Making Kahlua Liqueur for Christmas

Good Morning,

Having My Kahlua Coffee in My Julie Mug

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The Beginning of My Kahlua Christmas

(2023)

I Found The Recipe I Was Looking For!

This is For: Aunt Susy Whann

RIP, We Miss You

I believe it was in the 80’s that I asked for Susy’s Homemade Kahlua recipe. I had heard wonderful things about it and I wanted to someday make it myself.

I never got around to making it until this year.

I got the idea to not only make Kahlua to give as gifts, but to also make enough to use it in my Christmas Dinner Recipes and Cocktails.

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Susy’s Kahlua Recipe:

My Handwriting of Susy’s Recipe

In a large pot mix 1 pint water and 7 cups sugar. Heat slowly to a boil, stir occasionally while heating. Cover and simmer at lowest boil for 25 minutes. Meantime, in a small pan mix 1 pint water and 6 tablespoons coffee. Heat to boil, then let cool. When both pots are completely cool (several house for sugar water) combine into big pot, and half gallon vodka (8 cups) and 4 ounces vanilla.

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I will say this, when someone gives you their recipe sometimes they don’t clarify certain information. For example, Susy never said she used Instant Coffee where the ‘6 tablespoons coffee’ is referenced. Big difference. You’ll see in the making of this. Sometimes people just assume that you will understand, without clarifying the information. Something to think about next time you give out one of your own recipes.

My Math

(Hopefully, I will be able to explain it all to you in the write up.) 🙂

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I Also Have This Recipe That I Consulted With

Coffee Liquor

4 Cups Sugar (or other sweetening)

2 Cups Water

2 Inches Vanilla Bean

6 tablespoons freeze-dried coffee, or

3 tablespoons instant coffee

3 Cups Vodka or Light Rum

2 teaspoons glycerine (optional)

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Boil sugar, 1 1/2 cups water and vanilla bean broken in several places for 30 minutes.

Dissolve freeze-dried or instant coffee in 1/2 cup boiling water. Shake together the sugar syrup and the coffee solution. Add alcohol and glycerine, let stand 2 weeks in covered jar. Remove vanilla bean. Stir in tightly covered glass container. Makes about 2 1/2 pints.

Where I got this recipe? I have no idea. It was with Susy’s.

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Delicious Kahlua Coffee

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And no, I am not making bombs here, I hand-washed all of these bottles and stuffed them with rolled up paper towels to help absorb the water in them. They dry faster that way.

I did scout out some Dollar Tree Stores in looking for empty bottles to use here. I have seen them sell them in the past, but they didn’t have any when I was shopping. I did see a Home Centric Store and dashed in there hoping that they had some bottles, and they DID! Nice ones too! I was so excited!

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My Kahlua Ingredients:

We Will Do The Math Later, But Here Is What You Need

In Addition to the Bottles, you also need some Kahlua Coffee. I didn’t use Instant, I used the regular ground coffee. I also used Granulated Sugar, and Vanilla Extract. Also, Vodka.

You will also need a funnel for when time to pour the Kahlua into each bottle.

Some of my bottles that I used didn’t have stoppers, so I used some of my old corks.

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In the photo top left, you can see two Kahlua Liquor’s, those are just in case I fail miserably. 🙂

I always have a back up plan.

In this photo you can see my completed bottles of Kahlua.

Here I am Decorating the Bottles to Give as Gifts

I have Some Vintage Christmas Bells and Bling

This Was A Lot Of Fun To Put Together

Now I Just Want To Store Them In The Refrigerator For A Few Weeks

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If You Would Like To See The Recipes Where I Used The Kahlua:

Click Here For: Christmas, 2023, A Kahlua Christmas

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How To Make Kahlua

As you can read of Aunt Susy’s Kahlua recipe above, the ingredients that you will need are:

The Ingredients:

Coffee, I used Kahlua Coffee (You Can Use Instant Coffee)

I Could Have Also Brewed The Coffee Fresh to be Used That Way

Water

Sugar

Vanilla Extract (or Vanilla Bean)

Vodka

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In a Large Pot Mix 1 Pint Water and 7 Cups Sugar

Heat Slowly to a Boil, Stir Occasionally While Heating

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In Another Pot mix 1 Pint Water and 6 Tablespoons Coffee

(This is where Susy would use Instant Coffee. I didn’t know to do that, so I used this Kahlua Coffee. I’ll show you how I corrected my mistake as we continue. I realized that I actually could have brewed my own coffee and added it that way.)

Heat to Boil, Then Let Cool

My Two Pots

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You want to boil this Sugar and Water for about 25 minutes.

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When Done, Allow To Cool Completely

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It Was At This Point That I Decided To Allow Both Pots To Cool And Then Place Into The Refrigerator Until The Following Day

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The Amounts That You See Here I Doubled/Tripled/Quadrupled

I wanted to make quite a bit of it so as to give as Gifts, as well as to make a great Cocktail, and to also use in the many Christmas Recipes that I had planned. You have the recipe above so can do your own math and make as much, or as little as you like.

The Simple Syrup

A.K.A. The Sugar and Water

I wrapped Saran Wrap around the pots and placed the lids on top, then put them both in the garage refrigerator. I had also secured the Saran Wrap around the top of the pot with large rubber bands. I do this because sometimes roaches can get into our garage refrigerator. I know that sounds gross, but this is Florida, ya know?

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Taking A Break At This Point Until Tomorrow

An Empty Pot, The Vodka, and The Vanilla

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Right Out of the Refrigerator…

You Can See The Simple Syrup is Got Ice In It, Left

It’s at this point where we are to combine both pots. However, my pot with the coffee grounds in it cannot be mixed with the Simple Syrup, so I placed a cloth over an empty pot and I’m pouring the contents of the Coffee Grounds pot into it. I know it looks like a dirty diaper, but that isn’t the case. 🙂

You Can See The Coffee Grounds In The Bottom Of The Pot

I’ve Been Scraping the Coffee Grounds off the Cloth, above, and Placing Them into a Bowl for Later use.

Exactly what is that ‘later use?’ Your garden, of course.

Coffee Grounds are one of the best things you can add to your soil, potted plants, etc. So, don’t let it go to waste. Don’t throw it out, use it!

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Remove the pot that held your Coffee Grounds. You no longer need it. You now have your Coffee in the other pot where you strained the grounds though that cloth. Remember?

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