Instructions: Make simple syrup by heating sugar and water in a heavy saucepan, stirring to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add instant coffee and spices and remove from heat. Cool. Add rum and brandy and pour into a glass or ceramic container (not metal or plastic)*. Cap tightly or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Steep for three weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking or swirling around in the container every three days.

Strain out the spices and discard. Line a funnel, a sieve or a coffee cone with a dampened coffee filter** and pour the liqueur through.

Change the filter regularly. This is a SLOW process! After filtering, cover tightly and age another three or four weeks (or more-the longer it ages, the better it gets).

Makes about 4 cups.

* If youre multiplying the recipe, you will still want to steep it in containers no bigger than about a quart, dividing the spices up between them. The flavor doesnt seem to develop as well in bigger containers. Ive bought a box of quart canning jars that I re-use every year.

** When I make this for holiday gifts, I make such a quantity-seven or eight times this recipe-Id get old and gray waiting for it to filter this way. So I invested around $20.00 in a gold-plated permanent coffee filter (look for them in a gourmet coffee or kitchen store). The results might be a bit more cloudy, but I think its still perfectly acceptable and its MUCH faster.

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