We have Everclear here too but its too much alcohol i was told for tinctures..i found 100 proof pretty inexpensive Black Hawk..i Love Lemon Balm tinctures..I made Valerian Tincture as well because I tried it in my tea but it smells sooo horrible like dirty socks or somthing lol..I have a High tolerance so teas do not work that well for me..this year im going to make a double or triple tincture of my lemon balm espescially..Thanks for all the info Lynn

Real Kahlua uses rum(s), so in terms of the "real thing" rum is closer. However the trick would be finding the right balance of rums and that could be time-consuming and difficult. Vodka offers the advantage of being flavorless, so basically the result is a simple coffee liqueur. The thread Ken mentioned has a recipe for a "Kahlua" that calls for rye. You might take a look at that. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Liqueur Making Questions

I like to use Everclear because it really has no taste- not even the neutral flavor that vodka has. While neutral, it does have it's own flavor. And something to note about the vanilla beans- they taste different too. Madagascar Burbon has the standard vanilla flavor most commonly known and popular in all applications. Mexican has the same flavor, but with additional warm spice notes of clove/nutmeg that can go well into more savory as well as sweet applications. Indonesian is more woody and smoky that pairs better with deeper sweets and some savory applications. Tahitian is more floral and cherry with anise notes, and best for lighter applications like pairing with fruits, custards and ice creams, and some drinks. There's also Indonesian (balanced flavors) and Tonga (earthy and deep fruits like figgy) vanillas, but those are much less common. There's also different folds to vanilla. Single fold is the most commonly made for regular extracts, and pretty much what we are talking about in this thread. 2x and 3x increase the amount of vanilla beans to make it more concentrated and is often used by pro bakers. It can go up to a 10x vanilla, which is created as an oil (vanilla is oil soluble, not water soluble), and that's what we see as the food grade essential oil- it's process isn't really doable by the home cook, it requires more complicated processing.

Kahlua is fab poured over ice cream if you're looking for something easy and cooling. I was thinking aguas frescas might be a more refreshing drink. My favorite is jamaica (hybiscus) but it doesn't mix well with some people's medications. I don't know anything about the fish part of the fish dish, but I think that sounds like a nice lunch. In general, I think the often stated more often broken, adage against fish and dairy products is stupid, but I don't think Mexican fish dishes would go well with either the White Russians, or shakes or ice cream. Dairy isn't great when it's hot anyway (even ice cream). How about a Kalua iced coffee slushy, or something kahlua coconut tropical? Kahlua sorbet? So...if you want the lake perch, could you have your dad over the evening before? Have a nice visit with him and a bucket of fish?