Homemade Peach Liqueur

A glass of homemade peach liqueur

The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Plus at least 1 month: 24 hrs
Total: 24 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 16 servings

Summer brings a bounty of juicy peaches, but once you've eaten your fill and exhausted the options for freezing, canning, and turning them into jam and chutney, you may be at a loss of how else to use them. This homemade peach liqueur is a wonderful way to use up this delicious fruit.

Plan in advance of any special occasion as the liqueur needs to age for about a month to develop full flavor. Also, make sure to label the bottle with the contents and the date you made it. The peach liqueur, also called schnapps, retains the best flavor and color for up to a year. After that, you can still safely drink it, but it may begin to lose flavor over time.

This summery liqueur makes a wonderful gift from the kitchen in a dressy bottle with a hand-lettered label.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 pounds ripe peaches, stemmed and washed

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 teaspoon orange zest

  • 1 1/2 cups 100-proof vodka

  • 1 cup brandy

  • 4 drops yellow food coloring

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make peach liqueur

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  2. In a heavy saucepan, boil sugar and water over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and syrup turns clear.

    A sauce pan with a simple syrup simmering

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  3. Remove pan from heat and let syrup cool to about 110 F, or slightly more than lukewarm.

    A pan of simple syrup on towels

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  4. While syrup cools, halve peaches. Cut peaches end to end on both sides, then twist halves in opposite directions to separate flesh; remove pits and set them aside for later use.

    A cutting board with two peaches halves with the pit removed

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  5. Thinly slice peaches.

    A bowl of sliced peaches

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  6. Put peaches, peach pits, lemon zest, and orange zest in a clean 2-quart glass canning jar.

    A large canning jar filled with sliced peaches, citrus zest, and peach pits

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  7. Add the cooled sugar syrup, vodka, brandy, and food coloring.

    A large canning jar filled with peaches, peach pits, vodka, and syrup

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  8. Seal jar with an airtight lid. Turn jar top to bottom in one full revolution to gently mix the contents.

    Hands turning a large canning jar filled with peaches and vodka upside down

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  9. Store bottle in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks.

    A large canning jar of peach liqueur in a dark setting

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  10. After 2 weeks, strain out solids with a fine-mesh sieve.

    A strainer filled with peach slices and pits

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  11. Pour peach liqueur into a clean jar, seal it, and let it stand another 2 to 3 weeks in a cool, dark place.

    A jar of peach liqueur in a dark setting

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  12. Strain the peach liqueur a final time through a double layer of cheesecloth or another kind of filter while transferring it to a decanter or decorative bottle.

    A hand pouring a jar of peach liqueur into a funnel lined with a cheesecloth

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

  13. Serve and enjoy.

    A glass of peach liqueur with ice and a decanter filled with peach liqueur

    The Spruce Eats / Qi Ai

Tips

  • Taste your infusion a couple of times as it ages. You may be happy with a more subtle flavor and want to strain it ahead of the recommended 2 weeks. 
  • The brandy adds another layer of flavor, but you can eliminate it and just use an extra cup of vodka if you prefer.
  • Oxidation from the bit of air in the bottle is what causes the liqueur to lose flavor, and you may even see some separation of the ingredients. Once that happens, it's best to discard the remainder and make another batch.

How to Use

This peach liqueur is perfect for fuzzy navels and peach margaritas. You can also add a splash to a gin and tonic, use it to make a Bellini, and give plain ice tea a peachy kick. Or turn the schnapps into a glaze for meat, poultry, or fish.

Recipe Variations

  • Neutral flavored vodka works especially well as the base for an infusion, but feel free to experiment with other spirits, such as gin, rum, or tequila. Generally, the lighter colored, least flavored versions provide the most dependable results.
  • Play with the flavors by adding complementary herbs or spices. Star anise, thyme, jalapeño, and mint all make good choices with peaches.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
700 Calories
0g Fat
18g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 700
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 111mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)