Homemade Orgeat Syrup [Beachbum Berry Remixed]

In their thirst for the artisanal, today’s hardcore cocktailians find commercially processed orgeat syrups wanting. In 2006, Canadian mixologist Darcy O’Neil decided to take a stand against artificial ingredients and create his own orgeat. He’s uniquely qualified to do so: Darcy is not only a professional bartender, he’s a professional chemist. When not working behind the mahogany at Braise restaurant in London, Ontario, Darcy writes about the relationship between hard science and hard liquor on his blog artofdrink.com. ======== 500 grams blanched almonds 27 ounces water 700 grams table sugar 3 1/3 ounces vodka or brandy 2 tablespoons orange flower water or rose flower water (optional) Step One: Place the almonds in a bowl, cover bowl with cold water, and let almonds soak for 30 minutes. Drain and discard the water, then crush the almonds with a rolling pin (or you can chop them to a fine grind in a food processor). Step two: Transfer the crushed almonds to a large bowl and mix them with the 800 ml water. Let stand for one to two hours. Step three: Into another bowl of equal size, strain the almond and water mixture through a layer of cheesecloth, squeezing the cloth to extract all liquid. Put the chopped almonds back into this strained almond water, let stand for another hour, and then strain again. Repeat a third time if you wish. (This is will get all the oils out of the almonds.) Step four: Pour the strained liquid into a pan, discarding the almond pulp. Add the sugar to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool for 15 minutes, then add the orange flower water and the brandy or vodka. Store your orgeat in a clean glass bottle. (This recipe yields about 1 1/2 liters, or 50 ounces). ========