Liqueur making is fun and easy and can be adjusted to your personal taste after minimal experimentation. Many people find commercial brand liqueurs too sweet; you’ll have the option to adjust the sugar content and will find your lighter homemade versions just as tasty (sometimes better!) and a lot cheaper, too. Glycerine may be added if a thicker consistency is desired. It should be noted the shelf life after maturation is six to eight months, varying with each blend. Be sure to mark the date bottled and date to use by on the bottle to ensure maximum quality.
Liqueurs are not limited to use as an after dinner drink. Many make a fantastic topping over ice cream, an exotic marinade or glaze, and a dessert treat when mixed in coffee. The possibilities in baking are numerous and offer a substantial saving over store-bought products.
Health food stores will have the best selection for many of the ingredients, and often are less expensive. Frozen, canned, or dried fruits may be used, but flavors will often not be as full. Herbs, nuts, and extracts may be added and/or substituted in recipes creating an endless variety of combinations. Try a few basic recipes before experimenting to develop a feel for proportions.
Liqueurs should mature at least a week before drinking, preferably a month in most cases. Storing tends to round out the taste, flavor, and brilliance and gives an all around better product. Be sure to keep a journal of ingredients, amounts, aging time, etc. for troubleshooting and to assure duplication. Batches may vary however, for a variety of reasons. Fruit freshness can affect the taste as can shorter aging time. See Fine-Tuning Your Liqueurs, page 8.
I must mention it is UNLAWFUL to make liqueurs for resale or call them by their commercial name. Good inspiration to title your own brand name!
Good luck and I hope you and your friends will enjoy your new hobby!