DIY Infused Vodka

When I found a lonely handle of vodka in my house a few weeks ago, I instantly knew which project was next on my roster. For so long I had been dying to infuse my own liquor, because I wanted to try flavors I hadn't seen in stores before. What I love about this, is that you can really explore some funky flavor combinations and it's extremely easy. It's a delicious science experiment that you can't really mess up, so have fun with it!

For this round of infusions I had several small jars with cinnamon/strawberry, ginger/strawberry, rhubarb/strawberry, gummy worms, pickles, and rhubarb. Strawberries were cheap, so I bought several containers and incorporated them in almost all my jars. To minimize waste I also used the strawberry tops, and the flavor was amazing! I did the same thing with the ginger, and utilized the entire root by leaving the skin on.

Not only is this easy, but you only need a few items to get started. Below is a list of what you'll need and how to do this yourself!

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Materials:

-Unflavored vodka

-Herbs, veggies, whole spices, fruits, candy

-Jars or containers that tightly seal

-Cheesecloth

Steps:

1. First, thoroughly wash and cut your large ingredients into pieces. Smaller ingredients such as berries and herbs can be left whole. You can use basically any fruits, veggies, herbs, candy, or whole spices. Feel free to use a single ingredient or 2+ flavors together, but just make sure they pair well.

Here are some classic combinations you can try:

Lemon & Lime

Apple & Cinnamon

Blueberry & Mint

Coconut & Pineapple

Vanilla & Orange

Some funky and fun ones:

Lemon & Thyme

Mango & Chili

Apple & Lavender

Rhubarb & Anise

Plum & Cardamom

Grapefruit & Rosemary

2. Put the ingredients in a freshly cleaned jar or container that tightly seals. There's no need to sterilize the jar, since the vodka essentially does that for you.

3. Fill the jar just shy of the top with unflavored vodka of your choice. I recommend using a decent brand, because even infusing Burnett's or New Amsterdam won't make it good. I had Thatcher's Organic Vodka at home, which was ideal for infusing because of the low price and high quality. Avoid your top shelf and bottom shelf vodka, and use brands such as Tito's, Absolut, or Tower.

4. Tightly close the jar, and find a safe spot to store for 3-7 days. A great spot would be in a basement, cabinet, or a pantry away from sunlight and heat.

DO NOT PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE. If you chill it at this point, you disrupt the infusion process and we don’t want that. Also, keep the jar sealed so it doesn't get contaminated.

5. Check on your delicious science experiment once a day, and give it a good shake to distribute everything. It won’t take long for the vodka to start stealing the pigments from your ingredients, and turning a gorgeous color. As you can see in the picture, the strawberries are white and the vodka is a stunning shade of auburn.

6. After about 7 days, strain the vodka with cheesecloth or even paper towel. You don’t want tiny particles in your vodka, so a colander won’t do the job. Depending on what you use, you may have to strain it twice.

7. Wash out any leftover particles in the jar, and pour the vodka back, and close it. You can now put it in the fridge if you like chilled vodka, but it’s not necessary. Full proof vodka prevents bacteria growth, so it should stay good indefinitely. Just remember to seal it tightly and to keep it away from sunlight and heat if you don't plan to immediately enjoy.

8. Now you have delicious infused vodka to enjoy! This makes a great gift for any occasion and is a hit at parties. Give this a try and impress all your friends and family with your little science experiment.

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