Place 2¼ cups of raw, sliced almonds in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cover with 3½ cups of tap water and let sit for 30 minutes. Strain, discarding the water.

In a food processor or blender, lightly pulse the almonds until they are coarsely ground. (You can also do this with a rolling pin—to reduce mess, put the almonds in a plastic bag first.)

Return the ground almonds to the bowl, cover with 3½ cups of distilled water and soak for 4 to 5 hours, stirring the mixture well every hour or so. Strain liquid into a 1-liter glass jar through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, pressing to extract as much as possible. Discard the almonds.

Add 3½ cups of cane sugar to the liquid, close the lid tightly and shake the jar vigorously, repeating several times over 15 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved.

Add 1 oz. of vodka and ¼ tsp. orange blossom water and stir thoroughly. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 to 3 cups of syrup.