Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1             2 inch  vanilla bean
  3 3/4           cups  sugar
  7        tablespoons  instant coffee -- or
  6        tablespoons  freeze-dried coffee
  1                     fifth vodka
  2          teaspoons  glycerine
                        caramel coloring -- optional

Preparation:

Cut the vanilla bean in two or three pieces. Add the sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Boil for 30 minutes and then let cool. Dissolve the instant coffee in 1/4 cup of boiling water. In a large jar, mix the coffee, the cooled sugar-vanilla solution, vodka and glycerine. if a darker color is desired, add some caramel coloring. Seal and shake well. Let stand for two weeks. You may want to decant the clear liquid or run through cheesecloth to get rid of the vanilla particles. I never do. This is very good.

Nutritional Information:

2905 Calories (kcal); 0g Total Fat; (0% calories from fat); trace Protein; 750g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium