Making a cocktail or root beer with Anise and Licorice December recipe theme

The theme for December is Celebration!

I want to celebrate making fun decorations, handmade gifts, and celebrating with friends.  The recipe theme this month is Mocktails, so I will share several fun drinks you can enjoy without worrying about driving.

I chose this as the first Mocktail, because the ingredients are so perfectly seasonal.  Star anise, licorice root and vanilla bean are combined to create the perfect root beer in this Anise Licorice Root Beer recipe. To make a root beer from this simple syrup recipe you need to carbonate the syrup.  You accomplish that one of three ways.  Add the syrup to seltzer water, use the syrup in your “soda stream” or allow it to naturally carbonate by adding yeast to the syrup.  Depending on your skill level, you can try one or all three of these methods.

But first you need to create the simple syrup. This recipe is excerpted from Homemade Soda (Storey Publishing, 2011) by Andrew Schloss.

Anise Licorice Root Beer 

Star anise, the dried star-shaped fruit of an Asian evergreen, is pungent with the aroma of licorice and hints of clove and cinnamon. Together, star anise and licorice root create a flavor so full-bodied and powerful that just a few ounces will flavor a whole barrel of root beer. According to Andrew Schloss “In this aromatic soda I have amended the licorice-anise partnership with vanilla bean for its floral top notes, clove for depth, and brown sugar for mellowness.”

Anise Licorice Syrup

Enough for 1 gallon brewed root beer 

4 1/2 cups water 
4 ounces dried licorice root, chopped
4 star anise
3 cloves
1 vanilla bean, cut into three pieces 

4 cups dark brown sugar 

Combine the water, licorice, star anise, cloves, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Gradually add the brown sugar to the simmering syrup, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then remove from the heat, let cool, and strain.  This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. 

TO MIX WITH SELTZER (1 serving) 

1/2 cup anise licorice syrup 
1 1/2 cups seltzer 

Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve. 

TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON (Soda Stream) (3 servings) 

3 cups water 
1 cup anise licorice syrup 

Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO₂ according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice and serve. 

TO BREW ROOTBEER (1 gallon) 

3 quarts lukewarm (80–90 degrees) water 
1 batch anise licorice syrup
1/8 teaspoon champagne yeast (Saccharomyces bayanus) 

Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80 degrees. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved. 

Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 1 1/4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated. 

Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid over carbonation. 

Anise Syrup Cocktail - Black Licorice  

Prepare the anise licorice syrup as described, then carbonate as desired. 

Add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Pernod, Sambuca, or other anise-flavored liqueur to 8 ounces (1 cup) Anise Licorice Root Beer (Carbonated Anise Licorice Syrup) and serve over ice. 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals (CrockOct)

November 2019 - Pies (PieNov)

December 2019 - Mocktails (MockDec)