Infusing Vodka

[OldAF]

Thanks for all the tips. I have three berry infusions "brewing" now.

Galopede, I only wish I could make sloe gin but no sloe berries around here. What they call sloe gin in the US would make you gag.

[galopede]

Galopede, I only wish I could make sloe gin but no sloe berries around here. What they call sloe gin in the US would make you gag.

Do the sloe/blackthorn not grow over there? I feel sorry for you!

Gareth

[Nick Danger]

Thanks to Nick Danger for the idea.

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.

Really happy that you followed my lead and tried an infusion! It's so simple, and you get such great results.

While I've heard people say that some fruit infusions should go for months, I've never found that to be the case. Here are a few of my successful recipes:

Pineapple: one whole fresh pineapple, cored and cut into chunks. Infuse for two weeks.

Sour Cherry: 1-2 pounds pitted sour cherries. I l buy them frozen and pitted at the Farmer's Market. Infuse for 8 days.

Pear: 4-5 ripe pears, pealed and sliced thin. Infuse for 2 weeks.

My experiment with blackberries didn't turn out well - not a strong enough flavor, even with two full weeks of infusion time. Not sure if a month would've made any difference.

I never sterilize the jars, but I do run them through the dishwasher in between batches.

I made enough raspberry and sour cherry vodka last season that I still have a few bottles. I kept them in the fridge or the freezer. They still taste as good as the day they were infused.

I never add sugar to my infusions. I know some people who do, but I think you get a nicer result with pure fruit.

It's correct that strong flavors like tea or herbs might only take a few hours. Taste your infusion experiments regularly until you figure out the timing.

Have fun, and please share your own recipes. I'm always interested in trying something new!

Nick

[barrycv]

Pineapple: one whole fresh pineapple, cored and cut into chunks. Infuse for two weeks.

I haven't done it, but I've had friends swear by grilling the pineapple first, then making the infusion.

[AjaxLepinski]

The one and only drink that I shared with my grandfather (1894-1986) was a 8 oz glass of Vodka that he infused with raspberries. It was really good and I asked for a second glass... Because, I was 15, he refused saying, "You mother (his daugher) would get mad". I don't know how long he soaked the raspberries before imbibing but, the color of the Vodka was a deep, Koolaid red.

[Nick Danger]

The one and only drink that I shared with my grandfather (1894-1986) was a 8 oz glass of Vodka that he infused with raspberries. It was really good and I asked for a second glass... Because, I was 15, he refused saying, "You mother (his daugher) would get mad". I don't know how long he soaked the raspberries before imbibing but, the color of the Vodka was a deep, Koolaid red.

What a great memory of your grandfather!

My raspberry infusions are a deep red, too. I infuse them for 5 days. I use a lot of berries, though: two or three of those 6-ounce packages.

Give it a try in honor of your grandfather. I'm sure he'd be proud.



Nick

[Penguinetti]

A polish trick I learned was to take a bottle of cheap vodka, pour a bit out, and mix in honey, a clove, and a vanilla bean. Let it sit in the freezer for a week or so. Comes out pretty good. Strong, but good.

[Kazeryu]

A polish trick I learned was to take a bottle of cheap vodka, pour a bit out, and mix in honey, a clove, and a vanilla bean. Let it sit in the freezer for a week or so. Comes out pretty good. Strong, but good.

Isn't that just a poor man's krupnik?

[AjaxLepinski]

What a great memory of your grandfather!

My raspberry infusions are a deep red, too. I infuse them for 5 days. I use a lot of berries, though: two or three of those 6-ounce packages.

Give it a try in honor of your grandfather. I'm sure he'd be proud.



Nick

Yup... it looked just like that!!! Truly good stuff when ice cold. I think I'm going to take a trip to both the grocery & liquor stores.

[AjaxLepinski]

The Japanese drink vodka mixed with black tea. I've been told that they like to have it as a "last one" after a night of power drinking.

[OldAF]

Do the sloe/blackthorn not grow over there? I feel sorry for you!

Gareth

In the northeast I think... but nowhere near me. Unfortunately. I did manage to get some Plymouth sloe gin. Not bad.

My infusions are looking darker... just a few more days. I hope.

[Penguinetti]

Isn't that just a poor man's krupnik?

I guess all of these are just variations of a krupnik. Honestly, though, I never heard of krupnik before. I had to wiki it...

[AjaxLepinski]

Hey fellows,
My 3 trays of raspberries have been soaking in a fifth of Finlandia Vodka for a day and it doesn't look like too much color has infused into the vodka. I'm going to let them steep for 5 days but, should I mash the raspberries or, let them remain whole?

[OldAF]

Hey fellows,
My 3 trays of raspberries have been soaking in a fifth of Finlandia Vodka for a day and it doesn't look like too much color has infused into the vodka. I'm going to let them steep for 5 days but, should I mash the raspberries or, let them remain whole?

I left the berries whole but let it go for 7 days. When I decanted the bottle the berries were looking a little pale. I judge most of the flavor had been extracted by that time. It looked very red, just like the pix in this thread, and tasted great. FYI I used 750ml of vodka, 12 oz of berries and a tablespoon of sugar.

[AjaxLepinski]

I left the berries whole but let it go for 7 days. When I decanted the bottle the berries were looking a little pale. I judge most of the flavor had been extracted by that time. It looked very red, just like the pix in this thread, and tasted great. FYI I used 750ml of vodka, 12 oz of berries and a tablespoon of sugar.

Thanks OldAF - my batch is starting to look a little better today. The berries have already lost a bit of color to the vodka and to help it along, I gave them a light squishing and a shake. Patience is a virtue!

[Torcams]

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!

This just blew my mind. I will be trying it soon...

[Nick Danger]

Ajax:

Is Thursday the day you're tasting your first raspberry infusion? Please post your results!

I'm planning to hit the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning to start a couple more batches for myself.

Nick

[mattnick]

A friend showed up to a Halloween partly last year with candy corn infused vodka. It was actually very tasty. He simply dumped a bag of candy corn in for a few hours, strained it and bam! Candy corn vodka.

[zethreal]

A friend showed up to a Halloween partly last year with candy corn infused vodka. It was actually very tasty. He simply dumped a bag of candy corn in for a few hours, strained it and bam! Candy corn vodka.

vodka that tasted like death... that sounds... unappealing...

I have a bunch of cayenne peppers in my garden that don't currently have a use... I'm thinking of making a spicy vodka with them.

[Nick Danger]

I have a bunch of cayenne peppers in my garden that don't currently have a use... I'm thinking of making a spicy vodka with them.

Pepper flavors are supposed to infuse very quickly. I'd suggest tasting it after just an hour two, and then tasting it regularly until you get the amount of flavor you want. It's unlikely you'll even need a full day of infusion time.

Nick