Flavoring your own liquor is perhaps a bit aggressive, but is overall cheaper/better/edgier than purchasing it. Here’s how in 5 simple steps.
1. Pick Your Poison
While vodka is the most commonly used base, other light spirits will work well also — think gin, sake, tequila or rum (a personal favorite). You can go darker with rum or whiskey, but the flavor–pairings can get a little complicated and you most likely will just end up ruining a decent bottle of Jack. If you’re feeling ambitious though, the dark liquors are normally best complimented by flavors like apricot, peach or cherry.
When buying alcohol, spring for a mid– to high–end range selection of whatever it is, so as to avoid creating a concoction that smacks more like cough syrup than classy drank. The more distilled, the better — not only will drinking it be a smoother, more pleasant experience but, especially with vodka, the extra distillation gives it a more neutral taste that allows it to grab the full flavor of the infusion.
2. Choose Your Flavors
There are countless options when choosing your flavor combination. Maybe it’s hot and you want some watermelon–lime vodka on ice or maybe it’s effing cold and you want some hot apple cider with honey-cinnamon rum. Whatever you’re going for, just be conscious of the fact that shit can get weird real fast. One minute you’re mixing in some basil and habaneros and the next there’s a piece of bacon in the bottle — I’ve seen it.
While the most popular infusions are done with fruit, you can use whatever you want — herbs, spices, vegetables, meat (bizarre, but booze is a judgment–free space) — and use some culinary creativity. Just always be sure to use fresh ingredients. Here are some ideas with preparation tips just to get you started:
– Berries: wash and leave whole
– Mango, Pineapple, Pears, etc: wash and cut into chunks (ginger also falls into this category)
– Citrus (limes, lemons, grapefruit): wash and slice thinly — with lemons or oranges you can (should) use zests
– Vanilla/coffee beans: wash and cut down the middle
– Herbs/spices (Rosemary, basil, mint, cinnamon, lemongrass, lavender, garlic, etc.): wash and use whole
Also think about using peppers, tomatoes, tea, cranberries … whatever!
If you thinly slice or muddle your ingredients, the alcohol will have a more intense flavor — so if you choose bold flavors keep in mind that more is not always better.
3. Preparing the situation
Now that you’ve got your flavor palate all figured out, it’s time to start the process. Choose a jar with an airtight seal and large opening, like a mason jar. Wash it well with hot water and make sure it’s dry before you start your infusion. You can either use one large jar or a few smaller jars if you’re feeling inspired and want to try a few varieties out. Wash the ingredients and put them in the jar first, and then pour in the alcohol and shake it a few times before covering and setting the jar in a cool, dark place.
While the amount of ingredients you put in depends on your preferences, a good average would be to put in two or three handfuls or berries, herbs, etc. or one to three pieces of fruit.
4. Maceration and timing
The timing here isn’t an exact science — let the ingredients soak until the drink tastes the way you want! I’d recommend checking the taste every 24 hours but on average most infusions take around three to five days. You should also shake the mixture three to five times a day during the infusion.
More intense flavors like basil, mint, rosemary and citrus take around three to four days to infuse, while more moderately–flavored ingredients like mangoes, cantaloupe, vanilla beans, tomatoes and raspberries tend to take about a week, and less intense infusers like pineapple may take a week or two.
5. Glory
Once the infusion has reached its desired taste, it’s now time to strain it. There are many ways to go about this, but using a paper coffee filter or panty hose is best — less mess means more booze. You can also use a standard kitchen strainer (conducive to spills) or rubber–band a few pieces of cheesecloth to the lid. Strain the alcohol into another bowl or jar and then you can funnel it back into the original bottle for easy pouring and classy hosting.
6. Now what?
Now that you’ve got your flavor-infused booze, you can enjoy it straight up or make some kick–ass cocktails. Think about your favorite staples — how good does a mango martini sound? What about a lemongrass–orange gin and tonic? Maybe a grapefruit–lime rum and coke? Or perhaps a vanilla-hazelnut vodka soda? It could taste like an Italian soda gone even more right. These might sound awful or awesome depending on your taste preferences, but the point is this: get creative and enjoy.
