Throwing a Tiki party but have no Falernum to hand? Shame on you! But never fear, bursting with lime, spices and ginger, this rich Falernum syrup is alcohol-free and only takes an hour to make from start to finish. Using only a cup of water as the base liquid you won't be making too much - just enough to see you through a good round of Zombies!
Zest the limes with a microplane grater, zester or vegetable peeler, making sure to leave all the white pith behind.
Toast the cloves, allspice and cinnamon in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking frequently. Wait until they're slightly darker than you think they should be (though definitely not burnt), then remove from the heat
Grind all the spices together (once cool) with a pestle and mortar, or use a blender if easier.
Add all ingredients to a saucepan (apart from the almond extract) and bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat. Continue to simmer for one minute, then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Strain the infusion into your container through a muslin or a moistened cheesecloth. Make sure to give it a good squeeze at the end to get every last drop of potent liquid out.
Add the almond extract and give the bottle a final shake to mix.
Notes
As this particular mix doesn't contain alcohol we’re aiding flavour extraction by toasting then grinding all the spiced ingredients. However, please note that with no alcohol comes a limited shelf life. I’d allow roughly a week or two depending on how well you’ve sterilised your container, but to be honest you'll probably finish it in an evening's sitting :)