Give the gift of homemade booze: 23 easy recipes for DIY liqueur (2024)

FAQs

Can you gift homemade alcohol? ›

Bottling and Packaging Your Homemade Beverage Goodies

Once you make a big batch of infused alcohol, it's time to bottle it for gifts. One way to get bottles is to save any bottles you use throughout the year and re-use them for gifts. Just be sure to clean them well, even boil them to be sure you get any reside out.

In English, moonshine is also known as mountain dew, choop, hooch (abbreviation of hoochinoo, name of a specific liquor, from Tlingit), homebrew, mulekick, shine, sneaky pete, white dog, white lightning, white/corn liquor, white/corn whiskey, pass around, firewater, and bootleg.

If they prefer a specific alcoholic beverage—wine, beer, brandy, whisky—look for a new, interesting, or limited-edition version to make it special. These liquors have mid- to premium prices. Also, adding something extra can make your birthday gift more memorable.

Hard Apple Cider is definitely the easiest way to go. There is a recipe on HomeBrewTalk that is very popular as it's extremely easy to make. Essentially you get red wine yeast and mix it with 5 Gallons of store bought apple juice and 2 pounds of dextrose. You need a carboy and an airlock, but that's it.

While individuals of legal drinking age may produce wine or beer at home for personal or family use, Federal law strictly prohibits individuals from producing distilled spirits at home (see 26 United States Code (U.S.C.) 5042(a)(2) and 5053(e)).

Most homemade liqueurs start with vodka. This spirit is an ideal base for liqueurs because it's colorless and flavorless, making it the perfect blank canvas. Start by creating some of the most popular liqueur flavors, like coffee, amaretto, and Irish cream — they all rely on vodka for their kick.

Gifting alcohol to individuals who do not partake can be awkward and may even alienate them. It's crucial to have a good understanding of the recipient's preferences and any potential dietary or cultural restrictions before selecting an alcoholic gift.

For any occasion, giving alcohol as a gift can be a great way to show someone that you care. Whether it's a bottle to celebrate a milestone or to simply say thanks, a well-chosen drink can be just the thing to bring people together.

Avoid gifts with possible sexual, political or religious overtones, Heinz adds. The same rule applies to alcohol and gag gifts, which could cross HR lines or be offensive to others.

Place your bottle of liquor in an empty box so it isn't obvious what your gift is. Wrap the box with wrapping paper and you're ready to give your gift. If you don't want the bottle to move around in the box, you can stuff some packing material like newspaper or gift tissue paper.