Quarante Quatre

Adam Dennis
5 days ago
2 min read

I've wanted to make Quarante Quatre (French for "44") for a long time, but it wasn't until I was on my own Zoom cooking class when Lesley, a regular who lives in Montreal, sent me her recipe. Thank you Lesley! Anyhow, 44 is a homemade appertif made 44 days before Christmas and New Year (and echoes 44 for some of the ingredients). Quarante Quatre's roots trace back to the French countryside of Normandy France for use around the holidays. Enough said, now for the recipe!🥰

Quarante Quatre Ingredients...

1 Orange

44 Coffee or Espresso Beans

44 sugar cubes (or 44 Tsps, or a 3/4 cup plus 2.5 Tbsps)

1 750 ml bottle of rum, brandy or vodka (Your choice. I chose a local rum... of course!)

An optional vanilla bean or two

First, the fun part: take your sharp paring knife and make 44 precise cuts around the orange.

Then, insert a coffee bean into every single slit.

Add the sugar and your studded orange masterpiece to the jar, and fill the rest with the spirit. Seal it up, stash it in a cool, dark place, and shake it gently every few days.

In 44 days, it will be ready to strain, bottle, and share. Just don't expect it to last long!🥳

Enjoy!

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