Homemade Fresh Strawberry Liqueur

Strawberry liqueur, made with fresh strawberries, is a necessary addition to a homemade liqueur assortment, it adds color and flavor to cocktails and punches or it is simply served cold with a drop of lemon. Like all Italian homemade liqueurs, it makes a perfect edible gift.

Jump to:

• An Italian family tradition
• Making the strawberry liqueur
• Brewing the strawberries
• Adding the syrup
• How to serve it
• My selection of liqueurs
• No risk of botulism
• Setting up a liqueur workshop
• FAQ
• 📋Homemade Strawberry Liqueur

An Italian family tradition

Having a selection of homemade liqueurs to offer after lunch or dinner is one of the most unique Italian tradition.

Fruits or herbs are soaked in 95% alcohol for several weeks to infuse their flavor and healing properties.

Originally used in monastery to preserve their garden produce, they soon became an Italian popular recipe to make at home and pass on from generation to generation.

Most of the Italians will have a cupboard full of digestives to offer after a lavish meal, and when they are homemade there is extra pride from the host and appreciation from the guests.

Liqueur recipes are often a family tradition that have been passed on from generations. It is often an opportunity to remember an ancestor, most likely through some amusing memories linked to his/her liqueur making skills. Homemade liqueurs are always entertaining.

Testing the different flavors, exchanging recipes, commenting on flavors and what dessert to serve it with, carries the evening into a joyful conversation, especially after a couple of shots have been sipped.

Making the strawberry liqueur

Making the liqueur is very simple but as with most liqueurs, it does require a couple of months of brewing. So be patient, get started and you will have a great result.

To make the liqueur you need:

• 95% drinkable alcohol: in the USA you can find Everclear. Another option is to replace the alcohol with Vodka.
• Fresh strawberries: I wouldn't recommend using frozen ones, after all liqueurs were invented to preserve fresh fruits. Would you make jam with frozen fruits?
• Granulated sugar: to make the syrup
• Freshwater: if your tap water has a strong unpleasant taste, use bottled water

Brewing the strawberries

The first step for making the strawberry liqueur is to brew the strawberries in the alcohol. Here is how to proceed:

1. Rinse the strawberries and remove the stem
2. Place them into a large bowl and liquidize them with an electrical blender.
3. Pour the liquidized strawberries into a canning jar 67 oz - 2-liter capacity
4. Add the alcohol and stir to blend
5. Store in a cool and dark place for 10 days
6. Shake the jar every second day

Adding the syrup

5. After 10 days make the syrup dissolving the sugar into the water by warming it up on the stove
6. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from the heat and let it come down to room temperature.
7. Once cold, pour the syrup into a 1 gallon glass bottle with a large neck and add the strawberries brewing into the alcohol with a large funnel.
8. Close the bottle and let it rest for another 20 days

9. Shake it regularly every second day
10. After 20 days, filter the strawberries
11. Pour into fancy bottles or small glass bottles with lids
12. Keep it in the liqueur cabinet and serve it cold

How to serve it

I like to serve this liqueur as a Limoncello, cold from the freezer. Do not worry, there is enough alcohol to prevent the liqueur to solidify in ice, as most of store bought liqueurs.

As it can be very sweet, I like to add wedges of lemon or lime.

You can also use it to make Strawberry Cosmopolitan, a fantastic cocktail from Dishes Delish.

My selection of liqueurs

I have already published 7 different types of homemade liqueurs:

• the classic Limoncello
• a creamy limoncello cream
• the nutty Nocino
• a chocolate liquor
• a versatile orange curacao
• natural healing of Licorice liqueur
• Italian eggnog VOV for Christmas
• a Spring violet liqueur

Check out the category: Homemade liquors

You can also check out the web story: 9 Homemade Italian Liqueurs

For those of you who like the thrill of the forbidden fruit, try to make Concord Grape Wine Fragolino.

Banned in Europe for commercial use, you can only try it if you make it for personal consumption.

Subscribe to get: 20 cultural habits that make Italians great cooks

Plus download the printable liqueur labels you find in the picture below.

Strawberry liqueur is a perfect addition to this collection. Not only has a gorgeous color and delicious taste. The sweet and slightly sour taste of the strawberries, cleanse the palate leaving a nice fresh taste after any lavish meal.

This liqueur can also be added in cocktails, punches, or offered as an aperitif toned down with tonic water and a drop of lemon juice.

I like to offer it cold after a meal in a margarita glass with a fancy rose ice cube I make with my special Rose Ice Cube Stackable.

No risk of botulism

Since a reader asked, I would like to reassure everyone who has doubts, this liqueur is not at risk of botulism. This recipe uses Alcohol 95% or vodka 50% of ethanol.

Here is a study that proves botulism cannot grow in Alcohol: ”The growth and neurotoxin production (botulism) was delayed by an ethanol concentration of 4% ethanol and completely inhibited by a concentration of 6%”.

Effect of Ethanol on the growth of Clostridium botulinum

Botulism is a concern with home canning… not fermentation or infusions of fruits and vegetables. Here is more information about botulism from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service:

Clostridium Botulinum

Setting up a liqueur workshop

You can easily create your liqueur workshop with just a few items. They are not expensive and you can order them online from my Amazon shop: Homemade Liqueur Lab. Those are my favorite and specially selected tools to make the process smooth and easy:

1. Jars 67 ounce - 2 liters: I use large canning jars to infuse herbs or fruits in the alcohol. They are easily sealed and don't take much room in the cupboard. I usually brew different types of liqueurs at the same time so I need several jars. If you are an occasional liqueur maker, you can just use the bottle below.
2. 1 gallon - 3-liters glass bottle: I use this bottle in the second part of the brewing process, once I add the syrup. It is a transparent glass bottle so I can check how the liqueur is progressing and if it needs a good shake. It is important that this bottle has a large neck so the residuals of the fruits, zests, spices, or herbs can be easily removed without any problem once the liqueur is ready to be bottled. Personally I have 2 of those large bottles.
3. Funnel with a wide and short stem: When you are pouring the liqueur from one bottle to another during the brewing process, you need to have a funnel with a wide and short stem so it doesn't get clog with the ingredients that are brewing in the alcohol.
4. Auto-stop funnel: However, once the liqueur is ready, filtered and all the solid particles have been removed, I like to use an auto-stop funnel with a floating system that stops the liquid from flowing once the bottled has been filled.
   
   It is very difficult to gauge how much liquid can fit in a bottle and I often fill the funnel way too much. Instead of overflowing the bottle, the auto-stop funnel locks the stem automatically and the excess liquid remains in the funnel.
   
   The funnel can be easily removed, transferred into another bottle using the handle that keeps the liquid inside the funnel and no liqueur is wasted.

5. Fine Mesh Strainer: to remove all solids and particles from the liqueur once it is ready to be filtered.
6. Measuring mugs: it is very important to use the exact proportion of syrup vs alcohol. Measurements mugs are a must.
7. Ladle with spout: to easily pour the liquid into the funnels from a large bowl or pan. I always use the ladle with a spout to take the syrup from the pan where I boiled it into the funnel. If you don't have a pan with a spout, this is the easiest way to pour the syrup once it is cold.
8. Fancy vintage bottles: I love to have my own liqueur assortment into those vintage bottles. It gives my homemade liqueurs an extra wow factor.
9. Small glass bottles with lids: if you want to store the liqueurs in small bottles or if you want to give it as gifts to friends and family those small bottles are perfect. The lid seals and they can be easily carried. They even come with labels to write the name of the liqueur and the date.
10. Shot glass set and/or Small liqueur glasses: it is very important to serve the liqueur in small shot glasses so it can be slowly sipped and relished.
11. Good Grips Bottle Brush: to easily clean all the bottles after each use. Some liqueurs can be very sticky and stain easily like the walnut hull.
12. If you want to give your liqueur an extra festive look you can also use the Rose Ice Cube Stackable to make rose ices or the ice cube with light to make your liqueur shine at night.

FAQ

If you are making this homemade strawberry liqueur, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.