Use in daiquiris, Moscow mules and piña coladas or to flavor sparkling water.
1 750-milliliter (3-cup) bottle cachaça*
9 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
1 foot long branch California bay laurel (leaves, stems and all)
Peel from 1 lemon
Peel from 2 grapefruits
½ cup coriander seeds, crushed
75 milliliters (2½ cups) organic cane sugar
175 milliliters (6 ounces) water
Place all ingredients but sugar into a glass jar and seal lid. Stir every other day or so for a week. Let rest for another 2–3 months.
Strain and set aside the infused cachaça. Move the strained leaves, peels and seeds to a stockpot. Add water and the sugar to stockpot and bring just barely to a boil.
Allow cooked mixture to cool then add back into cachaça.
Let mixture marinate for another week. Strain out all material and bottle into a large jar or a few smaller jars.
*This is the Brazilian rum used in capirinhas and is available at local liquor stores.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
