Homemade Lemon Verbena Liqueur (Liqueur de Verveine)
This homemade French lemon verbena liqueur (liqueur de verveine) is bright, botanical, and irresistibly fragrant. Made with just lemon verbena leaves, vodka, and sugar, it’s easy to make and incredibly rewarding. It has lush herbal, citrus, caramel, and vanilla notes that deepen as it ages, making a very special drink to enjoy with friends and family. And lemon verbena is such an easy herb to grow!
Ingredients
- 35-85 g (3-5 cups) fresh lemon verbena leaves, loosely-packed if measured in cups
- 750 ml (3 cups) vodka, any neutral-flavored brand is fine
- 300-375 g (1½-2 cups) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the lemon verbena leaves and pat them dry. Add them to a minimum 1.5-liter airtight jar.
- Pour the vodka over the leaves. Seal and place the jar in a cool, dark cabinet, shaking about once per week to distribute the flavor.
- After 1-6 months (see notes below), strain out the leaves with a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- Add sugar (see notes below for quantity) to the jar and stir or shake to dissolve. Place in a cool, dark cabinet for 2-6 months (see notes below).
- Stir the liqueur. Use a funnel to pour it into an airtight swingtop bottle. Enjoy!
Notes
Use only fresh lemon verbena leaves: Omit the woody stems. Choose the most deeply-green, unblemished leaves for the freshest flavor. I recommend using only fresh lemon verbena leaves for this recipe.
Vodka brand: There's no need to use expensive vodka in this recipe. I've used both the pricey and inexpensive brands over the years, the lemon verbena flavor makes the vodka quality indistinguishable after steeping. So it's fine to use an inexpensive brand!
Leaf quantity: Using 3 cups (35 g) of loosely packed leaves yields a bright, delicate liqueur with light floral and citrus notes. The use of 5 cups (85 g) creates a deeper, more concentrated infusion with bold lemon verbena flavor and botanical complexity.
Sugar quantity: 300 g sugar keeps it light and versatile for mixing. 375 g is classic for a dessert liqueur. I use the latter quantity, so it’s sweet enough to drink on its own.
Range of steeping times: After 3 months total steeping time (including both leaf and sugar steeping), the liqueur tastes vegetal with a young sharpness. At 6 months, it’s more rounded. Aging 10-12 months brings the deepest color and lushest, richest flavor.
Steeping jar: Use a minimum 1.5-liter jar to fully submerge the leaves with enough space for shaking the jar.
Storage bottle: An airtight 1-liter swing-top bottle is ideal for aging and serving.
Storage options: Room temperature is fine if you’d like to serve it over ice; or refrigerate if preferred. Or you can store it in the freezer like I do, where the vodka prevents the liqueur from freezing. Then it’ll be ice-cold and ready to serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!