Party Favorites Recipes: Infused Booze

From Kelly’s ‘Party Favorites’ Class. Find more fun stuff at eatmakeread.com!

infused booze

what you’ll need
• flavor base, such as lemon, lime, orange, berries, ginger, mint, basil, lemongrass, vanilla beans, cucumber, chili pepper or peanuts.
• 1 750 mL bottle good-quality vodka
• 1 large glass jar, like a Ball canning jar

what to do
Flavor options are endless when it comes to infusing vodka. Fresh ingredients are important, so use fresh over frozen or dried when possible.
1 Thoroughly wash your fruit or herbs.
2 Citrus fruit, melons and strawberries should be sliced to expose the flesh while berries such as blueberries and raspberries and herbs can be left whole.
3 Place enough infusion ingredients in jar to fill it about half way and cover with vodka to the top of the jar.
4 Tighten the lid and place the jar in a cool, dark place such as in a pantry or cupboard. Strong flavors like citrus can infuse in as little as three days while more subtle flavors like cucumber can take up to two weeks. It doesn’t hurt to do taste tests every now and then to see how the flavor is developing.
5 Once you’ve arrived at your desired flavor it’s time to strain the vodka. Place a mesh strainer with cheese cloth inside over a large bowl and pour your infusion through the strainer.
6 Discard the solids (or eat them up) and pour vodka back into the glass jar.