IMO, it's really worth making homemade. It's not difficult at all, the quality is better than anything you can buy in a bottle, and you can tailor it to your tastes. I like to roast my raw almonds & use half white and half demerara sugar, go a little heavier on the orange flower water, leave out the rose flower water, and add a little almond extract rather than vanilla.
Chemistry teacher here. The reason the orgeat won’t freeze is because the sugar lowers the freezing point to much lower than water. Freezer doesn’t get that cold. This also lowers the melting point. It’s the reason we salt roads before snow. 😊
Also worth noting the fact that it won’t freeze doesn’t mean storage in the freezer won’t help prevent it from degrading! If anything this is kind of ideal for something like this - the cold temp slows oxidation and ice crystals can’t form so no shearing of little flavored particles in the syrup
Hi! Freezers usually go down to way below the freezing point of even water with sugar/salt dissolved though? Standard freezer temp in the USA is like 0F / -18C, which is way below the freezing point of even 2:1 simple syrup.
Man, you're already my favorite TH-cam mixologist. Thank you for your hardwork! This is a great video. For my homemade orgeat, I've been doing the unsweetened almond milk version with a tad bit of almond extract added and a few dashes of orange bitters (too scavish to order orange blossom water) . It's actually really tasty!
Thank you! If it aint broken don't fix it. If you have an Orgeat recipe you like that's all that matters. As for the Orange Blossom water, it does add a unique floral complexity that is far different than your normal orange or orange bitters flavors. However, not a super necessary bar ingredient unless you need to make a Ramos Gin Fizz where it is 100% necessary. It last forever too (I think). I've had this small bottle for at least a decade.
I did have a bottle go moldy at room temp in the Midwest. I'm reordering my bottle, decanting a little bit and freezing the rest until it's used up. Just to be safe. And, yeah. I tried to make a ramos gin fizz without it once. It's good. But it's not NEARLY as good as with it!
If it hasn't been said already the stand you made, all you need to do to fix the problem of the cork popping off with hot liquid is to cut the legs down till the corke is touching the bar top. Also, you can cut the holes bigger so that the whole bottle passes through, if you don't want to cut the legs. With holes as big as the bottom of the bottle it will hold the bottom of the bottle and it will stand on the cork
I organized a barbecue cocktail party last night with 60 guests. Made orgeat and many other syrups. Having tried all the ways and explored the topic for days i remain adamant that THE best way to make orgeat is to buy high quality unsweetened fresh almond milk, about 450g + 50g of some tiny pieces of blanched almond roasted for 5 min in oven prior almond milk and mix it with 600g high quality (where sugar is 95% white caster and 5% Demarara). Let it soak for 30 min and then pour in bottle but filter through the almonds with a mesh. And then 5 drops of orange water.
I was like "he's not blending this? Hell yeah orgeat with pulp" Also that's a very detailed recipe for 60 ppl. If it was for me or a couple of close friends, I would probably be a little more precise. Or for 60 people? Just dump a bunch of almond milk and sugar together lol.
@@jacobmoux5235 that is an absolutely fair criticism haha. I did it ONCE. I WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN. Clearly the effort was lost on many. But I kinda wanted to see what it would feel like to do such a prep :)
Nice video and good explanation. Just a suggestion, if your homemade version is crystallizing, try adding either a little bit of honey or corn syrup to the mixture. White sugar is 100% sucrose. Honey is a mixture of fructose and glucose. Corn syrup is 100% glucose. Adding a small amount of a different form of sugar will help prevent crystals from forming. It’s a classic cooking tip when trying to make caramel or syrups. You might have to experiment with the amount and type a bit. I’d probably start with a tablespoon of honey. It’s seems like that would work for this application without changing the flavor too much.
Where has orgeat been all my life?? I never even heard of it until I saw your video and I love almonds! Can’t wait! Also… I found that you can make almond milk with almond butter! For a quick way! The ratio I saw in the recipe was 2 tablespoons almond butter to one and a half cups water- blend and it’s ready! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I fill the Crew bottles upside down in the sink by placing the top inside the drain. It works well and if I spill, sure I lose syrup but its literally in the drain so no muss or fuss.
Use 100% marcona almonds, blanched and lightly toasted. Boil in water syrup then let steep 24 hrs before filtering the almonds. Add rose water/orange blossom water and some vodka (as a preservative). Orgeat is a typical bar syrup which needs refrigerated and lasts for a month or two. The high sugar content plus some vodka extends the orgeat for many months. I got a year of Mai Tais out of one batch.
A twist on the easy recipe I reduce the store bought by half then add sugar. It concentrates the almond flavor and texture, no extract needed. I also buy milk that does not have additives like gums or thickeners.
Great video! The one thing I will say is that the "easy" orgeat hack really isn't complete without adding almond extract to it. This is a crucial step that adds back a ton of that almond flavor that you're missing with the storebought milk.
I agree with you in theory to make an "imitation" orgeat you need the almond extract. At the same time, if you're using a store-bought cheap Almond Milk (Trader Joes, Blue Diamond, etc.) then the nut milk it's not even needed. I don't think it adds anything. Would be just as good to make a simple syrup with almond extract, orange flower and rose water and skip the almond milk.
@@makeanddrink I don’t think you’re entirely wrong here and I think it is a fantastic point. However you can use all sorts of store bought nut milks instead and create a pretty interesting variation. I remember I did a cashew milk orgeat that actually got a lil cashew flavor in there
@@soren633 absolutely. And the higher end almond milk would obviously yield a much better result. Most almond milks, including the ones I used, are about $4 bucks for half gallon. Economically, can’t really have many almonds in there at that price. But to your point, the more speciality nut milks like cashew or macadamia that come in the smaller shelf stable containers are generally always way better quality and I’m guessing more nuts. And I know a lot of people like almond extract flavor and some of these store bough expensive ones use it. I don’t hate it, I just think it adds a totally different flavor than raw/toasted almond
I reduce my store bought almond milk before adding sugar. Helps concentrate almond flavor and improves texture. Biggest consideration is not using milks that have added gums or thickeners, just the almond and water. I have noticed if you add too much rose/orange it gets too marzipan (as the video pointed out)
@@makeanddrink You made the head-to-head orgeat taste-off clear; well done. My only unanswered question is: "Do any of these make a Mai Tai that is 30%+ better than the "simplest' alternatives." Giffard lasts a long time, is economical, and allows you to make as many or as few cocktails without going bad (in a short time). Liber & Co has a 2 year shelf life unopened and claims an approx 1 year life after its opened so it is a great option as well (and apparently tastier). Too bad the almond milk options didn't fare better; so easy to make (as easy as simple syrup).
I just made this recipe and it seems really really good. I honestly have not ever had orgeat by itself before, so I have no frame of reference on what its supposed to taste like, but I'm very pleased with the result. I will say taking the skins of the blanched almonds was by far the most tedious part BUT you can save a lot of time by throwing the blended almonds/water in a centrifugal juicer instead of a nut milk bag. It left me with some great almond flour too. Can't wait to try this stuff in a drink!
Great video! My area stays on par with what I can find. The only orgeat I've found locally has been the Giffard. It hasn't turned me off on using it but since I'm almost out, I'll be switching up to either Libre and Co or trying to make one myself. Thanks for taking the time to do this one! Cheers!
I feel bad about the Giffard... I want it to be good and it's not that its bad, it's just not a "real" almond flavor. It's noticeable in a Mai Tai but any of the other store options vs homemade are much less noticeable in a 1/4 oz inside a cocktail.
Can't go wrong. I used my Small Hand Foods last night and it was great. Hard to tell in small quantities and since I happen to somehow have a shit done of Orgeat I plan on using them all.
The reason the color differs between your diy v1 and v2 is because you didnt use blanched almond with the outer layer removed. I find blanched to be better and less bitter.
Just checked the prices of Liber&Co in my country, and they're higher than what you'd spend here for a bottle of Pernod absinthe. I think I'll just stick with homemade.
Hey Derek, love your channel and video presentation! Keep more tiki drinks coming as well as your input on Bar syrups. I tried different ways of making Orgeat since Mai Tai is my favorite drink 🍹 however BG Reynolds has become my favorite store bought. Making it, I don’t see a big huge difference. Also like your review on those bottles, I was thinking of purchasing one as well 😊
Thank you! I don't think I've purchased BG myself but will next time I come across it in-store. Eventually, there will be an update here with BG and Lattitude 29.
I don't mind the Giffard in cocktails, it's not nearly as sweet or almond extracty like a Monin that would absolutely take over the drink! I love Liber & Co.'s products but I find their orgeat to be a little bit too grainy and sometimes when I use it, the cocktail tastes like a loaf of bread which is weird. But I think you may need to pick and choose on which orgeat you use in which products.
Nice work! also, you can definetly freeze your orgeat with no noticeable flavor change, had one for months and after a quick thaw it was like new! they don't last long on the fridge though, not with home made almond milk
Good to know and thanks! The batch I made I did put into a container in the freezer, but it won’t freeze into ice cube mold. Stays somewhat liquid even after days in the freezer, but my thinking is if it’s air tight that should prolong it’s life.
I use 1-cup deli containers to freezer-store mine for this reason (and find that a spoon will easily scoop out whatever I need if I don’t have any thawed immediately available)
This is a great and instructive video. As for the Easy Orgeat not having enough almond flavour, as almond milk comes in a large container and I had no other use for what would be left over I used 3 cups of almond milk and reduced it down to 1 cup in a wide frying pan to concentrate it and made the orgeat with that. I plan to try the whole almond recipe next to compare but I wonder if you would try it and give your opinion?
In my opinion, reducing down an almond milk is too inconsistent becasue there are too many variables in store brands of almond milk. Many of them contain stabilizers and thickners like carrageenan. Even reducing by 3x you're not at the same level of almonds as making your own almond milk. I used an almond milk concentrate now and have another video on that. That's what I'm sticking to in the forceable future.
Coming back to make some more of my own orgeat! Thanks for the video, Derek. Quality content, and i especially enjoy the vibe of your videos. Feels like I'm taking a seat ar your bar and having a drink, escaping from the hustle and bustle of the day.
Thanks for the video. I started making mai tais with Liquid Alchemist a couple years ago because it was so clearly better than anything else I found. I'd heard about the simple homemade version with almond milk, and I think on your recommendation, I won't bother. Your version of the homemade sounds way better. In the meantime, I ordered the Liber & Co to try out.
That would work, but I don’t find it necessary. Mine doesn’t always separate and when it does a quick shake can re-incorporate it and either way it doesn’t separate in the final drink. Worth trying though.
You know, even though it doesn't solidify at freezing temperatures, it might still preserve it ok. I don't know that it's the fact that things are solid in the freezer that keeps things preserved. It's just that bacteria and mould can't grow
I see a lot of people just put almonds into sugar and water and make an almond infused simple syrup. Is this right? I’ve always thought Orgeat is an Almond milk syrup
I've never seen that but don't see how it would work. Historically its a syrup made with ground up almonds and made long before it was referred to as almond milk and there were not commercial products available, but virtually the same thing.
@@makeanddrink I’m just asking because alot of commercial syrups are clear like Beachbum Berrys and BG Reynolds. I’ve always made it with homemade almond milk. It’s great because you can make Marzipan out of the left over crushed almonds and make Amaretti cookies
I usually make mine using almond milk, trying to find the most natural I can with the least additives and I've been pretty happy with it. I've made it with real almonds once using pretty much the same method you have and it turned out very gritty/sandy. Is that normal, or did I do something wrong? It also separated pretty badly and was hard to use after a few weeks. It would take quite a bit of poking with a chopstick to get through the bed that had formed at the bottom and didn't really incorporate properly when shaking it.
If you have a gritty/sandy problem first step would be identifying if that’s from the almonds or it’s undissolved sugar. If it’s the almonds then you’d want to get a finer strainer. If it’s the sugar then you can try heating it up again or adding just a little bit of water. Maybe 1/2 oz at a time. I’ve found this works very well. If your almond milk is very intense and loaded with a concentration of almonds, then it will taste better but also be harder to dissolve the sugar into your almond milk.
Small hands uses almonds and some apricot kernels (instead of almond extract). I agree that alone it tastes a bit weird, but balanced in a cocktail it works.
For the easy version, there is a huge variety of almond levels and tastes in various almong milk producers. It takes a bit of digging to get a good one
I came to say the same thing. Some brands aim to be a dairy milk replacement with as little almond flavor as possible. Others taste more like almonds, and some even need to be shaken every time because there are some almond solids remaining.
Im not sure what i suggest will help. I live in Singapore and we ostly rely on Australian products. Usa market is pretty bad yeah when it comes to keeping things simple and only have almond and water.
@@jcloiseau Sounds like the USA needs to up our almond milk game. I'll look for products with simple ingredients ... almonds and water, and as little gums, emulsifiers and oils.
Thanks for this. I’ve tried most of these plus BG Reynolds’s. For me it’s Liber and BG Reynolds’s. The others are too strong in almond extract direction. If you like that flavor - they’re great, but I don’t like it dominating my Mai Tais.
Hey Derek! With the SC orgeat, did you ever have trouble with the sugar crystallizing after you refrigerated it? When I made it the first time using the exact specs of the recipe, it turned out great. But the last two times I’ve made it (cutting the recipe in half), my sugar has crystallized causing an extreme grainy texture. Not sure if you had this experience…
Not sure if I’ve had that with SC Orgeat but I have with other syrups. In that case, I just reheat on the stove and it helps. Also, I’m now putting a couple tbsp of corn syrup in most syrups (when I remember) as that should help prevent crystallization but unsure of exact amount to use.
Ah good to know…ill check that out. My only thought is that perhaps im heating up the almond milk/sugar too fast on the stove where the liquid reduces too fast before all the sugar can dissolve. Ill also try reheating/blending again. Thanks!@@makeanddrink
Ive been adding a couple oz. of Wray and Nephew OP rum to my orgeat, under the impression that it'll make it last longer in the fridge. No idea if that's actually true.
I do like Liber more than the others you listed, and also found Giffard to be basically undrinkable. I do also like BG Reynolds, but my favorites is Latitude 29 from Orgeat Works.
i just had the same thought about building a holder for my crew bottle (i have the 750ml). good call on adding hot contents that the cork might pop out! you probably saved me a mess
I learned the hard way. Felt pretty dumb about it. So far the corks are the biggest issue with them. Upside down or not, they don’t all fit the same and struggle with sugar syrups. They’re also 2 pieces and I’ve had the wood top pop off of the plastic cork part. Still like the look and function tho, just not a perfect solution.
Have you considered using almond butter to avoid having to use a blender, but still has all the natural oils alot of almond milks remove as a part of processing?
Tried this and it didn’t work. Don’t know why, the almond butter just didn’t make a “nut milk” like liquid. Still might be possible, just didn’t work this time.
I have an almond allergy and Giffard doesn’t bother me. It seems to be the skin of the nut that bothers me the most so I would assume it doesn’t have much actual almond in it. In fact, I cant taste real almonds, they taste metallic, so I was shocked when I fell in love with Giffard. I want to try Small hands and Libre so see if I react, but I dont wanna risk the 10-15 bucks. Ill try my friends haha.
I have a similar thing. Oral allergy syndrome. Has more to do with the pollen from the tree that the almonds grow on. When the almonds are toasted I have no issues. When they're raw it's very bothersome. Same thing with apple skins. I definitely plan to toast my almonds for this recipe though
My first store-bought orgeat was Finest Call. I threw it out. After that, the only other one I could find local was Torani. It's actually not too bad in a pinch, but I've been looking to order some proper orgeat online and Liber & Co has been the one I've been the most interested in. Thanks for this review. I'll definitely order some for my Summer Mai Tais and other tiki drinks.
the almonds are much more expensive and requires more efffort to create the almond milk, maybe in the long run, its better to keep extra almond milk as it is and freeze it in big ice cube trays( buy the ice cube tray with 1 cup size, keep in a glass jar once it has frozen rock solid. when needed,,, unfreeze and cook it in sugar and other add-ons when needed. I reckon in this manner, the orgeat will always be top notch n fresh while the almond milk supply could last much longer. this is just a thought process which i will be heading towards.
I usually just make it with almond milk. I found adding some almond extract makes up for a lot of what seems to be missing in flavor from using real almonds. Obviously the real thing is best but considering you can finish a batch with no mess in like 5 minutes compared to blenders and nut milk bags to clean up, once in a cocktail with all the rum and juices its just not worth it for me.
I'm curious about the almond milk version. sure, store-bought almond milks are a bit thin and weak. but they're also pretty cheap (relative to the other options here at least). could we not begin with a larger initial volume of almond milk and reduce that by half or even two thirds to concentrate the flavors a bit? I'd be concerned about letting a delicate fruit flavor be exposed to heat for that long, but a nut would probably be fine. it might still not be at the same level as the fully-homemade nut milk. but I wonder if it couldn't get a fair bit closer without too much more effort.
You’d have to reduce it by 5x at least for most almond milks to get the same amount of almonds as a homemade almond milk. And if it has any stabilized or thickeners then it won’t work. I have another orgeat video with a quick fix for this: 60 Second Orgeat.
I was actually considering adding a little xanthan into mine anyway, to hopefully prevent/slow splitting and crystallization. so idk if existing ones would mess with that too hard, other than maybe overlapping. that said, I'll definitely check out the other video too. thank you for putting these together, whatever recipe or strange improvisations I end up using when I make it, these have been very helpful.
This is a good question. I don't know. A lot of recipes call for that I don't know if it's based on any science. Most shelf-stable or even fridge-stable syrups or liqueurs have at least 10% ABV, usually 15-17%. If you're using a 40% vodka to get to 15% ABV you'll need a lot. Tried this once with a simple syrup and it tastes like Vodka. Vermouth is 15% ABV and I've had it mold on me before. 1/2 oz won't hurt it but will it help? We need a food scientist here.
I read somewhere that it is kind of bs actually. When you add vodka its already "watered down" at 40 so the 1/2oz is doing precisely nothing to keep the bacterias from exploding. My understanding from that was that its a lot more important to have good sterile equipment when you cook and store. But that regardless adding alcohol aint helping much.
I love your channel and don't mean to sound harsh but authentic Orgeat will always have "almond extract" flavor(or natural from "bitter" almonds or apricot pits). As you noted it is that marzipan flavor and also what makes amaretto, cherry coke, and Hawaiian punch taste the way they do. In any case It is a completely different type of almond from a different plant not just a more concentrated oil extract. The almonds you make almond milk out of are called "sweet" almonds which are also required. A lot of these new "craft" cocktail houses started making what I call sweet almond syrup without any almond extract flavor and calling it Orgeat which confuses everyone. That said it is perfectly fine to dislike that almond extract flavor and by itself it is terrible(just like rose water)but I find a Mai Tai made without it really misses that exotic flavor and ends up tasting like rum with a nice rich simple syrup.
Well we don’t really known what Trader Vic’s orgeat in the 1940s tasted like. There are no pictures or historic bottles of the P Garnier Orgeat and while it may have had an almond extract flavor, we don’t know. I’m not even sure he was using a product from France in 1944 as there would have been no exports from France to the US at that time. There are dozens of recipes on how to make orgeat that show up in the mid/late 1800s and they’re not consistent. Some call for sweet and bitter almonds, some just sweet, some with skins and some without. Not to mention originally it was barely and no almonds at all. So really, it’s hard to even speculate what it should taste like unless we default to the Jerry Thomas recipe.
@ml.2770 required why? Totally fine to like it and I use it sometimes, but believing that it is historically accurate is incorrect since there are plenty of recipes without bitter almonds or bitter almond oil. And almost all almond extract is not made from almonds, it’s made from apricots.
I have tried making orgeat using homemade almond milk like you did and it was good. But when mixed into a mai tai i found that it didnt really taste enough of almonds, recipe called for 1/2oz, i bumped it up to 1oz, still not enough flavor. Is the mai tai just not supposed to taste that much of almonds, or is my orgeat not good enough?
This is where everything gets very subjective. I find homemade almond milk to impart a unique texture and the flavor mainly comes from the orange and rose water with just subtle almond notes. A lot of people want that more intense almond extract flavor, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I personally don't like it. For my Mai Tai's using this Orgeat, I only use 1/4 oz as it's very sweet already and the thick texture can get too intense. I don't think you'll be able to make a more "intense" almond milk than this version using only raw/toasted almonds unless you cooked it down more, but the easier fix is almond extract as long as you like that flavor.
Protip: add the almonds to your pan of boiling water before letting it sit, not boiling water to your blender of almonds before letting it sit. Then you don't have to worry about mixing boiling water and your blender
I have a new way of making orgeat easily with almond milk concentrate: th-cam.com/video/GtU8XnqCD4s/w-d-xo.html I'm old enough to remember the days when if you wanted a bag for nut milk or cold brew you had to buy a "Jelly Making" bag. Can't believe I've owned these bags for 10 years: amzn.to/3nrqBeg So you still want to buy Orgeat? ✅Liber & Co: amzn.to/3NqqA4C ✅Liquid Alchemist: amzn.to/41SAXCO ✅Small Hand Foods: amzn.to/3VohCak ✅BG Reynolds: amzn.to/3HomW7t ✅Latitude 29: orgeatworks.com/shop/ols/products/beachbum-berrys-latitude-29-formula-orgeat *if the bum swears by it who am I to argue? Haven't tried it yet and it’s usually not in stock for long.
Re; the "Best" home made Orgeat recipe..... I find it easiest to add already boiling water from a tea kettle to a pot, add the almonds, turn the heat on high and let it come back to a boil. Boil for a few minutes, remove the pot from heat and let the whole mixture cool down before transferring it to my glass walled blender container. Less danger of burning yourself by transferring boiling hot water from a pot directly into the glass container and accomplishes exactly the same thing.
I did test out a few in cocktails a couple months ago and the difference between homemade vs high quality store bought vs almond extract orgeats was noticeable. Almond extract ones, whether that’s homemade or Giffard are extremely different from the others. I don’t know if tasting blind would have really mattered because the difference between them on their own is very noticeable and I had tasted all except for Giffard before. But to your point, 1/4 oz in cocktail is very hard to differentiate homemade vs liber vs liquid vs small hands which is why there really isn’t anything wrong with using store bought IMO.
Thanks! I was looking for a comparison of orgeat brands after watching Anders Erickson's comparison of grenadine brands. Great video. Just ordered a bottle each of Liber&Co orgeat and grenadine syrup, can't wait to taste test.
I doubt I will never make my own orgeat. I don't use nearly enough and there is so little in any given drink. I've had Liber & Co which is pretty good but pricey. Latitude 29 is good but expensive and not locally available. I don't think they're so much different from Giffard as you do. I guess it depends on what you're expecting. Liquid Alchemist is a waste of money. It costs twice as much and it lacks flavor so I have to use twice as much as Giffard. Giffard is much less expensive and gives lots of sweet almond flavor but I wish it would come in a smaller bottle. I just split it into thirds and give two away. I add a little whit rum in the bottle and keep it refrigerated and it lasts a very long time.
I find it odd, that orgeat recipes that list home or commercial preparations, contain no almond extract. Let me say, as a kid I found the taste of almond extract reprehensible but, my tastes have changed. For example Fee Bros has an Orgeat with an ingredients list that’s right out of; “slam bam thank you ma’am” however, I’ll fully admit to enjoying the flavor that it brings to a maita’i. (Wiki historical spelling). Anyway, I apologize for coming across as being critical on an earlier post of yours. I found your intro a bit sloth-like. Anyway, I’m going to take another deep dive into Tiki, based on your inspiration, thanks.
Almond extract is a bit polarizing. Some people like it, some people hate it. I fall in-between, it depends on the application. I’m not a fan of heavy almond extract flavor in a Mai Tai. Many home recipes will omit it because historically Orgeat did not use almond extract, just real almonds, sugar and orange blossom water. Jerry Thomas has possibly the first printed recipe (at least in English) and his is very basic, as are some of the French recipes. My assumption is food Industrial Revolution in the mid 1900s lead to a cheaper alternative which is almond extract. But some of those almond extracts don’t even contain any traces of almonds and are peach or apricot kernel oils instead.
You started using a scale, then switched to cups and spoons. So much better to use a scale only, and the metric system. Less cleaning, more precision, faster, easier to reproduce.
While a scale is more accurate the recipe I use to make Orgeat is an adaptation of the Smugger's Cove Recipe which uses 1 lb of almonds and then cups of sugar. I wouldn't need a scale except I like to add in 2 different kinds of almonds. Also, typical kitchen scales can be wildly inaccurate in small measurements which means 1/8 tsp converted to grams on a scale will usually not be close, maybe not even register, which would ruin your Orgeat. But I am sure there are recipes online that use only weight or just metric that result in really good Orgeats.
@@makeanddrink You are right about the 1/8 tablespoon! I just find very annoying to measure a cup of sugar, I don´t know who keeps sugar in a container that would fit a measuring cup like yours. Great video anyway, sorry if I sounded pedantic!
I don’t disagree with you. It is annoying going back and forth and I am the biggest proponent of less dirty dishes. I always find it strange when people, bars, restaurants are so exact about something but then use cups, oz, etc for other things. But I’m also one of those people. If this channel made “real” money i’d devote more time to recipes that included various options, but until then too bad for anyone living outside the US. No ML conversion from me!! At least not yet.
Literally the only orgeat recipe I’ve ever found that uses metric (weight! Not volume!) measurements is Dave Arnold’s “any nut orgeat” from liquid intelligence. It’s pretty close to this one, except he adds Ticaloid T10s and Gum Arabic and doesn’t bother steeping the nuts in the hot water, he just goes straight to blending. It works pretty well (but, see my comment further down on it breaking.)
Hold up! Why are you blanching the almonds, if you're not peeling those? I would just skip the pre roasted ones and roast my blanched & peeled almonds and add some salt to the finished product. That way you get the toasty notes without the tartness of the brown skin of the almonds. Superb recipe otherwise!
Why do you own 6 different orgeat if you have a strong preference towards 1 (the least accessible orgeat - probably taste about the same anyhow). Just sayin’
Is this a serious question? This was a taste test. My “preference” was the result of trying the most popular ones available to me. It’s not possible for me to find out if I like one more than the others without trying different ones side by side. And they don’t taste the same… that’s the whole point. Also my preference is the most accessible. As long as you have access to almonds, water and sugar you can make it. World wide accessibility. For store bought, the only one not accessible to most people is the worst one. All of the rest are on this little website called amazon.com
Oh man, that easy orgeat recipe is a travesty. Here is my go to easy recipe when I don't have time to make the real stuff: Ingredients: 2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk 4 cups granulated sugar 2 tbsp almond extract 1 tsp orange flower water 1/3 cup cognac Instructions: In a medium saucepan, heat the almond milk and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the almond extract, orange flower water, and cognac. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight bottle or jar and keep refrigerated.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Other than almond extract, what’s the actual difference? Skipping almond extract was intentional. The overall problem with any recipe with store bought almond milk is it requires the use almond extract and that ruins it. I’d argue what’s the point? You end up with an almond extract flavored simple syrup that you’ve added orange and or rose water to. Califia, which id say is one of the better almond milks, has 5 almonds per 8 oz glass. The thick and rich mouth feel of store bought almond milks is either gums, carrageenan or both which you could also just add yourself. Instead just use simple syrup, add a drop of almond extract and a drop or orange flower water. You’d have the same exact thing but wouldn’t have to worry about shelf life or keeping stocked. People might come to find out that it’s the floral orange and rose water that impart the most flavor that they like. Or instead just use Disaronno. Im all for people going with what they like, but the recipe I used was for people that keep asking for an easy way to make real Orgeat with store bought, and you can’t do that. Unless you buy several gallons and reduce it down to a few ounces you just don’t have enough almonds. If you want a good Orgeat, make it with real almond milk or buy it pre-made.
@@makeanddrink I would say almond milk and sugar and the recipe I posted has a huge taste difference. I have had many bartenders mention similar recipes to the one I commented. It's not meant to replace the real recipe. For someone like me where time is at a premium (work/wife/kids) I see nothing wrong with finding something easy that works for you. I have never had a complaint from anyone while using my orgeat.
I still just don’t see how adding in 1 tbsp of almond extract can change a recipe from a travesty to great. But by all means go with the recipe you like.
@@acerv0 I don't see the point of your recipe, it sounds similar to the cheapest orgeat syrup from a store. If you don't have time, it's better to buy a good orgeat syrup to use your recipe, but well, if you're happy with this, good for you
Thanks for the shoutout and kind words, Derek! And you're right, we do use toasted almonds in our orgeat.
I love your brand, I have several of your syrups❤❤❤keep up the good work 🎉
IMO, it's really worth making homemade. It's not difficult at all, the quality is better than anything you can buy in a bottle, and you can tailor it to your tastes. I like to roast my raw almonds & use half white and half demerara sugar, go a little heavier on the orange flower water, leave out the rose flower water, and add a little almond extract rather than vanilla.
Chemistry teacher here. The reason the orgeat won’t freeze is because the sugar lowers the freezing point to much lower than water. Freezer doesn’t get that cold. This also lowers the melting point. It’s the reason we salt roads before snow. 😊
Also worth noting the fact that it won’t freeze doesn’t mean storage in the freezer won’t help prevent it from degrading! If anything this is kind of ideal for something like this - the cold temp slows oxidation and ice crystals can’t form so no shearing of little flavored particles in the syrup
Hi! Freezers usually go down to way below the freezing point of even water with sugar/salt dissolved though?
Standard freezer temp in the USA is like 0F / -18C, which is way below the freezing point of even 2:1 simple syrup.
Man, you're already my favorite TH-cam mixologist. Thank you for your hardwork! This is a great video.
For my homemade orgeat, I've been doing the unsweetened almond milk version with a tad bit of almond extract added and a few dashes of orange bitters (too scavish to order orange blossom water) . It's actually really tasty!
Thank you! If it aint broken don't fix it. If you have an Orgeat recipe you like that's all that matters. As for the Orange Blossom water, it does add a unique floral complexity that is far different than your normal orange or orange bitters flavors. However, not a super necessary bar ingredient unless you need to make a Ramos Gin Fizz where it is 100% necessary. It last forever too (I think). I've had this small bottle for at least a decade.
I did have a bottle go moldy at room temp in the Midwest. I'm reordering my bottle, decanting a little bit and freezing the rest until it's used up. Just to be safe.
And, yeah. I tried to make a ramos gin fizz without it once. It's good. But it's not NEARLY as good as with it!
If it hasn't been said already the stand you made, all you need to do to fix the problem of the cork popping off with hot liquid is to cut the legs down till the corke is touching the bar top. Also, you can cut the holes bigger so that the whole bottle passes through, if you don't want to cut the legs. With holes as big as the bottom of the bottle it will hold the bottom of the bottle and it will stand on the cork
I organized a barbecue cocktail party last night with 60 guests.
Made orgeat and many other syrups. Having tried all the ways and explored the topic for days i remain adamant that THE best way to make orgeat is to buy high quality unsweetened fresh almond milk, about 450g + 50g of some tiny pieces of blanched almond roasted for 5 min in oven prior almond milk and mix it with 600g high quality (where sugar is 95% white caster and 5% Demarara). Let it soak for 30 min and then pour in bottle but filter through the almonds with a mesh. And then 5 drops of orange water.
I was like "he's not blending this? Hell yeah orgeat with pulp"
Also that's a very detailed recipe for 60 ppl. If it was for me or a couple of close friends, I would probably be a little more precise. Or for 60 people? Just dump a bunch of almond milk and sugar together lol.
@@jacobmoux5235 that is an absolutely fair criticism haha. I did it ONCE. I WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN. Clearly the effort was lost on many. But I kinda wanted to see what it would feel like to do such a prep :)
Nice video and good explanation.
Just a suggestion, if your homemade version is crystallizing, try adding either a little bit of honey or corn syrup to the mixture. White sugar is 100% sucrose. Honey is a mixture of fructose and glucose. Corn syrup is 100% glucose. Adding a small amount of a different form of sugar will help prevent crystals from forming.
It’s a classic cooking tip when trying to make caramel or syrups. You might have to experiment with the amount and type a bit. I’d probably start with a tablespoon of honey. It’s seems like that would work for this application without changing the flavor too much.
Thank you! And thanks for the tip with corn syrup. Will definitely try that out next time.
Its criminal how you don't have more subs for the production quality and no nonsense approach you take, subbed and recommended.
Where has orgeat been all my life?? I never even heard of it until I saw your video and I love almonds! Can’t wait! Also… I found that you can make almond milk with almond butter! For a quick way! The ratio I saw in the recipe was 2 tablespoons almond butter to one and a half cups water- blend and it’s ready! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I fill the Crew bottles upside down in the sink by placing the top inside the drain. It works well and if I spill, sure I lose syrup but its literally in the drain so no muss or fuss.
Or a coffee mug would work
What’s the average shelf-life in the refrigerator for both the homemade and the Liber & Co?
Make the holes of your holder jig the same circumference as the bottle so it holds it and the corks rest on the countertop.
Use 100% marcona almonds, blanched and lightly toasted. Boil in water syrup then let steep 24 hrs before filtering the almonds. Add rose water/orange blossom water and some vodka (as a preservative). Orgeat is a typical bar syrup which needs refrigerated and lasts for a month or two. The high sugar content plus some vodka extends the orgeat for many months. I got a year of Mai Tais out of one batch.
You crazy human. Marcona almonds are ridiculously expensive for a bar syrup.
Lots of information and lots of other hints in the comments
These things also change in cocktails of course
Really nice Orgeat Discussion
A twist on the easy recipe
I reduce the store bought by half then add sugar. It concentrates the almond flavor and texture, no extract needed. I also buy milk that does not have additives like gums or thickeners.
Great video! The one thing I will say is that the "easy" orgeat hack really isn't complete without adding almond extract to it. This is a crucial step that adds back a ton of that almond flavor that you're missing with the storebought milk.
I agree with you in theory to make an "imitation" orgeat you need the almond extract. At the same time, if you're using a store-bought cheap Almond Milk (Trader Joes, Blue Diamond, etc.) then the nut milk it's not even needed. I don't think it adds anything. Would be just as good to make a simple syrup with almond extract, orange flower and rose water and skip the almond milk.
@@makeanddrink I don’t think you’re entirely wrong here and I think it is a fantastic point. However you can use all sorts of store bought nut milks instead and create a pretty interesting variation. I remember I did a cashew milk orgeat that actually got a lil cashew flavor in there
@@soren633 absolutely. And the higher end almond milk would obviously yield a much better result. Most almond milks, including the ones I used, are about $4 bucks for half gallon. Economically, can’t really have many almonds in there at that price.
But to your point, the more speciality nut milks like cashew or macadamia that come in the smaller shelf stable containers are generally always way better quality and I’m guessing more nuts.
And I know a lot of people like almond extract flavor and some of these store bough expensive ones use it. I don’t hate it, I just think it adds a totally different flavor than raw/toasted almond
I reduce my store bought almond milk before adding sugar. Helps concentrate almond flavor and improves texture. Biggest consideration is not using milks that have added gums or thickeners, just the almond and water.
I have noticed if you add too much rose/orange it gets too marzipan (as the video pointed out)
Good stuff. 90% of my Orgeat questions answered in this video. Can't get better than that. Well done Derek.
10% still left to cover!
@@makeanddrink You made the head-to-head orgeat taste-off clear; well done. My only unanswered question is: "Do any of these make a Mai Tai that is 30%+ better than the "simplest' alternatives." Giffard lasts a long time, is economical, and allows you to make as many or as few cocktails without going bad (in a short time). Liber & Co has a 2 year shelf life unopened and claims an approx 1 year life after its opened so it is a great option as well (and apparently tastier). Too bad the almond milk options didn't fare better; so easy to make (as easy as simple syrup).
A great detailed recipe. The best I have seen here on TH-cam!
I just made this recipe and it seems really really good. I honestly have not ever had orgeat by itself before, so I have no frame of reference on what its supposed to taste like, but I'm very pleased with the result. I will say taking the skins of the blanched almonds was by far the most tedious part BUT you can save a lot of time by throwing the blended almonds/water in a centrifugal juicer instead of a nut milk bag. It left me with some great almond flour too. Can't wait to try this stuff in a drink!
Great video! My area stays on par with what I can find. The only orgeat I've found locally has been the Giffard. It hasn't turned me off on using it but since I'm almost out, I'll be switching up to either Libre and Co or trying to make one myself. Thanks for taking the time to do this one! Cheers!
I feel bad about the Giffard... I want it to be good and it's not that its bad, it's just not a "real" almond flavor. It's noticeable in a Mai Tai but any of the other store options vs homemade are much less noticeable in a 1/4 oz inside a cocktail.
Enjoyed the liquid alchemist in mai tais just last night! Thanks for all of the comparisons!
Can't go wrong. I used my Small Hand Foods last night and it was great. Hard to tell in small quantities and since I happen to somehow have a shit done of Orgeat I plan on using them all.
The reason the color differs between your diy v1 and v2 is because you didnt use blanched almond with the outer layer removed. I find blanched to be better and less bitter.
yup, almond skins are a tad on the bitter side.
You can deter crystallization by subbing in corn syrup for some of the sugar. Fructose doesn't crystallize, and it prevents the sucrose from doing so.
Just checked the prices of Liber&Co in my country, and they're higher than what you'd spend here for a bottle of Pernod absinthe. I think I'll just stick with homemade.
It's coming from Austin TX and it's not cheap. While almonds arent cheap either, it's definitely going to be the cheapest option with best results.
i use a lot more rose and orange blossom water which i have prebatched with amaretto which i use to get more almond flavour because i use almond milk
Hey Derek, love your channel and video presentation! Keep more tiki drinks coming as well as your input on Bar syrups. I tried different ways of making Orgeat since Mai Tai is my favorite drink 🍹 however BG Reynolds has become my favorite store bought. Making it, I don’t see a big huge difference. Also like your review on those bottles, I was thinking of purchasing one as well 😊
Thank you! I don't think I've purchased BG myself but will next time I come across it in-store. Eventually, there will be an update here with BG and Lattitude 29.
I don't mind the Giffard in cocktails, it's not nearly as sweet or almond extracty like a Monin that would absolutely take over the drink! I love Liber & Co.'s products but I find their orgeat to be a little bit too grainy and sometimes when I use it, the cocktail tastes like a loaf of bread which is weird. But I think you may need to pick and choose on which orgeat you use in which products.
You could probably use a candy thermometor to nail the thickness of the syrup every time. Down to temperature x.
Nice work! also, you can definetly freeze your orgeat with no noticeable flavor change, had one for months and after a quick thaw it was like new! they don't last long on the fridge though, not with home made almond milk
Good to know and thanks!
The batch I made I did put into a container in the freezer, but it won’t freeze into ice cube mold. Stays somewhat liquid even after days in the freezer, but my thinking is if it’s air tight that should prolong it’s life.
I use 1-cup deli containers to freezer-store mine for this reason (and find that a spoon will easily scoop out whatever I need if I don’t have any thawed immediately available)
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!
This is a great and instructive video. As for the Easy Orgeat not having enough almond flavour, as almond milk comes in a large container and I had no other use for what would be left over I used 3 cups of almond milk and reduced it down to 1 cup in a wide frying pan to concentrate it and made the orgeat with that. I plan to try the whole almond recipe next to compare but I wonder if you would try it and give your opinion?
In my opinion, reducing down an almond milk is too inconsistent becasue there are too many variables in store brands of almond milk. Many of them contain stabilizers and thickners like carrageenan. Even reducing by 3x you're not at the same level of almonds as making your own almond milk.
I used an almond milk concentrate now and have another video on that. That's what I'm sticking to in the forceable future.
Coming back to make some more of my own orgeat! Thanks for the video, Derek. Quality content, and i especially enjoy the vibe of your videos. Feels like I'm taking a seat ar your bar and having a drink, escaping from the hustle and bustle of the day.
This channel is like a mix of How to Drink and Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos. Good stuff.
Thanks for the video. I started making mai tais with Liquid Alchemist a couple years ago because it was so clearly better than anything else I found. I'd heard about the simple homemade version with almond milk, and I think on your recommendation, I won't bother. Your version of the homemade sounds way better. In the meantime, I ordered the Liber & Co to try out.
Check out the 60 second orgeat video I did. That’s been my go to for the last 10 ish months
Great video! Very informative! I think the next time I need orgeat I am gonna try to make my own.
Would the use of Xanthan Gum keep the Orgeat from separating 🤔
That would work, but I don’t find it necessary. Mine doesn’t always separate and when it does a quick shake can re-incorporate it and either way it doesn’t separate in the final drink. Worth trying though.
Liber is definitely the best store bought! Have tried several.
You know, even though it doesn't solidify at freezing temperatures, it might still preserve it ok. I don't know that it's the fact that things are solid in the freezer that keeps things preserved. It's just that bacteria and mould can't grow
Since you're already making your milks you should try macadamia or cashew orgeat! I milk them for adding variety to a Mai Tia or a Deadman's Handle.
Absolutely. I'll do a Mac Nut eventually for a Monkey Pod episode.
I see a lot of people just put almonds into sugar and water and make an almond infused simple syrup. Is this right? I’ve always thought Orgeat is an Almond milk syrup
I've never seen that but don't see how it would work. Historically its a syrup made with ground up almonds and made long before it was referred to as almond milk and there were not commercial products available, but virtually the same thing.
@@makeanddrink I’m just asking because alot of commercial syrups are clear like Beachbum Berrys and BG Reynolds. I’ve always made it with homemade almond milk. It’s great because you can make Marzipan out of the left over crushed almonds and make Amaretti cookies
@@johnolmos8670 I'd guess some of the commercial ones that are clear use a centrifuge or other clarifying technique, but not positive.
I usually make mine using almond milk, trying to find the most natural I can with the least additives and I've been pretty happy with it. I've made it with real almonds once using pretty much the same method you have and it turned out very gritty/sandy. Is that normal, or did I do something wrong? It also separated pretty badly and was hard to use after a few weeks. It would take quite a bit of poking with a chopstick to get through the bed that had formed at the bottom and didn't really incorporate properly when shaking it.
If you have a gritty/sandy problem first step would be identifying if that’s from the almonds or it’s undissolved sugar. If it’s the almonds then you’d want to get a finer strainer. If it’s the sugar then you can try heating it up again or adding just a little bit of water. Maybe 1/2 oz at a time. I’ve found this works very well. If your almond milk is very intense and loaded with a concentration of almonds, then it will taste better but also be harder to dissolve the sugar into your almond milk.
Small hands uses almonds and some apricot kernels (instead of almond extract). I agree that alone it tastes a bit weird, but balanced in a cocktail it works.
I used it last night in some Mai Tais and the drinks were great. No complaints when mixed with and not on its own.
For the easy version, there is a huge variety of almond levels and tastes in various almong milk producers. It takes a bit of digging to get a good one
Any suggestions for a few good ones you favor?
I came to say the same thing. Some brands aim to be a dairy milk replacement with as little almond flavor as possible. Others taste more like almonds, and some even need to be shaken every time because there are some almond solids remaining.
Im not sure what i suggest will help. I live in Singapore and we ostly rely on Australian products. Usa market is pretty bad yeah when it comes to keeping things simple and only have almond and water.
@@jcloiseau Sounds like the USA needs to up our almond milk game. I'll look for products with simple ingredients ... almonds and water, and as little gums, emulsifiers and oils.
So anyway i use a mix of "elmburst" and "inside out"
Thanks for this. I’ve tried most of these plus BG Reynolds’s. For me it’s Liber and BG Reynolds’s. The others are too strong in almond extract direction. If you like that flavor - they’re great, but I don’t like it dominating my Mai Tais.
So what is the total volume made? It seems like a lot :)
I like to add a teaspoon of Disaronno to my homemade orgeat and skip the rose water altogether. Always toast your almonds!
Awesome presentation and with the economic factors to boot….
Hey Derek! With the SC orgeat, did you ever have trouble with the sugar crystallizing after you refrigerated it? When I made it the first time using the exact specs of the recipe, it turned out great. But the last two times I’ve made it (cutting the recipe in half), my sugar has crystallized causing an extreme grainy texture. Not sure if you had this experience…
Not sure if I’ve had that with SC Orgeat but I have with other syrups. In that case, I just reheat on the stove and it helps. Also, I’m now putting a couple tbsp of corn syrup in most syrups (when I remember) as that should help prevent crystallization but unsure of exact amount to use.
Ah good to know…ill check that out. My only thought is that perhaps im heating up the almond milk/sugar too fast on the stove where the liquid reduces too fast before all the sugar can dissolve. Ill also try reheating/blending again. Thanks!@@makeanddrink
how much do we reduce this? i ended up with 4 cups or 950 ml. i think he is using 450 ml bottle
This recipe doesn’t call for the almond milk to be reduced.
How long was the shelf life of the homemade orgeat?
Ive been adding a couple oz. of Wray and Nephew OP rum to my orgeat, under the impression that it'll make it last longer in the fridge. No idea if that's actually true.
I do like Liber more than the others you listed, and also found Giffard to be basically undrinkable. I do also like BG Reynolds, but my favorites is Latitude 29 from Orgeat Works.
Will definitely need to do a Round 2 with BG and Latitude 29
@@makeanddrink T’Orgeat Toasted Almond from Orgeat Works is also quite good.
@@makeanddrink please also include the two different versions by El Guapo (Orgeat, Creole Orgeat).
i just had the same thought about building a holder for my crew bottle (i have the 750ml). good call on adding hot contents that the cork might pop out! you probably saved me a mess
I learned the hard way. Felt pretty dumb about it.
So far the corks are the biggest issue with them. Upside down or not, they don’t all fit the same and struggle with sugar syrups. They’re also 2 pieces and I’ve had the wood top pop off of the plastic cork part. Still like the look and function tho, just not a perfect solution.
@@makeanddrink good heads up. i got the pour spout add on - $3 a piece but much better than the cheap amazon pack i got
@@reedmthompson I got a pack of their pourers as well and they seem high quality. Pretty fast pours tho and can catch you off guard!
Have you considered using almond butter to avoid having to use a blender, but still has all the natural oils alot of almond milks remove as a part of processing?
Damn it. I'd never even considered that. I was hoping to move on with my life but now I'll need to try that.
Oh wow! Great idea!
Tried this and it didn’t work. Don’t know why, the almond butter just didn’t make a “nut milk” like liquid. Still might be possible, just didn’t work this time.
@@makeanddrink
That's a real shame.
Thank you for trying.
But I did discover a hack just as easy. Working on that shortly.
I have an almond allergy and Giffard doesn’t bother me. It seems to be the skin of the nut that bothers me the most so I would assume it doesn’t have much actual almond in it. In fact, I cant taste real almonds, they taste metallic, so I was shocked when I fell in love with Giffard. I want to try Small hands and Libre so see if I react, but I dont wanna risk the 10-15 bucks. Ill try my friends haha.
I have a similar thing. Oral allergy syndrome. Has more to do with the pollen from the tree that the almonds grow on. When the almonds are toasted I have no issues. When they're raw it's very bothersome. Same thing with apple skins. I definitely plan to toast my almonds for this recipe though
Dude, how do you have so few subscribers? Incredible production values and great recipes!
Thank you!
My first store-bought orgeat was Finest Call. I threw it out. After that, the only other one I could find local was Torani. It's actually not too bad in a pinch, but I've been looking to order some proper orgeat online and Liber & Co has been the one I've been the most interested in. Thanks for this review. I'll definitely order some for my Summer Mai Tais and other tiki drinks.
The shelf life is good as well as long in the fridge. I've had my bottle for 10 ish months and it's just fine.
the almonds are much more expensive and requires more efffort to create the almond milk, maybe in the long run, its better to keep extra almond milk as it is and freeze it in big ice cube trays( buy the ice cube tray with 1 cup size, keep in a glass jar once it has frozen rock solid.
when needed,,, unfreeze and cook it in sugar and other add-ons when needed. I reckon in this manner, the orgeat will always be top notch n fresh while the almond milk supply could last much longer.
this is just a thought process which i will be heading towards.
I might just have a solution to everyone's Orgeat issues.... stay tuned!
Where do you get the containers with the screw off bottoms?
Crew bottle suppy
I don’t have vanilla extrakt it’s not easy to find in Sweden but i have Vanilla pod and ground vanilla, can I used ground vanilla instead?
Absolutely. Anything to add in a little hint of vanilla will work.
I usually just make it with almond milk. I found adding some almond extract makes up for a lot of what seems to be missing in flavor from using real almonds. Obviously the real thing is best but considering you can finish a batch with no mess in like 5 minutes compared to blenders and nut milk bags to clean up, once in a cocktail with all the rum and juices its just not worth it for me.
I'm curious about the almond milk version. sure, store-bought almond milks are a bit thin and weak. but they're also pretty cheap (relative to the other options here at least). could we not begin with a larger initial volume of almond milk and reduce that by half or even two thirds to concentrate the flavors a bit? I'd be concerned about letting a delicate fruit flavor be exposed to heat for that long, but a nut would probably be fine. it might still not be at the same level as the fully-homemade nut milk. but I wonder if it couldn't get a fair bit closer without too much more effort.
You’d have to reduce it by 5x at least for most almond milks to get the same amount of almonds as a homemade almond milk. And if it has any stabilized or thickeners then it won’t work.
I have another orgeat video with a quick fix for this: 60 Second Orgeat.
I was actually considering adding a little xanthan into mine anyway, to hopefully prevent/slow splitting and crystallization. so idk if existing ones would mess with that too hard, other than maybe overlapping.
that said, I'll definitely check out the other video too. thank you for putting these together, whatever recipe or strange improvisations I end up using when I make it, these have been very helpful.
I usually add 1/2 ounce of vodka to help it stay longer in the fridge. Ill-advised? Doesn't seem to change the flavor.
This is a good question. I don't know. A lot of recipes call for that I don't know if it's based on any science. Most shelf-stable or even fridge-stable syrups or liqueurs have at least 10% ABV, usually 15-17%. If you're using a 40% vodka to get to 15% ABV you'll need a lot. Tried this once with a simple syrup and it tastes like Vodka. Vermouth is 15% ABV and I've had it mold on me before.
1/2 oz won't hurt it but will it help? We need a food scientist here.
I read somewhere that it is kind of bs actually. When you add vodka its already "watered down" at 40 so the 1/2oz is doing precisely nothing to keep the bacterias from exploding. My understanding from that was that its a lot more important to have good sterile equipment when you cook and store. But that regardless adding alcohol aint helping much.
I love your channel and don't mean to sound harsh but authentic Orgeat will always have "almond extract" flavor(or natural from "bitter" almonds or apricot pits). As you noted it is that marzipan flavor and also what makes amaretto, cherry coke, and Hawaiian punch taste the way they do. In any case It is a completely different type of almond from a different plant not just a more concentrated oil extract. The almonds you make almond milk out of are called "sweet" almonds which are also required. A lot of these new "craft" cocktail houses started making what I call sweet almond syrup without any almond extract flavor and calling it Orgeat which confuses everyone. That said it is perfectly fine to dislike that almond extract flavor and by itself it is terrible(just like rose water)but I find a Mai Tai made without it really misses that exotic flavor and ends up tasting like rum with a nice rich simple syrup.
Well we don’t really known what Trader Vic’s orgeat in the 1940s tasted like. There are no pictures or historic bottles of the P Garnier Orgeat and while it may have had an almond extract flavor, we don’t know. I’m not even sure he was using a product from France in 1944 as there would have been no exports from France to the US at that time.
There are dozens of recipes on how to make orgeat that show up in the mid/late 1800s and they’re not consistent. Some call for sweet and bitter almonds, some just sweet, some with skins and some without. Not to mention originally it was barely and no almonds at all. So really, it’s hard to even speculate what it should taste like unless we default to the Jerry Thomas recipe.
Agreed. Bitter almond is required, add the extract (almond extract is bitter almond oil and alcohol) and your orgeat will be superior.
@ml.2770 required why?
Totally fine to like it and I use it sometimes, but believing that it is historically accurate is incorrect since there are plenty of recipes without bitter almonds or bitter almond oil.
And almost all almond extract is not made from almonds, it’s made from apricots.
Apricot kernels only because of US law which forbids sale. Apricot and bitter almond taste almost the same.
I made this and the orgeat ended up very thick and separated in drinks. Did I mess up somewhere?
I remember the last frame from fallout 1. Is it from there or are they both referencing something else?
It's Jee-far ;) great video !
Have you tried latitude 29’s orgeat? I want to try it but it just seems so expensive for an almond syrup when there are cheaper alternatives.
I’ve tried it but it’s been awhile. I did order some recently when it was back in stock but hasn’t arrived yet.
i love your channel! I need a collab with you and barfly or/ and spike breezeway hour
How long will homemade orgeat last ? Just made my own for the first time thanks to you!
Honestly, I don’t know. It’s a 2-1 syrup so it should last awhile on the fridge.
@@makeanddrink that’s what I was thinking since it’s a 2:1 ratio. Appreciate it !
I have tried making orgeat using homemade almond milk like you did and it was good. But when mixed into a mai tai i found that it didnt really taste enough of almonds, recipe called for 1/2oz, i bumped it up to 1oz, still not enough flavor.
Is the mai tai just not supposed to taste that much of almonds, or is my orgeat not good enough?
This is where everything gets very subjective. I find homemade almond milk to impart a unique texture and the flavor mainly comes from the orange and rose water with just subtle almond notes. A lot of people want that more intense almond extract flavor, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I personally don't like it. For my Mai Tai's using this Orgeat, I only use 1/4 oz as it's very sweet already and the thick texture can get too intense. I don't think you'll be able to make a more "intense" almond milk than this version using only raw/toasted almonds unless you cooked it down more, but the easier fix is almond extract as long as you like that flavor.
Liber & Co is soooo good
100%. And if someone said they liked it better than Homemade I wouldn't even argue with that.
@@makeanddrink definitely plan on making that homemade one at some point. Thanks for posting
Protip: add the almonds to your pan of boiling water before letting it sit, not boiling water to your blender of almonds before letting it sit. Then you don't have to worry about mixing boiling water and your blender
How long do these syrups last?
Sorry to say I do not know. For me, until they run out or I can see visible mold
I have a new way of making orgeat easily with almond milk concentrate: th-cam.com/video/GtU8XnqCD4s/w-d-xo.html
I'm old enough to remember the days when if you wanted a bag for nut milk or cold brew you had to buy a "Jelly Making" bag. Can't believe I've owned these bags for 10 years: amzn.to/3nrqBeg
So you still want to buy Orgeat?
✅Liber & Co: amzn.to/3NqqA4C
✅Liquid Alchemist: amzn.to/41SAXCO
✅Small Hand Foods: amzn.to/3VohCak
✅BG Reynolds: amzn.to/3HomW7t
✅Latitude 29: orgeatworks.com/shop/ols/products/beachbum-berrys-latitude-29-formula-orgeat
*if the bum swears by it who am I to argue? Haven't tried it yet and it’s usually not in stock for long.
Re; the "Best" home made Orgeat recipe.....
I find it easiest to add already boiling water from a tea kettle to a pot, add the almonds, turn the heat on high
and let it come back to a boil. Boil for a few minutes, remove the pot from heat and let the whole mixture cool down before transferring it to my glass walled blender container. Less danger of burning yourself by transferring boiling hot water from a pot directly into the glass container and accomplishes exactly the same thing.
I'm curious if the rankings would've changed at all if you'd tried them in actual cocktails and/or tasted them blind
I did test out a few in cocktails a couple months ago and the difference between homemade vs high quality store bought vs almond extract orgeats was noticeable. Almond extract ones, whether that’s homemade or Giffard are extremely different from the others. I don’t know if tasting blind would have really mattered because the difference between them on their own is very noticeable and I had tasted all except for Giffard before.
But to your point, 1/4 oz in cocktail is very hard to differentiate homemade vs liber vs liquid vs small hands which is why there really isn’t anything wrong with using store bought IMO.
The crew bottles are ok, they are way way to easy to break in my experience. They do make the best pour spouts in the biz though.
Bottles are a little too pricey as well, but there will be knockoffs to come.
@@makeanddrink that and I feel like they’re leaky. Even a fresh one, I feel like we get some dribblage out of the bottom.
perfect :)
很棒的频道
I tried making my own and did not turn out right
Got some torani
I’ll have an alternate solution coming up in a few weeks.
Thanks! I was looking for a comparison of orgeat brands after watching Anders Erickson's comparison of grenadine brands. Great video.
Just ordered a bottle each of Liber&Co orgeat and grenadine syrup, can't wait to taste test.
Dude your channel is 🤯🤗🫡👌🏼🙏🏼🙌🏼
Thank you!
I totally need a nut milk bag.
It's going to change your world
why didn't you just put that bottle upside down in a glass? That way if the cork falls out it'll just be in a glass.
Well the issue with the cork coming out upside down is all of the contents of the bottle would also come out so you'd still make a mess.
I doubt I will never make my own orgeat. I don't use nearly enough and there is so little in any given drink. I've had Liber & Co which is pretty good but pricey. Latitude 29 is good but expensive and not locally available. I don't think they're so much different from Giffard as you do. I guess it depends on what you're expecting.
Liquid Alchemist is a waste of money. It costs twice as much and it lacks flavor so I have to use twice as much as Giffard. Giffard is much less expensive and gives lots of sweet almond flavor but I wish it would come in a smaller bottle. I just split it into thirds and give two away. I add a little whit rum in the bottle and keep it refrigerated and it lasts a very long time.
I find it odd, that orgeat recipes that list home or commercial preparations, contain no almond extract. Let me say, as a kid I found the taste of almond extract reprehensible but, my tastes have changed. For example Fee Bros has an Orgeat with an ingredients list that’s right out of; “slam bam thank you ma’am” however, I’ll fully admit to enjoying the flavor that it brings to a maita’i. (Wiki historical spelling). Anyway, I apologize for coming across as being critical on an earlier post of yours. I found your intro a bit sloth-like. Anyway, I’m going to take another deep dive into Tiki, based on your inspiration, thanks.
Almond extract is a bit polarizing. Some people like it, some people hate it. I fall in-between, it depends on the application. I’m not a fan of heavy almond extract flavor in a Mai Tai.
Many home recipes will omit it because historically Orgeat did not use almond extract, just real almonds, sugar and orange blossom water. Jerry Thomas has possibly the first printed recipe (at least in English) and his is very basic, as are some of the French recipes. My assumption is food Industrial Revolution in the mid 1900s lead to a cheaper alternative which is almond extract. But some of those almond extracts don’t even contain any traces of almonds and are peach or apricot kernel oils instead.
You started using a scale, then switched to cups and spoons. So much better to use a scale only, and the metric system. Less cleaning, more precision, faster, easier to reproduce.
While a scale is more accurate the recipe I use to make Orgeat is an adaptation of the Smugger's Cove Recipe which uses 1 lb of almonds and then cups of sugar. I wouldn't need a scale except I like to add in 2 different kinds of almonds. Also, typical kitchen scales can be wildly inaccurate in small measurements which means 1/8 tsp converted to grams on a scale will usually not be close, maybe not even register, which would ruin your Orgeat.
But I am sure there are recipes online that use only weight or just metric that result in really good Orgeats.
@@makeanddrink You are right about the 1/8 tablespoon! I just find very annoying to measure a cup of sugar, I don´t know who keeps sugar in a container that would fit a measuring cup like yours. Great video anyway, sorry if I sounded pedantic!
I don’t disagree with you. It is annoying going back and forth and I am the biggest proponent of less dirty dishes. I always find it strange when people, bars, restaurants are so exact about something but then use cups, oz, etc for other things. But I’m also one of those people. If this channel made “real” money i’d devote more time to recipes that included various options, but until then too bad for anyone living outside the US. No ML conversion from me!! At least not yet.
@@makeanddrink On the way for making money from TH-cam. Your channel is great!
Literally the only orgeat recipe I’ve ever found that uses metric (weight! Not volume!) measurements is Dave Arnold’s “any nut orgeat” from liquid intelligence. It’s pretty close to this one, except he adds Ticaloid T10s and Gum Arabic and doesn’t bother steeping the nuts in the hot water, he just goes straight to blending. It works pretty well (but, see my comment further down on it breaking.)
Hold up! Why are you blanching the almonds, if you're not peeling those? I would just skip the pre roasted ones and roast my blanched & peeled almonds and add some salt to the finished product. That way you get the toasty notes without the tartness of the brown skin of the almonds. Superb recipe otherwise!
Super interesting info but too much background noise-can’t finish watching.
Why do you own 6 different orgeat if you have a strong preference towards 1 (the least accessible orgeat - probably taste about the same anyhow).
Just sayin’
Is this a serious question?
This was a taste test. My “preference” was the result of trying the most popular ones available to me. It’s not possible for me to find out if I like one more than the others without trying different ones side by side. And they don’t taste the same… that’s the whole point.
Also my preference is the most accessible. As long as you have access to almonds, water and sugar you can make it. World wide accessibility.
For store bought, the only one not accessible to most people is the worst one. All of the rest are on this little website called amazon.com
And that means what?
The T is absolutely not pronounced my dude.
It is if you want to.
Oh man, that easy orgeat recipe is a travesty. Here is my go to easy recipe when I don't have time to make the real stuff:
Ingredients:
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
4 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp almond extract
1 tsp orange flower water
1/3 cup cognac
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the almond milk and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the almond extract, orange flower water, and cognac. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight bottle or jar and keep refrigerated.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Other than almond extract, what’s the actual difference?
Skipping almond extract was intentional. The overall problem with any recipe with store bought almond milk is it requires the use almond extract and that ruins it. I’d argue what’s the point? You end up with an almond extract flavored simple syrup that you’ve added orange and or rose water to.
Califia, which id say is one of the better almond milks, has 5 almonds per 8 oz glass. The thick and rich mouth feel of store bought almond milks is either gums, carrageenan or both which you could also just add yourself.
Instead just use simple syrup, add a drop of almond extract and a drop or orange flower water. You’d have the same exact thing but wouldn’t have to worry about shelf life or keeping stocked. People might come to find out that it’s the floral orange and rose water that impart the most flavor that they like.
Or instead just use Disaronno.
Im all for people going with what they like, but the recipe I used was for people that keep asking for an easy way to make real Orgeat with store bought, and you can’t do that. Unless you buy several gallons and reduce it down to a few ounces you just don’t have enough almonds. If you want a good Orgeat, make it with real almond milk or buy it pre-made.
@@makeanddrink I would say almond milk and sugar and the recipe I posted has a huge taste difference. I have had many bartenders mention similar recipes to the one I commented. It's not meant to replace the real recipe. For someone like me where time is at a premium (work/wife/kids) I see nothing wrong with finding something easy that works for you. I have never had a complaint from anyone while using my orgeat.
I still just don’t see how adding in 1 tbsp of almond extract can change a recipe from a travesty to great. But by all means go with the recipe you like.
@@acerv0 I don't see the point of your recipe, it sounds similar to the cheapest orgeat syrup from a store. If you don't have time, it's better to buy a good orgeat syrup to use your recipe, but well, if you're happy with this, good for you
The bottoms of those jars come off for cleaning…..duhhhh
They’re made for infusions as well, where you you put things like fruit in bottle… duhhhh
Oh no! Even the website says “Unscrews for speedy, spill-free filling.”