Star anise schnapps

Star anise schnapps - based on dried star anise fruit pods - is soft, sweetish and very aromatic with a fine taste of liquorice.

The colour is light to dark brown.

The schnapps is often used to blend with other schnappses that are based on aromatic herbs or dark berries.

You can create many new and interesting combinations - try to experiment.

Or - if you have made a schnapps you are not quite happy with, you can just add a little star anise schnapps to adjust the taste and flavour. It usually helps.

Very good as appetizer - or served with fish, chicken, beef, pork, duck, soup or stew. Or used in meat dishes, curries, breads, cakes or cookies.

Try also to add it to juice, coke or other carbonated soft drinks.

Star anise schnapps blends very well with...
sweet gale schnapps · caraway schnapps · coriander schnapps.

Also, see how you can easily...
turn your star anise schnapps into a liqueur.

Star anise

Illicium verum

The fruit pod is brown and shaped like a star. It's sweet and very aromatic with a liquorice like flavour.

Star anise has properties very similar to anise (Pimpinella anisum), although they are not botanically related.

The plant is native to the south-eastern part of China and to Vietnam and the dried fruits are widely used in Asian cooking.

Star anise is also used in dietary supplements and to flavour curries, tea, coffee, candy, bakery products and pickles.

It's also one of the main flavouring ingredients in spirits such as some of the absinthe-like French pastis.

More information about the star anise plant

Recipe

Use fresh, dried star anise fruit pods.

You can use ordinary anise (Pimpinella anisum), but star anise has a much more sophisticated flavour and is therefore more suitable for schnapps making.

Direction:

• Put 4-5 dried fruit pods in a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Cover with 10 centiliter clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% (80 proof).
• Let steep for 2-3 days in a dark place at room temperature,
  18-20°C (64-68°F).
• Shake lightly and taste it from time to time - it must not get bitter.
• Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Store (age) for at least 1 month in a dark place at room temperature before serving.

Note: If for some reason you are not satisfied with your infusion, there are ways to adjust both taste and flavours - click here to see how.

Serve your star anise schnapps at room temperature in suitable glasses. And remember to keep your schnapps bottle tightly closed and in a dark place before and between servings.