It’s that time of year again, when the finest Spanish oranges make their show. This can only mean one thing to a classy gent: Liqueur 44.

This is an easy, but not a quick recipe - it takes 44 days to make it.

Firstly, the ingredients:

1 bottle of vodka
1 large (navel) orange
44 coffee beans
1 knife
1 sealable jar, just over a litre
Granulated sugar (not shown)

Now the instructions:

Step 1, make a small slit in the skin of the orange with the knife.

Step 2: Insert a coffee bean into this slit.

Step 3: Repeat this 44 times, using up all the coffee beans, then put the studded orange into the large jar.

Step 4: Add either 44 sugar cubes, or 44 teaspoons of sugar (these are equivalent). This is a LOT.

Step 5: Add all that vodka. It may not all fit into the jar, but don’t worry about this, it’s not critical.

Step 6: Seal, shake and leave for 44 days. Shake occasionally to make sure all the sugar dissolves.

There you go. Complete. If you do this tonight (23rd of February 2012), it’ll be ready on Easter Sunday for a paschal treat. Get steeping!

It can be enjoyed alone, or combined with sparkling wine (or water) for a long drink. Use your imagination to build cocktails with it. Traditionally served as an aperitif or digestif (it seems to do both jobs equally well).

Post script:
Divers other ingredients can be added to alter the flavour slightly: this classy gent has seen additions such as a vanilla bean, cloves, cinnamon, white rum instead of vodka, Everclear instead of vodka, but cannot vouchsafe for any of them.

If you think that 44 spoons of sugar will be too sweet, it is possible to make it with less sugar, then add in extra at the end if required. The additional sugar might take a couple of extra days to dissolve, though.