Liquid Creme Brulee

Liquid Creme Brulee in 1L Boiling Flask $24/40 w/Stopper

Inspired by my lovely partner Megan Otto's grandparents, I concoct a very sweet liquor made from organic cane sugar, fresh northwest water, absolute ethanol, and Grand Marnier. I call this mixture Liquid Creme Brulee. Continue reading if you want to know how to make your own...

Liquid Creme Brulee

The Recipe


1 cup organic cane sugar
2 cups fresh water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 oz Grand Marnier
1 cup Absolute Ethanol / Everclear

Instructions/ Procedure

1. Take 1 cup organic cane sugar and place it into a stainless steel pot.

2. Put this pot over a heat source of medium intensity and carefully watch the sugar as it heats.

3. Continue heating the sugar up to carmelization temperatures ~338 deg. A candy thermometer would be very helpful for this step. The sugar will melt and heat up and change color when it gets really hot. You are going for the point where the sugars start to change to a brown color. This is what we are aiming for. This gives the drink natural coloring that adds many complex flavors.

4. After you see the sugar start to brown, stir it with a metal spoon and immediately remove from heat.

5. Allow the caramelized sugar to cool slightly, and then slowly pour in two cups of clean fresh water. The heat of the sugar will cause a crazy popping and strange noises as the water is added. Safety glasses are advisable for this step.

6. Once all of the water has been added the sugars in the pot will harden up. Return the pot to the heat source and resume heating it, stirring to dissolve the caramelized sugars into the water.

7. Once all of the sugar is dissolved into the water, bring the solution to a boil.

8. Remove the pot from the heat source and allow the solution to cool to 75deg (up to an hour depending on room temperature, pot thickness, ect).

9. To the cooled sugar solution add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 2 oz of Grand Marnier.

10. Measure out 1 cup of Absolute ethanol (everclear) and add the alcohol to the solution.

11. Carefully poor the finished liquor into a storage vessel of choice (glass is best as it will not react with or give your liquid creme brulee any flavors).

12. Make sure to thoroughly clean your steal pot immediately after you transfer the liquid to a decanter or other glass container. If you do not, the sugar residue will burn into your pot the next time you use it and discolor your pots inner surface.


Flavor and Serving

This liquor is very intensely sweet. It is approximately %30 alcohol by volume or 60 Proof.

I prefer to take 3oz of Liquid Creme Brulee and pour it over 1/2 glass of crushed ice, then swirl this mixture until some of the ice has melted diluting the liquor with water and cooling it down.

The vanilla and citrus flavor from the Grand Marnier combine with the complex sugar notes of the carmelized organic cane sugar to render a complex sweet flavor that is best appreciated in small sips that are swirled around over the tongue.

This is about as far away from bitter beer as you could possibly get. I love a nice bitter beer like a hoppy IPA, but if you are in the mood for something sweet this should hit the spot.

It is a syrupy sweet liquor that is best enjoyed cold over ice or mixed into a drink with ice: something to dilute the otherwise syrupy mouth feel of the Liquid Creme Brulee by itself.

The flavors are more pronounced if you drink it at room temperature, but the alcohol concentration is such that it will have a "hot" mouth feel unless you cool it down with ice.

Remember this is a little more than twice as strong as wine, so go easy on it.

Liquid Creme Brulee contains a lot of sugar, so if you are diabetic be extra careful.

Spill some over crushed ice, swirl, sip lightly and enjoy. It can also be used in mixed drinks that call for a sweet liquor. You can use this in place of rum in a pina-colada for example. It also pairs nicely with cola-flavors