Bay leaf liqueur

Name: Bay leaf liqueur
Total time: 28 d 20 min
Yield: ± 700 ml
Ingredients: 20 fresh bay leaves (or 12 dried), clean and undamaged; 500 ml vodka or Belgian grain jenever (37–40 %); 200 g sugar; 200 ml water; 1 strip of unwaxed lemon peel

Updated on 9 October 2026

Makes: ± 700 ml
Time: 20 min + 4 weeks steeping
From: Bay laurel

Ingredients

20 fresh bay leaves (or 12 dried), clean and undamaged
500 ml vodka or Belgian grain jenever (37–40 %)
200 g sugar
200 ml water
1 strip of unwaxed lemon peel

Method

Rinse the leaves briefly, pat them dry and tear them lightly so the aroma is released.
Put the leaves and lemon peel in a clean 1-litre jar and pour the alcohol over. Close the lid.
Leave to steep for 3 to 4 weeks at room temperature in a dark place. Shake the jar every few days.
Strain the alcohol through a fine sieve or a coffee filter and discard the leaves.
Boil the water and sugar for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and leave the syrup to cool completely.
Mix the syrup and the alcohol, taste and add a little more syrup if you like. Pour into clean bottles and leave for another 2 weeks to mellow the flavour.

Storing: A year or longer in a cool, dark place. Use only true bay (Laurus nobilis): cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) smells of bitter almond and is poisonous. Drink in moderation.