Making homemade FALERNUM! an essential rum liqueur

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Today we’re making homemade falernum! If you’re into the tiki/tropical drinks, you know falernum’s an essential liqueur behind your bar. Commercial options vary considerably, so it’s nice to be able to make this ourselves. That way we’re able to dial in the flavors to our liking, and level up our cocktails. We’ll make my recipe, compare it to a popular commercial brand, and then mix it into a classic falernum cocktail - the Corn ’n’ Oil. Hope you enjoy the recipe! Feel free to experiment with other spices and flavors to make it your own. Cheers!
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Video/editing/illustrations by Azusa Inaba 🎥 🎨
TIME STAMPS
Intro: 0:00
Viski: 1:17
What's Falernum?: 2:41
Ingredients: 3:23
The infusion: 4:16
Post infusion: 7:34
Taste test: 8:49
Corn ’n’ Oil: 10:35
Sips & Sign Off: 11:23
HOMEMADE FALERNUM RECIPE (yields ~350 ml)
4 oz (120 ml) El Dorado 151 overproof rum
6 limes, zested
50g (~4 tbs) toasted almonds
12 whole cloves
15g chopped ginger
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 vanilla bean with seeds
8 oz (240 ml) semi-rich simple syrup (1.5:1 sugar:water)
- Combine almonds, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, and lime zest in sealable jar. Add rum. Seal, shake, and set aside in a cool dark place. Leave to infuse for 24 hours, agitating every few hours. After 24 hours, filter contents to remove solids. Add simple syrup. Stir or shake to combine. Stored covered in the fridge, this will last at least a year.
THE CORN ’N’ OIL RECIPE 10:53
2 oz. (60 ml) Real McCoy 12 year rum
1/4 oz. (7.5 ml) homemade falernum
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Lime wedge for garnish
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[@AndersErickson]

Any favorite fancy falernum formulas? Visit www.viski.com/anders & use code ANDERS15 to get 15% off sitewide!

[@kazenix87]

I've been making a riff on Paul Clarke's Falernum #10 myself. I add slightly less cloves, and a little more ginger. It's big, bold and shines well in drinks. I was never a big fan of Velvet Falernum, so I pretty much only go with my homemade stuff. I've also been meaning to try making the Smuggler's Cove Hibiscus Liqueur as the ginger and cloves in it kind of reads a bit like a falernum riff.

[@lenoraszalach9759]

Ours is 4oz ginger (tossed in the mini food processor cup), zest of 8 limes, then a toasted 1T of cloves, 1T of allspice, 1 crushed whole nutmeg (not ground, just whacked with a meat mallet), 1t cinnamon. Then a cup of neutral, high proof rum- we usually end up with Cruzan Hurricane Proof. Toss in fridge for 24 hours, then strain (we use a nut milk bag), and add 1/2t almond extract and a full batch of rich simple (2 cups sugar, 1 water). We like reusing the pulp to make a second batch. There's a bit of a flavor difference, but combined is better than either batch on its own.

[@JC-wv7om]

I make seasonal riffs. Fall is coming (YAY SWEATER WEATHER) so it's a bit different for the warming spices & butternut squash. Winter I typically go more in a tropical mole direction with some chocolate-y notes, summer the spices are a mix of peppercorns & coconut instead of almond. Spring is closer to the classic recipe but with a little lemon/orange zest and a pinch of chamomile (or when I have them on hand, cherry blossoms.)

[@TravellerRDS]

There is an excellent liqueur made in Czechia, called Becherovka. It's 38% ABV and dubbed "the European Falernum", due to it's intense clove aroma, alongside ginger, honey and almond. I use it in all tiki drinks and other cocktails that specifically call for Becherovka (Christmas Negroni, Larkwood, Reality Check and more). Thanks for the recipe (and I really like the gun-metal shaker, I will get one too)!

[@philippedesmarais868]

No way to get Falernum up here in Canada, no allspice dram either, but that's another story. I've done ok with Paul Clark's no.9, the flavor is always evolving too, very nice. And it's ready in 24 hours, highly recommended .

[@nickyfray]

Rum heads we’re eating SO good this summer with Anders

[@Collinforastorm]

It has been an expensive summer

[@DragonBoi3789]

Pro tip for any kind of infusion like this: Once it's done and the solids are filtered out, you can dry the solids in a low oven or dehydrater, then grind it up into a spice powder. Great for cooking or baking. Ive done this with pickling veggies, liquer infusions, and even mushroom sauce solids.

[@owenmccord5078]

Answered my unasked question. Thank you!

[@philipwacker4629]

Awesome! Pro tip indeed.

[@DrZZZee]

Just a friendly tip. If you put the zester on top of the lime, and move the zester, not the lime, you will experience following advantages: the movement itself is way easier and a lot more controlled, almost no chance of hurting your fingers, and you see exactly how much piff you're about to cut into at all times. The zest is safely stored within those ribs of the instrument. No downsides to be found in using it this way. Just saying.

[@deanparker5548]

Chef Jean Pierre would give this comment an A++

[@movingforwardLDTH]

Thanks for this tip! My tip is that the word is “pith”, not “piff”.

[@TheInfinityzeN]

I was just about to make the same comment and I saw someone had already beaten me to it. It is such a common mistake that there is no need to even get upset about it, just politely point out the error and help others avoid it.

[@Jake-xe1wu]

Having zero experience I tried it moving the lime for all of 10 seconds before switching and never looking back. No need to be told that worked better.

[@CookingWithJackDaniels]

Commenting to get this comment higher. Both better in terms of ease of use and safety

[@ethanlitwin3757]

Wow! I asked for the Corn n’ Oil last week and we get a Falernum recipe to boot! Is the service always this good here? This is the cocktail that is going to take rum to the next level. Made it for a friend the other week and she said it tasted like her childhood. I also love use Real McCoy 12 in this.

[@XscarpettaX]

Anders is one the you tubers that could be talking about anything and I would still watch.

[@HansMaximum]

I have made this before, but my recipe comes to 9 limes zested has lasted almost 1.5 years in my fridge. Still tastes great! I used almost the same ratios as you, but my rum was plantation overproof. I do omit vanilla, definitely toast the cloves with the almonds, and some people add the lime juice. But I think that drastically lowers the shelf life. Whenever I use falernum I end up using lime juice anyway so.... 🤷 Amazing stuff.

[@urouroniwa]

This summer was the summer of liqueur making for me and I made some interesting discoveries. I did side by sides of macerating with 180 proof, 80 proof and 40 proof. Each of them I diluted down to 20& alcohol (obviously the last one needed no dilution). The 180 proof louched (like your falernum -- the oils precipitate out and get suspended because the lower alcohol content can't dissolve all the oils). I left it for a week to let the oils float to the top a bit, cooled it and then filtered it so it was clear. The result? All three tasted almost identical. The only difference is that at 180 proof, I macerated for 3 days, 80 proof 2 weeks, 40 proof 4 weeks. The way I'm thinking is that given enough maceration time, you get to 100% saturation of oils for the various levels. 180 proof dissolves a lot more than 80 proof which dissolves a lot more than 40 proof, but after you dilute it, those oils come out of solution and eventually float to the top and are lost, leaving the exact same thing. One interesting thing is that if you start with a high proof alcohol (over 100) and dilute it down below 50% alcohol (100 proof), it will louch. This makes an emulsion which will stay for a good week or two. While the oils are emulsified, the liqueur is *much* more flavorful because there are *much* more oils. So if you use your technique and drink it within a couple of weeks, it will absolutely smash and commercial liqueur because they can't reasonably sell cloudy liqueur (and the oils will form weird blobs after a few weeks as well). However, if you want to make a clear liqueur, you are lazy and you have time, there seems to be no penalty for starting at the target alcohol percentage and just giving a very long time to macerate. I've been making homemade amaro all summer with 25% shochu and it's been incredible. Just macerating it for 3-4 weeks, straining it off and *done*. Literally takes a few minutes. Finally, I think you will find that if you include the pith in your macerations it will *not* be more bitter (it's worth a side by side test and I admit to being to lazy to do it). However, you will get clarity issues due to the pectin in the pith. Some pectinase can solve it, or if you don't care about clarity than just don't worry about. Again, lazy person's liqueurs. I made an *amazing* brandy based curacao with tons of orange peel pith and it is not even remotely bitter. Any bitterness is balanced out by the sugar anyway. Oh, one more quick thing. If you are being super lazy, you can just add sugar directly. It only takes about 1-2 days for 20% sugar by weight to dissolve.

[@azadamaru5681]

So basically you can make falernum with regular rum (let’s say bacardi carta blanca) but you just have to let it sit longer with all the spices and you don’t add the syrup after straining?

[@exohumer3486]

@@azadamaru5681 Yes, I think that's in short words, what he said. Anyway, I would not use Barcadi. Its cheap shit. Use e.g. Tiki-lovers, Plantation oder Havanna 3y. Btw, not all essences are extracted by Alcohol. Lot is extracted better by water and that is why a lower alcohol , IMO is better. if you read the book 'Bitters' by Parsons, you recognise that the extraction by high alcohol always follwes an extract by water (so you boil the ingredians afterwards in water and add it to your essence).

[@deanparker5548]

pro tip; when cutting dry ingredients use the cutting board side without the liquid catch groove. Love your videos!!!

[@vwjetts]

So weird how Anders seems to make videos that hit at the PERFECT time. I had a drink while on vacation in New Orleans recently with falernum, and just bought a bottle of it yesterday on the way home from work! He's a mind reader! Not the first time this has happened! Thanks for the great video, Anders!

[@jyamo8286]

Love these longer videos! Gotta try making this!!

[@Runge_was_here]

It's always good to have a reliable recipe in case the shelves go empty. I will definitely give this a shot. Thanks, good sir ❤🍻

[@markmcvicar2654]

Looks amazing! Definitely going to give this a try. Cheers!

[@Jtssun]

Thanks for knocking it out of the park again Anders! Made this yesterday morning and am enjoying my first homemade Falernum cocktail - went with Difford’s ‘Brooklyn’s finest’ riff on a Brooklyn (with rye, cognac, and amaro). Delicious and super complex! This got me thinking, I would love to see a video from you on Amari, as I’ve had a home bar for over a year now and still know precious little about it. Cheers!

[@erikf826]

Yay!!!!! So excited to see how you do Falernum 😊

[@kristopherkneisler570]

Love your videos, everything you both do is so awesome!! Thank you for this, I was thinking about making a falernum for distillery i work at and this is an awesome guide! Cheers and thanks!

[@Silly_Oak]

Pro tip with a zester. Put the zester on top of the fruit and move the zester back and forth like a violin bow. Not moving your fruit back and forth over the zester. That way you can watch the fruit while you grate so you don't get any of that bitter white pit in your drink. And the all the zest will get caught inside the the plane, it's why it got the wings. You can just tap the blade on your bowl to get it off. Makes it a lot easier! :D

[@bryanpoluu8987]

Thanks you so much for this recipe and all your videos Anders and Az, I'm really learning a lot from you, really appreciatte it, keep it coming 🤩

[@angelarochester116]

Ooh, I’ll have to make this 👍 Thanks for the recipe xx

[@joshuacaulfield]

“Peace and long life”. I about fell over. Thanks to both of you for being you.

[@fredericchast9824]

The complicity you and Az have makes your videos more than just cocktail recipes. They're almost like life recipes or something. Anyways... Keep up the good work, guys!

[@MyRumDiaries]

So excited for this one. Been dying to make this at home!

[@EricAAnderson]

I appreciate this channel. This is nothing like the falernum I’ve tried to make in the past, and looks 100x better. Def going to try this!

[@carl_busch]

Thanks for sharing. Always fun to make your own ingredients.

[@jeremiahsuryanto4342]

This is just what I needed, I cannot seem to find a store-bought falernum in my local store. Thanks for the video Anders 🎉

[@edwardguy6048]

You two are always informative and entertaining!!!

[@Albertby311]

wow I was just thinking about this from the tiki book I got. so I just bought a bottle today. Great timing.

[@masdumas]

This was a great one. Gonna make some this week

[@pnkntndr]

Thank you guys for making me truly enjoy rum.

[@27dcx]

I REALLY like falernum, going to have to try this recipe. One of my favorite drinks is a Barbados cocktail, which is basically a daiquri with falernum instead of the simple. 1.5 oz dark rum (should be from Barbados), 1oz falernum, 0.75 oz lime juice.

[@OldFashionedWays]

I love these DIY vids. Fun to try drinks with home made. cheers

[@matteobertolini_1]

Tried it: approved. Nice recipe!

[@TheOddKris]

Wow I'm early this time, you rock Anders! Looking forward to watching this ❤

[@AndersErickson]

You're right on time

[@loganjohnson7423]

OMG YEEEEEES!!!! Falernum isn’t available in my area so this is amazing🤩🤩🤩

[@billsallak4887]

Great video! Quick thought: anyone who uses Mason jars for infusions like this may want to get a canning funnel. They're great for getting your ingredients in the jar without spillage or loss. Thanks!

[@jendrouinladentsucreedejen22]

I just made the Falernum recipe, will see tomorrow!🎉

[@cdoconn]

I started making my own homemade infusions just the other day and inadvertently made my own version of a falernum using vodka cardamom and star anise. It's very good on the rocks.

[@marcgarneau7689]

Nice. I will need to try this 🥥

[@michaszyc5965]

I was waiting for this video half of my life!

[@jschoenack]

TO THE BAR! ➡️🥃

[@moonwhisperxiv]

So funny you made this now as I just bought Shannon Mustipher's Tiki book (on your recommendation) and very quickly realized I need some falernum!

[@frann.8879]

Hi Anders, what a great video!…I don’t mind the mess, great history about Falernum, and what a fantastic drink! CHEERS!🍹❤️❤️😁😁

[@LikeOnATree]

Going to definitely have to try this out!! Loooovvveeeee the Star Trek reference!!! ❤❤

[@patriciadean1649]

Enjoy both of you ❤❤

[@brycesugiyama5739]

Sick, now I’ve got an xmas gift idea for my tiki-obsessed homie! Thanks Anders!

[@jenniferstachnik3287]

Fascinating

[@dannym30]

I cant find the velvet falernum in my part of Canada so i greatly appreciate this video. Cheers

[@SlasherXGAMES]

I've got a batch sitting in a cool, dry place right now. I'm looking forward to the next 24 hours! Thanks, Anders.

[@Notisaac4779]

Hell yeah! Best part of fridays

[@somedayDefect]

Your lime zest technique brought me pain and I heard Uncle Rogers voice in my head while watching that part! Lol... Thanks for all the videos! They are fun.

[@rewdymeyer]

Lol. Love y’all. Keep up the good work.

[@Supersamazing]

Yes! I can't get falernum, so happy you made this, can't wait to try it. How long does it keep in the fridge?

[@kingstonfarm7556]

Had no idea what falernum was, but now I simply must make some!

[@minhbuiquang3810]

A year. That’s what I need. Thank you, Anders

[@TheRealMcCoyRum]

The perfect season for a Corn'n'Oil. (Any season, tbh. ;). Thanks for mixing with us - Cheers!

[@garyhovey9305]

Viski! Purchased the 3 prong ice chipper and wooden mallet thing I’ve, both are heavy duty and awesome!

[@krazmokramer]

Funny video! THANKS Anders!

[@igawori7331]

I have the same chopping board, I put the hole in the corner over the jar and scrape the nuts through the hole. Less messy!

[@cesarlemos1337]

I'm making a homemade triple sec and coffee liqueur and I must say that the falernum recipe is probably gonna show up soon (24h wait is a huge +)! As always, thank you Anders.

[@golly181]

I had great success just using the Cointreau essence in case your home made version isn’t up to scratch

[@juliestockton8079]

I can't find John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum near me in SE Texas. Even tried to have it ordered by a local liquor store to no avail. Most people have never heard of it! Found some in Houston, luckily, but glad to have a good recipe for it! Thanks, Anders!

[@owenmccord5078]

Great stuff! If you use the microplane like a peeler, you won’t have to worry about over zesting.

[@richmosley2519]

Ah yes, Corn 'n Oil! I had bought the classic Falernum a few years ago and immediately had no idea what to do with it. I knew it was a Tiki thing, but I suppose it was an impulse buy, as ya do... Anyways, Corn 'n Oil was the first thing that sounded good to me as I began online research. I'm looking forward to trying your version. Cheers!

[@KatJeffrey-ys8sf]

Awesome. I'm making Bermuda Rum Swizzles. Timely video, thanks!

[@neighbortim]

I was recently given a bottle of the Bitter Truth falernum. I thought it had considerably more flavor than the typical velvet . . . . now I'll have to make some of my own and see how that does!

[@joewhite4564]

I just bought falernum on Thursday. Thank, Anders. 😂

[@Patronux]

Anders, can I just say you're the best? Greetings from Perú.

[@polishprince7219]

great video! especially for us who live in Canada where John D. Taylor's or any alcoholic falernum isn't available!

[@rodmund83]

Kudos to Az for knowing the original call AND response of the vulcan greeting 🖖

[@maquinas2000]

Was just about to order a Falernum Syrup......I had a few recipe on hand, but......Might try homemade :)

[@seanpannebaker6404]

Great video Anders! I love falernum but I don't use it as often. I went with a shelf stable recipe. My current bottle is about 8 months old and holding up well! The Corn 'n Oil was one of the first drinks I made when I finish making my falernum. Cheers!

[@Doodmeister0]

How did you make it shelf stable

[@seanpannebaker6404]

@Doodieeful For the recipe I followed (from another channel), you need to swap out a few ingredients. Limes for lime cordial, ginger for ginger syrup, almonds for almond extract.

[@AngryCocktails]

This looks like a fun project

[@ChillDrinks]

"We all love a good, sturdy bottom." I yelled lmaoooo 😂😂😂😂😂

[@richhawley9785]

Lime zest - I like to use a serrated peeler. It takes off the zest without any pith.

[@DrZZZee]

Definitely vote for more vids like this.

[@jeffreymiller9438]

This is an ingredient for the Saturn, a great drink, one you've featured.

[@amytg777]

Hi Anders! Little late to the party but that bottle looks like Pierre Ferrand to me. Excellent film, rxcellent recipe. Cheers from Indy!

[@ChillDrinks]

I need to try this. I was thinking this might taste like a rich daiquiri. But you saying it reminds you of an old fashioned made me even more curious

[@ejcandrin]

FINALLY, thank you Anders ❤ PS - Bottle is from Pierre Ferand Dry Curaçao.

[@VanillaChai42]

I've made it before when it was out of stock at my bar but honestly I didn't find it to be all that worth it but it was absolutely a fun experience. If you read this, make it at least once XD

[@wristshot55]

Thanks for the referral to Viski. I was in the market for new rocks glasses and picked up four of the Beau Lowballs - plus a set of Burke Whiskey glasses for good measure. But I also need some new coupes and Viski's are lovely -- but too big, right? They're 7.5 oz.

[@christianruiz5475]

Hi Anders! Been your avid video watcher for a while now and i’ve been learning a lot. Have you tried making a Peach Liqueur at home?

[@stevenjacobs2750]

A WHOLE ASS DIY RECIPE FROM ANDERS!? TODAY IS AN ALL CAPS KIND OF DAY

[@RH1812]

Keep meaning to say, so will now while I think about it, I really like the cinematography 🍷

[@Ovlazek]

Thanks so much for this. Can't find Velvet Falernum where I'm at in Canada. I've made the Falernum #9 (similar but I don't think there's vanilla) before and I like it, but I'll have to try JDT at some point to compare.

[@GiveZeeAChance]

Couldn't release this video at a better time! I've been searching for it in my new area and coming up with nothing.

[@paulmarko1829]

I've never had a Corn & Oil cocktail, but it seems like it would be reminiscent of a Mai Tai because of the almonds and lime in the Falernum.

[@patrickmyers5611]

that repurposed bottle gotta be some mathilde liqueur! big fan of the peach

[@tduncan146]

Cheers Anders!

[@AndersErickson]

🥂

[@epsilon723]

Love your recipes and techniques! I was due to make more orgeat, and learned about milk punch from Cocktail Chemistry, so am super excited to try this one. And by the way… just procured my first bottle of Mathilde Cassis. 😉 VERY tasty

[@sheldoniusRex]

Yes Anders, we all like a good sturdy bottom. Especially if it feels good in your hand.

[@andreadidonna]

I love your videos. Thank you. Just a question: would you drink Falernum neat or just mixed?

[@andreadidonna]

Thank you, anyway...

[@jeffreytyler5639]

Can you do a video about your ice cubes you use for Stirring? Do you cut clear ice or have a machine of some sort?

[@patrickgarber4452]

Awesome videos? Question: Does it matter if you use a dark rum151 like lemon Hart or does it have to be clear? Keep the great videos coming!!

[@natasha5306]

I made this using 40% rum (all I had where I was) and it's great. However, mine yielded 250 ml. I'd want more yield and I might swap out the vanilla for cinnamon, or cut the vanilla and add cinamon in proportion. Cheers!

[@ericdesch]

If you use a plastic flexible cutting mat, you can just bend it and slide everything into the jar easy peasy.

[@xkot6431]

I busted a laff when you casually insisted we make a face with the ingredients. Great video!

[@kevinbabic630]

Has anyone tried to guess what the bottle at 8:45 is being repurposed from? It looks like the usual container for Mathilde fruit liqueurs

[@thingswhynot]

That’s exactly what it is. I have 2-3 of those bottles for my homemade syrups too lol

[@char11eg]

As well as for this, infusing a high proof vodka with zested limes the same way you did here is a fairly good method to make a lime version of limoncello, which is actually pretty damn tasty! Although for that at least, I'd not go quite as deep on the zesting, to get a little less pith, as the effect of the pith's flavour is stronger when you don't have those other spices around! You can also of course do this with all other citrus fruits, but you can also just peel bigger citrus without getting the pith... limes are just too small, lol. They're also all good! Always mildly confuses me why only the lemon version is really commercially available (and sometimes arancello (orange), I guess)!

[@jameswright4236]

Brilliant video as always. Was wondering about what sort of shelf life would this recipe for Falernum have?

[@blaxwax]

Stored covered in the fridge, this will last at least a year.

[@michaszyc5965]

Have you trier using syphon for rapid infusion of falernum?