some Demerara and Muscovado sugars that are screaming for a little attention . . .
seezee
Said this on March 1st, 2009 at 2:44pm:lemon-hart & wray & nephew are very different rums; presumably the choice of rums makes a big difference in the outcome. rick (and the kaiser’s gentle readers), which do you prefer, and why?
–cz
Martin
Said this on March 1st, 2009 at 4:03pm:“That person will receive as much falernum as they need for one year. I’ll make it as often as you need it, and mail it to you.”
If I win, will you make it in commercial quantities for me?
Brian / deviator
Said this on March 1st, 2009 at 5:01pm:hey – I would like to suggest that you change ‘8 limes, zested’ to ‘the zest of 8 limes’ to avoid confusion (which you do explain later on in the post. ;)
Craig Hermann
Said this on March 1st, 2009 at 7:01pm:What a nice coincidence. I was just finishing up my latest Falernum[#7] (carting, filtering) to send some off to Cass. It’s my best so far. Removing the lime (juice at the end phase) from the finished product has increased my shelf life by… um, well – I finish it far before I can detect any changes in flavor. Base used was the new Cruzan 151.
What I’ve noticed is that the amount of ingredients for the soak can infuse much more than the 8oz, without any loss of concentration of flavor. I use 750ml of rum (~25oz), leaving for at least a few days. I’ve also been known to soak for as much as a week for full flavor (add the ginger in after a few days, otherwise it tends to get lost).
Then for the syrup, I do about 1 to 1.5x the solution. Delicious!
What’s everyone’s favorite falernum recipes? Mine lately is the Cobra’s Fang.
Rick
Said this on March 1st, 2009 at 9:55pm:Tiare, Thanks! Let me know if you try the Aperol Sun; I think you’ll really like it.
Marc, Just checked out your site, and I dig it. Beautiful photography and some lusty-looking dishes. Cheers!
Sascha, The cardamom is a really nice addition to falernum, but you’re wise for keeping it at one pod. 1 cup is 237ml in my recipes.
John, I have trouble believing you’ve never made falernum before…
Reese, Shoot me an email at rick@kaiserpenguin.com and we’ll chat. I’d actually love to dip into your mind on a few subjects as well.
BonzoGal, The TK comment was in jest and should not discourage you. Though I think you’re going to have a good bit of competition.
Jeff, Isn’t Penzey’s awesome? I got a ton of Ceylon cinnamon at their Pittsburgh shop recently.
seezee, LH151 and JWray are definitely different beasts. I usually use Wray and Nephew overproof for its wonderful vanilla gasoline taste. You bring up a good point though, and one that I want to emphasize. Falernum doesn’t have one single flavor profile (I can feel the flames coming now). If you’re not making it at a bar, and therefore not focusing on consistency, try a few different ones to find which you like best.
Martin, I think you missed this part: “Make your own falernum for the first time” Though you do use Velvet so much, maybe you’ve never made it yourself?
Brian, Can you explain some horror that might ensue if you were to take 8 limes and zest them rather than using the zest of 8 limes?
Craig, Being able to infuse more rum with the same quantity of spices is one of the most exciting discoveries I’ve heard about falernum in a long time. Now I can make huge batches when my soul is sold to some tiki lover this year. My favorite falernum recipe is probably the Jet Pilot, but that’s one of my favorite tiki recipes, so…
Matt Robold (RumDood)
Said this on March 4th, 2009 at 5:13pm:Alright, you’re on. Hope you’ve got a lot of bottles ready. I’m going to spend a year drinking falernum drinks after I win this.
Jeff Frane
Said this on March 5th, 2009 at 7:41pm:My very firstest batch of falernum is done. I did tweak your recipe, using a combination of fresh and dry ginger, dry zest, mace rather than nutmeg, dried tangerine peel and demerara sugar for the syrup. I think it’s fascinating stuff but I have never tasted another falernum so I have no idea how it compares. I believe I would use a white rum if I made this again; the Lemon Hart renders the falernum very dark.
Now I have to figure out to do with the stuff.
Brian L. Frye
Said this on March 10th, 2009 at 12:41am:Ok, challenge accepted, first batch of “falernum” complete. How many departures make for a different beverage? Anyway, I used zest of 8 limes & a solid root of ginger, peeled & chopped. Toasted a spoonful of allspice, a cracked nutmeg, two cardamom pods, a few peppercorns, a handful of cloves & a cup or more of blanched & slivered almonds. All in a jar & covered with Wray & Nephew. Steeped 24hrs, strained & added a cup of Indian honey. Don’t know if its the bona fide article, but it smells & tastes good. I have a sample ready for you.
AK
Said this on March 10th, 2009 at 3:47am:I made Falernum according to Clarke’s Falernum #9 enstructions but… you’re definitely spot-on about the lime juice. I’m going to do a new batch once finals are over. I might up the lime zest amount… we’ll see…
Original Fernet Branca Cocktails | Kaiser Penguin
Said this on March 10th, 2009 at 9:58am:[...] 3/4oz falernum [...]
Vidiot
Said this on March 17th, 2009 at 11:31pm:Okay, I just took a crack at this. Here’s what I used:
approx. 50 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1 whole nutmeg, cracked into 5-6 pieces
2 cinnamon sticks, cracked into a few more pieces
1 bay leaf
1 healthy shake of dried peppermint leaves
1 star anise pod
half a cup or so of raw almonds
Toast everything in a skillet till it starts smelling good. Pour the whole shebang into a mortar and pound/grind very slightly, just so things get cracked a little. Put everything in a jar. Add the zest of 10 limes, 1/2 cup julienned fresh ginger root, and 8 oz. Wray & Nephew Overproof. Let sit for a little over 48 hours, shaking periodically. (It was gonna be 24, but I ended up being busier than I’d thought.)
I have your address unless you’ve moved since November; should I drop a sample in the mail?
Make simple syrup with 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Add 10 drops almond extract (wound up being a bit more) and half a teaspoon of homemade vanilla extract (a friend made it by infusing dark rum with vanilla beans.) Stir the whole thing together.
Vidiot
Said this on March 17th, 2009 at 11:32pm:whoops, dunno how one of my lines from the end of the post wound up in the middle, but I think you can figure out what I’d meant. :P
JWray or "Why does my drink taste like gasoline?" | Kaiser Penguin
Said this on March 26th, 2009 at 7:07pm:[...] it’s overproof, JWray is an excellent spirit for making syrups, such as falernum. Not only is it a workhorse at extracting flavor, but it will add a touch of vanilla to whatever [...]
Recipe Round-Up! ~ Feb 21-27 Sugared Ellipses . . .
Said this on March 30th, 2009 at 2:24pm:[...] only were we blessed with one homemade liqueur, but another cocktail ingredient called Falernum. Kaiser Penguin is giving away a year’s supply for the best tasting sample mailed to [...]
ramonesfan05
Said this on April 20th, 2009 at 6:41pm:This look like it might be pretty good and easy to make. All my experience has been with making mead.
Original Swizzles | Kaiser Penguin
Said this on April 29th, 2009 at 10:57am:[...] 1/2oz falernum [...]
pablus
Said this on May 4th, 2009 at 12:33pm:A couple of weeks ago, I had an individual with an extremely well trained palate who was trying out a few wines at my home and I wanted to throw him a curve so I pulled out my bottle of Sazeracs Falernum and let him have a teaspoon or two.
“mmmmmm, cherries.”
He was right. There was always something missing in my quest to approach the Sazeracs in my homemade Falernum, and I got really close, btw, but cherries is the secret ingredient. What kind and how much? Remains to be seen… errr…. tasted.
Super Syrups! | Quaff The Raven by J.T. Centonze
Said this on May 30th, 2009 at 12:07am:[...] to this recipe from Gabe over at cocktailnerd.com, and this recipe from Matt at rumdood.com, and this recipe from Rick at kaiserpenguin.com. I had three to choose from, and so I went with a combination of [...]
Super Punch | Kaiser Penguin
Said this on May 30th, 2009 at 11:29am:[...] Falernum Recipe [...]
El Centro Cooler :: SLOSHED!
Said this on June 15th, 2009 at 11:23pm:[...] Brazilian white rum ¾ oz Ron Matusalem Platino rum ¼ oz Wray & Nephew Overproof rum ½ oz falernum (preferably homemade by Matt, but if you can’t bribe him, substitute freely) ¾ oz ginger syrup 1 [...]
Shirow66
Said this on June 19th, 2009 at 6:13am:I want to ask anyone who has made Rick’s recipe if they have this problem:
If I let the bottle stand for a couple of days without shaking it I get a dark sediment type thing on the top.
I’m afraid it might be mold, although with the high alcohol content I’m a bit puzzled as to why this could have occurred.
I made a batch before this using regular proof rum and fresh lime juice and it never went bad at all.
Rick
Said this on June 22nd, 2009 at 10:31am:I’ve gotten that too… try straining through cheesecloth when you bottle. You can pour this sediment off or just shake it up… it’s not mold.
Limbo Lizard
Said this on July 6th, 2009 at 11:15am:Shirrow66 and Rick: The “sediment” (Sediment actually settles, not floats – unfortunately, “scum” would be more correct!) on the top of your falernum is probably lime oil, from the zested lime peel. I have a recipe that uses citric acid and pure lime oil (Boyajian brand), instead of fresh lime juice and zest. It has a good lime flavor and aroma, but the oil tends to float to the top. It is a darkish, olive green color – is that what you’re seeing? I shake it up into an emulsion, before using, but it re-separates, after a while.
Shirow66
Said this on July 10th, 2009 at 9:38am:Limbo: I actually knew that sediment settles when I wrote that post, but I couldn’t come up with a better name.
Yes it does look oily and sticks easily to the side of the bottle when I tilt it. The lime oil theory sounds very plausible indeed.
I’d like to ask people and Rick in particular who have tried manufactured falernum brands how it compares to Rick’s recipe. I personally feel like Rick’s recipe is very potent and strong in flavor, and tends to overtake a drink easily compared to my first falernum batch. Like for example in Blackbeard’s Ghost (amazing drink!)from the Grog Log, it uses 0.5oz of falernum and I felt it sort of drowned the rest of the flavors a bit. Do you usually reduce the amount of falernum in recipes when using your own falernum Rick?
Original Herb and Bitters Cocktails | Kaiser Penguin
Said this on August 25th, 2009 at 6:51pm:[...] Falernum Recipe [...]
Andrew
Said this on August 25th, 2009 at 10:35pm:I know this is way late, but had to weigh in.
10 oz. Bacardi White
75 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 T Whole Allspice berries
1/2 t sichuan peppercorns (crazy spicy, sappy/resinous and mouth-numbing in cuisine)
1/2 whole nutmeg broken into ~8 pieces
1/3 C julienne fresh ginger
zest of 5 limes
couple of dashes of ground mace to make up for missing other half of whole nutmeg.
I’ll make the syrup in a day or 2 and let you all know.
Cheers!
Rum Review: Appleton Estate Reserve
Said this on November 3rd, 2009 at 4:14pm:[...] Still, there are plenty of other wonderful concoctions available, and I had a fresh batch of homemade falernum sitting on my counter. Rum Swizzle (from CocktailDB.com) 1.5 oz rum .5 oz falernum .75 oz lime [...]
Homemade Falernum
Said this on November 9th, 2009 at 2:02pm:[...] Last month Rick over at KaiserPenguin announced a contest for the best homemade falernum by a neophyte. [...]