That’s right – infused vodka. I was minding my own business this weekend when it hit me that there might be a way to turn every backyard bbq into something even more special. Something infused. So, I decided to try my hand at making some homemade infused vodkas.
Strawberry, pineapple, mint, pickle and jalapeno are my ingredients for this journey. Oh, and vodka.
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- the ingredients: vodka, jalapenos, pickles, pineapple, strawberries, fresh mint leaves and mason jars
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- you always have to wash the berries!
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- cut up the fruit into chunks, making sure to remove any inedible parts. the small pieces will make it easy to fill the jar with the fruit.
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- I added a hint of mint to my strawberry variety
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- pour the vodka over the fruit, filling the jar
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- screw on the lid carefully and secure tightly
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- repeat those steps as necessary for the rest of the varieties; I also made pineapple, pickle and jalapeno with a touch of strawberry
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- stick the jars in the fridge and wait! be sure to shake them once a day and give them a little taste after 3-4 days; it can take up to a week to get a good flavor for certain varieties but I’m told the jalapenos will only need 4 days to do their thing
The jalapeno/strawberry and pickle varieties will be great for bloody marys and I plan on using the strawberry/mint and pineapple for summer cocktails. Yum!
I started simple but from doing a bit of research (er, Googling) I found that you don’t have to stop at vodka; people infuse nearly every clear liquor (think gin, tequila) with everything from cucumber and mango to cinnamon and honey. So, go forth and infuse!
Yum! They all sound great! I’ve never tried infusing pickles, but I would like to hear about the cocktails! The booze doesn’t have to be clear to infuse it. I infuse bourbon and brandy all the time… They are often my favorites as they bring even more flavors to the infusion.
Posted by Alicia | 04.24.2012, 10:02 pmThanks Alicia! This is my first try at infusing alcohol, I hope it goes well and I can branch out to other varieties. I’ll have to look into the bourbon! Any suggestions for what to use to infuse it?
Posted by biavio | 04.25.2012, 9:00 amdried fruits do amazingly well, apples with cinnamon and vanilla bean, cocoa nibs, peanuts, peaches, everything! My blog is all about infusions and we have lots of bourbon recipes (and adding more all the time) so check it out if you want some ideas. Boozedandinfused.com
Posted by Alicia | 04.25.2012, 9:38 am