Galliano is a lovely anise flavored liqueur that is probably best known as an ingredient in a Harvey Wallbanger. Buying it at the store can be a bit pricey, but we have a homemade Galliano recipe that comes pretty close to the original and makes a unique gift for family and friends.
Like all of our homemade liqueur recipes, Galliano is simple to make. Just make a simple syrup and then add the vodka and flavorings. It needs at least 2 weeks to age so you want to plan ahead a bit.
Galliano tastes of vanilla and anise which pairs nicely with a variety of foods as well as drinks. Saveur uses it to deglaze chicken and mushrooms to create a lovely sauce. And King Arthur Flour has a recipe for a Harvey Wallbanger Cake.
If you want to give it as a gift, put it into a pretty bottle and attach a copy of these drink recipes made with Galliano with a nice ribbon. Perfect for hostess or holiday gifts.
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Homemade Galliano
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla
- ½ teaspoons anise extract
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 4 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
- 2 ½ cups vodka
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil, stir in sugar until dissolved. Let cool.
- Add vanilla, anise, lemon juice and food coloring. Add vodka.
- Bottle, cork and age 2 weeks.
Other homemade liqueur recipes you may enjoy:
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Barbara Karr
You have no idea how happy I am to find this recipe!! Thank you a zillion times.
Ray
Could you just add the lemon juice and vanilla to anisette?
Audrey
I don't see why not. According to my research the Galliano has a lighter anise taste than Anisette.
Liza
How much star anise and time would I take instead of using anise extract? Thanks It is very hard to find Galliano in my community
Audrey
I have only made it with anise extract. First of all, since it is Italian in origin, you would want to use anise seeds, not star anise. You could use the star anise and make a lovely liqueur, but the flavor will be different than true Galliano.
If I were to try it with the anise seed (or star anise) I would use a tablespoon of seeds and a vanilla bean in 3 cups of vodka and let it sit a few weeks to a month, shaking it every few days when I remember. Then remove seeds and add simple syrup (1 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar) and let it sit some more.
The flavor will intensify the longer it sits in both steps of the process.
Again, I have never made it this way but from experience making other liqueurs over the years I think this would be a good place to start.
Now I am curious to try. If you do, I'd love to hear how it comes out.