Making Vodka Infusions

Infused booze can really elevate a regular cocktail recipe, and it’s super easy to make your own custom infusions. Vodka infusions are a great starting point, since vodka has such a neutral flavor.

This basic vodka infusion recipe only take a few days, so if you get started today, you’ll be all set for any shindigs this weekend! Here are a basic recipe and a couple of flavor suggestions to get you going.

Basic Vodka Infusion Recipe

Ingredients and Supplies

• clean glass containers – bonus points if you rescue something from the recycle bin! Old juice bottles or large glass jars work great for this.
• funnel, for pouring the vodka into your container
• organic vodka of your choice
• fruits and veggies of your choice, about 1 part fruit/veg to 2 parts vodka works well (see below for ideas)
• herbs of your choice – I’ve found that 2 tablespoons per cup of vodka works well. Treat ginger and garlic as herbs.
• cheese cloth, for straining

Method

1. Clean your glass container out really well with hot, soapy water. Make sure it’s totally dry before you begin.
2. Cut up your fruits and veggies into large chunks and stab each piece multiple times with a fork. If you’re using fresh herbs, you can leave these whole.
3. Put your fruits, veggies, and/or herbs into a glass container, fill with vodka of your choice, and let the mixture steep for 3 to 5 days, shaking it daily.
4. Strain your concoction through the cheese cloth a couple of times, trying to get out as much sediment as you can. If you used herbs, you can actually stick them back into the bottle after straining for a decorative touch.

Vodka Infusion Flavor Ideas

The best part about vodka infusions is that you can get experimental! Try fun combinations of fruits, herbs, and even veggies and see what you get! You can mix these into cocktails, serve them over ice, or combine them with a little simple syrup and soda water to really bring out the flavors in the vodka. If you’re not sure what you want to try, here are a couple of tasty options:

• lemon cucumber – this would be great in a bloody mary or sweetened with a little soda water and maybe a sprig of organic mint?
• basil – totally delicious mixed with pomegranate juice. Fact!
• whole vanilla bean – perfect for making white Russians. White Russians are easy to veganize, too – just substitute almond or soy milk for the light cream.
• vanilla and pear – try mixing this one with raspberry soda
• garlic-ginger – yet another infusion that’s great in a bloody mary.

This list is far from comprehensive. Experiment with different flavors, and have fun!