I’m having a sweet, delicious, and greasy doughnut makin’ party this weekend, and I have been racking my brain about the beverage situation. What is the ideal beverage to serve along aside doughnuts? The answer of course is coffee. But how do you make coffee alcoholic, thus making it appropriate for a soiree? Kahlua of course. And what about making your own coffee liquer? Well, it can be done in a matter of moments, will make your house smell scrumptious, and get your tastebuds appropriately percolating.

When making flavored alcohol at home, the cheaper the better. No Grey Goose, or even Smirnoff vodka here, just VODKA, the kind that comes in a plastic jug and is hidden at the bottom of the shelf at the liquor store. You want the liquor to be absolutely flavorless; that way it will take on the flavors with which you are infusing it.

Mixed with cream and served over ice, or splashed in coffee, this coffee flavored liquer will add another homespun dimension to the festivities. Made with instant coffee and a handful of other ingredients, this liquer is hardly rocket science, but it is tasty. Think of it as alcoholic diner coffee.

Coffee Flavored Liquer

3 cups water
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup instant coffee
2 cups vodka
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, and instant coffee. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature. Stir in the vodka and the vanilla extract, pour into bottles, and store at room temperature.