Cranberry Liqueur

You can use this in your Cosmopolitian, Sea Breeze cocktails.

• Ready In: 840 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 1 pint

Ingredients

• 1  lb fresh cranberries
• 1  cup  good vodka
• 1 1⁄4 cups  sugar syrup (see note)
• 1  teaspoon  grated orange zest

Directions

1. Rinse and pick over the cranberries, discarding stems and any soft or shriveled berries.
2. Chop berries in a blender.
3. In a sterile, wide-mouth jar, combine the cranberries, vodka, sugar syrup and orange zest.
4. Cap, shake gently and set aside in a cool dark place for 4 to 5 weeks.
5. When ready to proceed, strain out the solids and save for other uses (cakes, sauces or relish).
6. Filter and transfer to another sterilized bottle.
7. Note: To make sugar syrup, bring 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil.
8. Simmer, occasionally stirring and scraping down the sides of the pan, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.