Infusing Vodka

[OldAF]

Thanks to Nick Danger for the idea. I infused pint of vodka with loose black tea and it is fantastic. I used a pint canning jar as a trial. Simply two heaping teaspoons of tea and filled it with Stoli. Yum. If I had known it would be this good I'd have done a 750 ml bottle. Anyway I know what I'm going to do with all the vodka I have that isn't being consumed. I think I'll try raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, watermelon and hot pepper.

I guess this has been a fad for a while and there is all kinds of conflicting advice online. I didn't sterilize the jar I did the tea in because it only took about 12 hours to infuse but I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea for the other infusions if they're going to set around for a week or so.

I wonder if an infusion will hold the flavor. I read somewhere they may get weaker over time? Maybe pints are best?

Any recipes, hints, tips, advice would be appreciated.

 

[Texasreiguy]

Would like to learn how this is done!

 

[RaiserLiebe]

Like lemon?
My mother used to make an infusion of lemon peel and sugar in vodka. She made it _quite_ sweet (really it was more a sipping cordial than something you would belt down or use mixed), but it seems to me this is optional- one could make it easily without the added sweetness.
PM me and I will look up the exact recipe if you like.
Cheers!

 

[jakko]

Can try tomatoes and chili peppers. Bloody mary in a bottle.

 

[Kazeryu]

I didn't sterilize the jar I did the tea in because it only took about 12 hours to infuse but I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea for the other infusions if they're going to set around for a week or so.

Filling it with 40% alcohol counts as sterilizing it.

I wonder if an infusion will hold the flavor. I read somewhere they may get weaker over time? Maybe pints are best?

As long as you're not opening the bottle all the time and letting fresh oxygen in, it shouldn't get weaker anytime in the next year or three. After that I don't know. (Wouldn't expect it, though)

Any recipes, hints, tips, advice would be appreciated.

Some general rules of thumb which might be useful:
Infusion Times for fresh herbs, teas, and spices should be measured in hours or days at most.
Infusion times for fruits should be weeks or months.

If you're using a fruit which contains pith (e.g. the white portion of orange/lime/lemon peels) make sure that NONE of the pith gets in. It will make your drink bitter and gross. I think this applies equally to pits and seeds but I'm not certain.

Brightly coloured fruit like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc. will turn a sickly white colour over time. This is normal and does NOT mean your infusion has spoiled. The alcohol is just sucking out the essences which contain the colour (and flavour!).

Lastly, something I've never tried myself (since all vodka is about the same price here): Supposedly you can greatly improve a cheap (read: bad) vodka by pouring it through a brita filter several times. If you decide to do this, be aware that it is recommended that you use a BRAND NEW filter, process all of your liquor at once, and then discard the filter.

 

[Kazeryu]

PS - inevitably, everyone who tries infusing will think about making bacon liquor. Unfortunately, it doesn't work well since most of the flavour is in the fat, which won't dissolve into alcohol (or water).

 

[_JP_]

More than twenty years ago I started peppering vodka with a simple recipe that I got fron Paul Prudhomme. What you is take a jalapeño pepper and split it down it's length, leaving it attached at the stem. Drop it in a new fifth of vodka, cap it, and refrigerate it if you like. Give it at least 24 hours, but not than 48 or it might be too hot. Then go ahead and mix your martini using the peppered Vodka for a Cajun style martini.

 

[galopede]

Never tried any vodka infusions but I regularly make Sloe Gin and Blackberry Whisky. Both are excellent liqueurs, especially the sloe gin.

Some chilli head friends of mine are always trying to outdo each other with their chilli vodkas but I'm not a fan!

Gareth

 

[Indigo3]

Like lemon?
My mother used to make an infusion of lemon peel and sugar in vodka. She made it _quite_ sweet (really it was more a sipping cordial than something you would belt down or use mixed), but it seems to me this is optional- one could make it easily without the added sweetness.
PM me and I will look up the exact recipe if you like.
Cheers!

Indeed Like Limoncello...well worth making, keep in the freezer and won't last long.

 

[barrycv]

Thanks to Nick Danger for the idea. I infused pint of vodka with loose black tea and it is fantastic. I used a pint canning jar as a trial. Simply two heaping teaspoons of tea and filled it with Stoli. Yum. If I had known it would be this good I'd have done a 750 ml bottle. Anyway I know what I'm going to do with all the vodka I have that isn't being consumed. I think I'll try raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, watermelon and hot pepper.

I guess this has been a fad for a while and there is all kinds of conflicting advice online. I didn't sterilize the jar I did the tea in because it only took about 12 hours to infuse but I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea for the other infusions if they're going to set around for a week or so.

For tea, this is way too long. Honestly an hour is probably enough. This is one of my fav things to make. I'll take the infused vodka, mix in a little lemon & a tiny bit of sweetner, drink it like a martini. Fantastic.

Also as others have said, using vodka pretty much eliminates the need for sterilizing.

 

[barrycv]

Like lemon?
My mother used to make an infusion of lemon peel and sugar in vodka. She made it _quite_ sweet (really it was more a sipping cordial than something you would belt down or use mixed), but it seems to me this is optional- one could make it easily without the added sweetness.
PM me and I will look up the exact recipe if you like.
Cheers!

This is Limoncello. A staple of Sorrento & Capri, Italy. They make a cream version of it too, but I don't know how to do that. I prefer the 'original'.

 

[barrycv]

Lastly, something I've never tried myself (since all vodka is about the same price here): Supposedly you can greatly improve a cheap (read: bad) vodka by pouring it through a brita filter several times. If you decide to do this, be aware that it is recommended that you use a BRAND NEW filter, process all of your liquor at once, and then discard the filter.

I think the basic theory is sound behind this (re-filtering), but I'm not sure doing the Brita (i.e. activated charcoal) filters will achieve it. I think they did this on Mythbusters a few seasons ago & didn't get any results doing it.

 

[Stevew443]

Back when I was able to drink, I would infuse vodka with coffee beans. I would add a handful of beans to the vodka and let it set for a week or so and then drink up.

 

[YetiDave]

Get an airtight container, add a layer of fruit (like cherries) and then top with sugar, keep layering like that then pour over the vodka, seal up and forget about it. Agitate it once a month and after 6 months or so you can strain out the liquid and voila - a sweet (and very strong) fruit vodka

 

[YetiDave]

Also one my friends and I do fairly often is fisu (a Finnish drink) - get a bottle of vodka and crush up a packet or two of fisherman's friends lozenges, add to the vodka and shake until it's dissolved. A good winter drink - it kicks the crap out of a cold!

 

[_JP_]

Back when I was able to drink, I would infuse vodka with coffee beans. I would add a handful of beans to the vodka and let it set for a week or so and then drink up.

So, if you drink the whole bottle that makes you a wide awake drunk?

 

[zethreal]

I'm experimenting with making my own peppermint extract and vanilla extracts. The peppermint could have used more peppermint leaves so it's turning into a flavored vodka than an extract ( not that I'm complaining ).

 

[Kazeryu]

Also one my friends and I do fairly often is fisu (a Finnish drink) - get a bottle of vodka and crush up a packet or two of fisherman's friends lozenges, add to the vodka and shake until it's dissolved. A good winter drink - it kicks the crap out of a cold!

oh god that sounds lethal.

 

[delamain]

I've got a book on the subject but I haven't delved into it in any great detail.

The main infusion project that I intended to carry out (but failed to do) was a hops gin.

I was going to make a citrusy Cascade or Centennial gin to use for my G&Ts - maybe some other time!

 

[Bubblehead]

I've only infused vodka with black pepper. I mixed that with some club soda and topped off with a squeeze of lemon. Fantastic! Pink pepper and pink grapefruit is next.