United States / Drinks
Boilo (Hot Spiced Citrus Whiskey)
Boilo is a traditional Yuletide drink of the north-eastern United States, specifically Pennsylvania. It is a type of whiskey-based liqueur made with oranges, lemons, sugar and various different spices such as cinnamon. Recipes vary and may include nutmeg, cloves, caraway seed and aniseed.
Ingredients
- medium-large oranges, medium-large2
- lemons2
- small box raisins, about 1½ oz / 40 g1 small box
- honey, 220 g8 oz
- whiskey, 355 ml, or more to taste12 oz
- any or all of these spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, caraway seed, aniseed, each; cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, caraway seed, aniseed½–1 teaspoon
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 6 steps
Peel the oranges and lemons. Cut up the fruit and squeeze them into a crock pot. A garlic press or potato-ricer works, or some kind of juicer or fruit squeezer. Put the remaining fruit pulp into the crock pot as well.
Add the raisins, honey, and spices. Stir. Do not add whiskey yet!
Start the crock pot, and let the mixture cook for about 2–4 hours. Stir occasionally. It's complete when the fruit pulp gets cooked down.
Strain into a pitcher. Mash down the fruit in the strainer to get all the liquid.
Add the whiskey to the pitcher and stir. If you cook the whiskey, even for a short time, the alcohol will start to evaporate. Taste, and add more whiskey to your liking.
Serve hot in shot glasses, espresso cups, or coffee mugs. After the first round, each individual serving can be reheated in the microwave.
