I was thinking about trying my hand with some vodka (possibly gin?) infusing, and was hoping to hear from a few who might have experience in this area. Any advice?
-Pete
-Pete
DIY Vodka Infusing?
- Thread starter Pete
- Start date
Oh god, that's horrible.
Here are some tips I've compiled:
- To sweeten infusions use simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil and cooled) rather than crystals.
- When adding simple syrup make sure it's at room temperature or colder. If it's too hot, the flavor of your infusion can be altered.
- Don't add simple syrup until your infusion has completed.
- Different infusions require different lengths of time. Green tea vodka takes 24 hours at most before it becomes so bitter it's undrinkable while cucumber vodka takes about two weeks and lime/citrus can take up to a month.
- Age your infusion for at least a week after it's finished. This allows the flavors to settle.
- Shake/turn your infusion daily or every other day while infusing and store in a cool, dark place.
Cinnamon vodka was my best experiment and it turns a beautiful shade of red. It was left to infuse for about three weeks. Just buy a few bottles and experiment. And remember that the quality of the vodka you start with will affect the quality of the infusion you finish with.
Edit: I forgot a major tip. When you take whatever you're infusing out, run the infusion through a coffee filter or two to remove any sediment. You might have to do that a few times.
A big +1 to that. I had experimented with a few things about a year or so ago, and basically scrapped the whole mess after the ones I tasted shortly after filtering turned out awfully unpalatable. The couple bottles I did keep in my fridge for about month afterwards however ended up developing a light sediment. One day I decided to refilter them and have a taste -- they were MUCH improved. I believe I tried coffee and pineapple.
With the bacon vodka duly noted, my next attempt will involve a White Castle hamburger.
With the bacon vodka duly noted, my next attempt will involve a White Castle hamburger.
Why deprive yourself the chance to eat a White Castle? Besides, I worry that catching the soggy remains of a slider with a coffee filter will turn me off to them forever...
I once made a mean Garlic and Chili Pepper vodka that was originally intended for a spicy bloody mary. Once my friends found it, it turned into an interesting party shot...although thinking about it now definitely "brings up" awful memories.
I made coffee liqueur that turned out very well, though it isn't technically an infusion. I took equal parts very strong coffee (I used cold-brewed out of my Toddy) and sugar and made a simple syrup as described above. Once the sugar dissolved and the syrup cooled, I mixed it about 50/50 with vodka. It came out very very well: much better than any commercially available coffee liqueur I compared it to (Kahlua, Starbucks, generic supermarket brand, and some stuff I bought in costa rica). I think next time I will use less sugar, as I like my white russians less sweet, and that's the main thing I use it for.
A vodka infusion is used to make this drink (gin also works well).
- Open one fifth of vodka. Do not pour and don't taste test any of it either.
- Split on jalapeño pepper down the middle leaving the halves attached at the stem. Remove the seeds.
- Drop the pepper into the bottle of vodka. It's traditional to yell "Haaa!" as the pepper falls to the bottom.
- Top off the bottle with dry vermouth. Then chill it for 24 hours, no longer than 48 hours or it will get too hot.
- Pour into glass, add your favorite garnish
- Enjoy!
Two long Madagascar Vanilla beans. Tie the stems together with twine and float in a bottle of Vodka (Monopolova or Tito's are both good choices) or tawny Rum (Mount Gay or Appleton) for about a month.
The peel of any citrus not native to America (like Seville oranges and tangerines, citron, yuzu, etc.) also work well in vodka, and are definitely unique.
If you are going for dry, try Meyer Lemon.
In any case follow rabidpotatochip's tip's
The peel of any citrus not native to America (like Seville oranges and tangerines, citron, yuzu, etc.) also work well in vodka, and are definitely unique.
If you are going for dry, try Meyer Lemon.
In any case follow rabidpotatochip's tip's
Rabid is a smart canuck ey 
One of these days I'm going to get around to making some Skittles vodka. Instructions are at http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/msbrackenridge/entry/the_something_random/
Apparently you have to take the green ones out or the vodka goes a "swampy" colour.
Apparently you have to take the green ones out or the vodka goes a "swampy" colour.
my wife and her friends dissolved jolly rancher candies in vodka.i think they made watermelon and green apple.i was not there,but it was claimed to be a pretty good concoction.i would imagine it was more like a liqueur.
That looks pretty cool. I like the idea of having a bottle for each colour as the writer suggested (for the reason she suggested too!). I might do some DIY infusion of my own this week while revising for my exam!
While at first glance not exactly in line with this post, I have had good luck making Cinnamon vodka. I am one of the people who like the liquor "After Shot" which is a Cinnamon liquor. I often enjoy a shot or to of After Shock before dinner, to settle my stomach and aid in digestion. When the bottles are empty there is often a large amount of crystalline sugar left in the bottle. One of these bottles was nearly 1/2 full of sugar, so I filled it with good quality vodka and put it to rest. I happened upon the bottle a few months later and the sugar had totally dissolved, leaving a stronger version of the liquor behind. Maybe not my everyday drink, but interesting, tasty, and a definite infusion!
Ken.
Ken.
i have made the cinnamon stick vodka .after a while tastes like red hot candies(after adding a little sugar).i attempted a ginger root vodka with no real luck.the liquid had almost no ginger flavor.
i have made the cinnamon stick vodka .after a while tastes like red hot candies(after adding a little sugar).i attempted a ginger root vodka with no real luck.the liquid had almost no ginger flavor.
Just to clarify, did you grate the root or stick it in whole?
Alton Brown did a Pepper Vodka once: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35132,00.html
I also had a recipe for and tried a rosemary vodka...that was a horrendous result. The rosemary was just far too strong. One think that Alton Brown said that I have found useful was to use a neutral tasting vodka. Something like, say, Grey Goose or Belvedere has a rather complex flavor that a) might distort the infusion you are trying to achieve or b) simply be wasted on an infusion and is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. I like Smirnoff for infusions. I cannot bring myself to buy something in a plastic bottle...
I also had a recipe for and tried a rosemary vodka...that was a horrendous result. The rosemary was just far too strong. One think that Alton Brown said that I have found useful was to use a neutral tasting vodka. Something like, say, Grey Goose or Belvedere has a rather complex flavor that a) might distort the infusion you are trying to achieve or b) simply be wasted on an infusion and is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. I like Smirnoff for infusions. I cannot bring myself to buy something in a plastic bottle...
I've made a few vodka infusions that haven't worked out so well. Many years ago in college we attempted to make Absinth at home. It tasted like vomit, and made us do so shortly there after. I've also made vanilla extract at home, which turns out pretty well if you have good beans, but depends on the quality of the vodka in the end. If you use decent vodka, the vanilla extract is amazing (much better than what you buy in the store, assuming you can find FRESH good quality vanilla beans). In fact, I'm growing a vanilla plant for my next batch, if I can get it to work properly.
The best results I've had with vodka infusions is Limoncello, that my cousin's taught me how to make. It is intended to be made with grain alcohol, but works just as well with vodka. Limoncello is simply the best after dinner drink that I have found, and is incomparable outside on a hot day when ice cold.
The best results I've had with vodka infusions is Limoncello, that my cousin's taught me how to make. It is intended to be made with grain alcohol, but works just as well with vodka. Limoncello is simply the best after dinner drink that I have found, and is incomparable outside on a hot day when ice cold.
I've made a ton of vodka infusions over the last five years or so and got to be pretty good at it.
Liquid Panty Remover:
Materials:
One very large glass jar
One bag Trader Joe's flash-frozen peach slices
One bag Trader Joe's flash-frozen black cherries
Two Tahitian vanilla beans, sliced in quarters lengthwise
One handle cheap vodka
One Brita or Pur water filter
Method:
Run cheap vodka through filter six times. Fill the pitcher reservoir, and pour the filtered vodka into the glass jar. Repeat this process an additional five times.
Dump in the fruit and vanilla beans
Wait as long as humanly possible. The longer the better. The vanilla beans will continue to improve the booze for months on end. You need fresh, flexible beans that won't flake off into the booze if you can help it. Try to find ones that are fresh and have a liquidy center. It ain't easy, but give it a shot. The ones at your Kroger/Ralph's/King Sooper kind of suck but they're better than nothing.
Serve to girls
Remove panties
------------------------
If you want to take it to the next level, save the fruit and beans after you're done with the vodka. Make milkshakes with the leftover fruit and beans with vanilla ice cream.
Serve to girls.
Also, don't try to replace the flash frozen fruit with fresh stuff. I'm convinced the frozen stuff is actually superior. Maybe the freezing blows out the fruit's cell walls or something, but it comes out very nice.
Liquid Panty Remover:
Materials:
One very large glass jar
One bag Trader Joe's flash-frozen peach slices
One bag Trader Joe's flash-frozen black cherries
Two Tahitian vanilla beans, sliced in quarters lengthwise
One handle cheap vodka
One Brita or Pur water filter
Method:
Run cheap vodka through filter six times. Fill the pitcher reservoir, and pour the filtered vodka into the glass jar. Repeat this process an additional five times.
Dump in the fruit and vanilla beans
Wait as long as humanly possible. The longer the better. The vanilla beans will continue to improve the booze for months on end. You need fresh, flexible beans that won't flake off into the booze if you can help it. Try to find ones that are fresh and have a liquidy center. It ain't easy, but give it a shot. The ones at your Kroger/Ralph's/King Sooper kind of suck but they're better than nothing.
Serve to girls
Remove panties
------------------------
If you want to take it to the next level, save the fruit and beans after you're done with the vodka. Make milkshakes with the leftover fruit and beans with vanilla ice cream.
Serve to girls.
Also, don't try to replace the flash frozen fruit with fresh stuff. I'm convinced the frozen stuff is actually superior. Maybe the freezing blows out the fruit's cell walls or something, but it comes out very nice.
The best vodka ive found is Pravda from Poland. Absolutely the smoothest out there. I was trained in San Francisco as a bartender with Pearl Vodka, another decent one. As for the bacon vodka, good god, do we really need that on this earth? As far as infusing goes, the only trick ive found is to put some martini olives, olive juice, coctail onions, lemon peel and Guinness beer into the bottle. Leave it in the fridge for about a week, and you have the makings for a great bloody mary. Shake for a minute with some more Guinness a little added tomato juice, tabasco, worcestershire sauce and salt/pepper.
