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Vodka infusion cocktails are all the rage and when it comes to the assortment of flavors; the sky’s the limit. Most people think their only options are limited to whatever infusion concoctions are on the drink menu or to available bottles on their liquor store shelves. Well, I’m here to tell you there’s a third option: home vodka infusion.
Believe it or not the process of infusing alcohol is quite easy and this is coming from someone who set her desk on fire in IPS (introduction to physical science) and caused the evacuation of the entire second floor open area during a chemistry class in high school. If I can do it, you can do it. Trust me, the hardest part is deciding on a flavor.
Choose your spirit. You want to choose a vodka that has a clean taste. My preference is Hanger One vodka or Vox. The smoother the vodka the more the flavor will come through. My personal suggestion is to try it with a cheap bottle first after all, this is an experiment and sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. But with the cheaper vodka you’ll need to filter out the impurities or your infusion will be tainted. A vodkastick is one of the best home filter systems out there.
Choose your flavors. This is where you can get really creative. Fruits are most commonly used but anything can be infused. Just make sure that if you’re combining fruits or other flavors like herbs and spices that they compliment each other. Berries are fine as is but be sure to cut your larger fruit (oranges, ginger, limes, kiwi, etc) into thin slices and anything with a hard shell like certain herbs and spices (dill, vanilla beans, cloves, etc) should be cracked or halved beforehand.
The container. You’ll need an air tight glass container like a mason jar or an infusion jar. Don’t use plastic because you’ll taste it with the longer timed infusions. Put the ingredients inside the jar and fill it with vodka. Seal the container and shake it a few times to start the process. If you get smaller jars you can create little batches of different flavors of infused vodka. This way, good or bad, you’re not limited to just one flavor.
Storage. Put your infusion in a cool dark place. You’ll need to shake it 3-5 times a day for the duration with a taste test every few days. Depending on your ingredients this process can take from 3-7 days to as long as two weeks. I’ve included some infusion time suggestions below.
The finished product. Once your flavors have peaked, you’ll need to separate the vodka from the ingredients. Use a strainer or a coffee filter to remove any small particles or debris before pouring it into its final container. If you plan on using the jar it was infused in, make sure to thoroughly clean it first. Store your creation as you would any other spirit.
Infusion Times. This is a useful guide but it’s also about personal preference. Since this is your creation you can manipulate the infusion time to your specific taste.
3-5 days for stronger flavored ingredients such as citrus, mint, garlic, vanilla beans, cinnamon, chili peppers and most other herbs and spices.
7-10 days for intermediate flavors such as melons, papaya, berries, mangos and peaches.
10-14 days for mild flavors like lemon grass, pineapple, ginger and honey.
You can also layer your flavors. One of my favorite combinations is a cranberry and ginger infusion. Since ginger needs a longer infusion time add the ginger slices first, wait a week and then add the cranberries. After two weeks you have a gentle but flavorful vodka to be sipped by itself or with a mixer.
Here are a few vodka infusion recipes to get you started.
Here's a great article by Dallas Bartender Examiner Robert Stahl on how to infuse your symple syrup mix with flavors! And There's plenty more great Examiner vodka coverage here!
Comments
Great column again!
I remember that incident in HS!! LOL PS - no more open areas!
Haha! ...Yeah, that was me. I was wondering if someone would remember it.
I made a batch of prickly pear vodka! You have to try it!
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