Flavored vodkas appear to be having a bit of a “moment.” Walk through the liquor section of a grocery market, and you’ll find vodka flavors like strawberry, lemon, whipped cream, cupcake… even bacon! (have mercy…) Whether or not you wish to experiment with the bounty of new vodka flavors, one thing is for certain – people are becoming more and more creative with their cocktails.
When it comes to any recipe, alcohol-related or not, I usually prefer to start from scratch. In terms of cocktails, rather than buying a flavored vodka, I thought it would be more fun to infuse the vodka with flavor myself. My friend Ashley walked me through the basics, and together we experimented with a few flavors. The process couldn’t be more simple. Just place your natural flavoring– citrus peels, strawberries, herbs, vanilla bean, or whatever you like from the list below– in a jar. Add the vodka and secure the lid. Give the mixture a good shake a few times a day. In 4-5 days, you’ll have naturally flavored vodka, which you can use in a variety of cocktail recipes.
For this post, we tried orange peel, basil and vanilla bean. They turned out fabulous, but don’t let those flavors limit your creativity. If berries are your thing, add at least a cup (or more) of whole, well-washed berries to your vodka. Same goes for pretty much any other fruit. Pineapple, melon and mango should be cut into chunks. And if you like spice, try adding some whole chili peppers to the jar – your bloody mary will never be the same.
I wanted to share this infusion method with you this week, so you have time to make some lovely infused vodkas for Purim. If you strain the flavored vodka into a pretty bottle, as we have here, they make a fun added “bonus” gift in a grownup Mishloach Manot basket. Flavored vodka is also a lovely “host gift” for any Purim parties you might be attending. In the coming days, I will share some cocktail recipes using these flavored vodkas, which you can print out and give along with the vodka. Stay tuned!
Note: To make this recipe gluten free, use a certified GF vodka made from potatoes.
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Ingredients
- 3-4 cups vodka
- Funnel
- Mesh strainer
- Quart jar with lid
- 3-4 cup capacity glass bottle with lid or cork
Optional Infusion Ingredients:
- Choose one ingredient per 3-4 cups vodka:
- 2 oranges or lemons
- 1-2 large sprigs of basil or another favorite herb (rosemary, mint, etc.)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup clean berries
- 1 cup fruit cleaned and cut into chunks (pineapple, apple, melon, mango, etc.)
- 4-5 chili peppers
Instructions
- First, prepare the flavoring/infusion ingredient you will be using in your infused vodka. Make sure any ingredient you plan on using is carefully rinsed clean. Citrus peels and waxy fruit should be thoroughly scrubbed clean with a mild natural detergent before proceeding.
- If using oranges or lemons, use a peeler to peel the colorful part of the peel from the fruit, leaving the white part (the pith) behind. The pith can lead to bitterness, so you only want to use the thin outer layer of the citrus peel.
- If using a vanilla bean, slice the bean from top to bottom in one long slit, keeping it attached at the upper stem, so that the bean looks like a large V-shape.
- If using chili peppers, make a long thin slit into the skin of each pepper. Do not cut too deep or wide; the seeds need to remain in side the peppers. Just a simple slit will do it. Apples and other fruits with thin peels can be used, peeled or unpeeled, as long as they are clean with as little wax as possible on the exterior. Melons and other fruits with tough outer rinds should be sliced from their rinds prior to infusion.
- Take a clean quart jar with a wide mouth and place your infusion ingredient inside. Pour 3-4 cups of vodka over the top of the infusion ingredient. You will want to measure the capacity of the bottle you'll be using at the end of the infusion process for storing the vodka, so you know how much it will hold.
- For the process photographed here, the bottles I'll be using for storage hold about 3 cups each. That means I'll be infusing 3 cups of vodka in the jar. You can use the original bottle that the vodka came in, if you wish, for storage-- just set it aside during the infusion process. You can also use jars to store the vodka, if you wish, but bottles tend to be more user-friendly when making cocktails.
- Seal the jar with a lid. Place in a cool, dark area for 4-5 days to infuse. Here, we've done three separate infusions-- orange, vanilla, and basil.
- Once daily, shake the vodka to speed infusion process. After 3 days, you can begin to test the flavor of your infusion. This is really a "to taste" kind of thing-- if it tastes right and smells right, with the essence of the flavoring you have chosen, then you can move ahead to the straining process.
- Our vanilla infusion was ready in 3 days; the other infusions took a bit longer. You want the vodka to have the flavor of the ingredient you've chosen, but you don't want that flavor to overwhelm.
- Once the vodka is infused, you will want to strain it into a bottle for storing and/or gift giving. I used these lovely decorative Italian bottles (link in the post above). Use a funnel and a wire mesh strainer, or multiple layers of cheesecloth, to strain the liquor into the bottle. This straining process will rid the vodka of the infusion ingredients, as well as any larger particles that might have accumulated during infusion.
- If you've infused large or heavy ingredients, like chunks of fruit, you may want to fish them out before straining to avoid making a mess. And if you snack on a few of the fruit pieces, like infused pineapple, I won't tell anybody... just make sure you have a designated driver on hand. 😉
- Seal the bottles. If giving as gifts, you can use decorative tags and twine to label the type of vodka you've infused. Here we used lovely wooden tags with natural twine (links in the post above).
Voila! Lovely infused vodka for gifting or making your own homemade cocktails.
Brian says
I’ve been infusing apple chunks and pomegranate seeds in a mason jar for about a week now. After a few days of checking up on it, I started to wonder: Can I remove the current apple chunks and pomegranate seeds and put it new apple chunks and pomegranate seeds for a stronger flavor? I have no idea if this would work but I have plenty of both.
I also haven’t a clue what I would mix this with (or if I should just keep it for shots). Any recommendations?
Tori Avey says
Hi Brian– yes, I think you could “reinfuse” with fresh fruit if you like. I would think this kind of infusion would be nice mixed with sparkling water (for a light summery drink) or in pretty much any cocktail calling for a fruit-infused vodka.
matt says
I’m confused as to why you claim that it is necessary to consume potato vodka. By the very science of distillation, the gluten is removed. Any gluten would need to be added post distillation or with the possibility of contamination somewhere in the product line:
http://www.celiac.com/articles/222/1/Gluten-Free-Alcoholic-Beverages/Page1.html
The last line of the first paragraph explicitly states: All distilled liquors are gluten free.
I would only mention this because I wouldn’t want people to miss out on some great liquors because they assumed the gluten made it through the process.
Tori Avey says
Hi Matt, I recommend gluten free-certified vodkas because some friends of mine who are gluten free avoid all grain-based vodkas. Though the distillation removes gluten, traces may remain that can trigger those who are very sensitive to gluten. There are conflicting reports in this area. I am not GF, but I try to err on the side of caution when recommending a recipe that can be made gluten free. Here is a dissenting opinion on the grain vodka question:
http://www.examiner.com/article/ten-good-gluten-free-vodkas-for-the-gluten-intolerant
Matt says
Hello Tori, thanks for the reply!
It did a bit more research and although I’m not a big fan of examiner.com for various reasons, it led to me to continue researching.
http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.com/2009/01/distilling-facts-about-distillation.html
Basically, it appears we are both correct and I would have to say I completely agree with your recommendation to proceed with caution. The real problem seems to originate from cross-contamination inside of the facility. I must say I am very surprised upon reading the anecdotal evidence, which would suggest contamination at the least.
I appreciate your response and keep up the great work! Good day.
Tori Avey says
Thanks Matt!
Cheri Crothers says
ahh-been there- infuse mine with cherry, raspberry and blueberries. yum
Rita Davis says
Sounds wonderful! 🙂
Ann Domjan says
Where’d you get those cool bottles???
Steve Spencer says
I will try 3, cucumber, hot pepper, and mango.
Stephanie Lennox says
I’ve become a little obsessed w infused liquor lately. Thanks for sharing this.
Jonathan Howard Smith says
Remember the Karen Walker quote from Will and Grace. “Vodka is a morning drink”
Yana Theresa Cravens says
We do this every year with our etrog from sukkot, then we enjoy it for hanukkah. Vodka and latkes! yum!
Lisa Michal Boxenbaum says
When infusing with fruit, don’t discard it when you are done. Freeze the fruit and then use it to chill your drinks. When you are done with the drink, you have a nice boozy treat at the bottom.
Elicia Mcginn says
Awesome, thank you !
Jenni Newman Rockoff says
Where can I find kosher for Passover vodka?
Susieq Martin says
I like the skittles Vodka yummy!!
Nanci Zee says
Okay, I had to google that one but it sure sounds good and easy to make! Going to try it
David Traub says
I like to hang them upside down on an I.V. tree and do a slow drip.
foodco says
thank you ^^ last 2weeks your recipe it will not spoil cost im new here
Tori Avey says
It will last several months, especially if you keep it in the refrigerator or freezer.
foodco says
I also forgot to ask about your recipe can age more than 5 days maybe month or more thank you again
Tori Avey says
You should only leave the ingredients in until the flavor of the vodka tastes right to you. Leaving them in too long will result in an unsatisfactory flavor in many cases. I don’t currently have any recipes that age for a year or more, sorry about that.
foodco says
And thank you
foodco says
Can you give me some recipe that in need to age for about year or more thank you I also try in Google I don.,t see any recipe
Patricia says
I am looking for a recipe for cosmo infused vodka. I made this from a recipe I found in a magazine and now I cannot find the magazine. It was a great hit and I would love to make it again. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Margarida says
Hi Torey, Love your recipes. I have a trivia query about cucumbers, does a cucumber taste any different if it’s scratched with a fork along the outside to make the grooves, or does it taste the same if it’s not scratched and left as it is????
My mother-in-law swears it makes a difference, I actually tested it by blindfolding my husband and serving some scratched and non-scratched cucumbers and he could not tell the difference, that wasn’t good enough for the in-law, she’s adament it tastes different and my hubby doesn’t want to upset mother!!! What do you think?? :))
Thanx.
Tori Avey says
Margarida, I don’t think so! Shouldn’t taste different as far as I know… then again kale tastes much different after it’s massaged, and who am I to argue with Mother-in-Law? LOL 😉