wishlist | lemon verbena liqueur

weekly wine walk... Greetings. Tonight's beverage of choice is a finely aged, two-weeks to be exact, Lemon Balm Liqueur. Heather, from flourgrrrl.com, shared this recipe on Twitter the other week. Turned out quite tasty.

The gardens are starting to look a little long in tooth as of late. The absence of my beloved tomatoes creates a gaping hole in the center of my gardens. The peas have provided their last offerings, but the peppers and cucumbers are starting to finally explode. Corn shoots are starting to jut out, and my squash and pumpkins are spreading their wings by the day.

lemon balm vodka... I was looking for a new and different way to use some of my lemon balm harvest and I've gotta say, I never would have thought of flavoring a vodka with it until it was suggested. Taken from a posting on Garden Web, this simple recipe creates a refreshing summer evening cocktail, best served with a glimmer of sugar around the glass edge and topped off with a curl of lemon zest.

Lemon Verbena Liqueur

1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Verbena leaves. Tightly packed
1 - 5 inch strip of lemon peel (lemon peel but NO white part. The white part will make it bitter)
4 Cups Vodka or Brandy ( I use 100 proof Vodka, It gives a smoother taste)
2 Cups of sugar

Place Verbena leaves and Lemon strip in Vodka in a large jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid. Infuse the mixture for 2 days, then add the sugar, and infuse for 2 weeks, shaking vigorously once or twice a day to dissolve the sugar. Strain and filter through cheesecloth or very fine strainer after the 2 weeks. Transfer to bottles and age an additional 2 weeks before use.