Cranberry Mint Vodka

I have been quiet busy recently with attending and hosting parties and other gatherings thus I have not been doing many posts recently however today I am making up for it by posting three posts so look out.

This first one is a really basic infusion that I made for a holiday party. Again I cannot stress how easy infusions are to make and the flavors that can be created are truly remarkable in that they offer new life to a perhaps otherwise dull drink. The infusion I made this time is a Cranberry Mint Vodka. I decided on these flavors as mint is a nice crisp and refreshing flavor while cranberry is an old standby for being paired with vodka with its tart but sweet taste it is quiet good for mixing with alcohol.

Cranberry Mint Vodka

Refreshing twist on Vodka

Ingredients:
750 ml vodka
1 oz fresh mint leaves
1 cup cranberries

Directions:
Wash cranberries and mint leaves in cold water and place in an empty 750 ml bottle
pour vodka into the bottle using a funnel
store in a cool dark place
shake every day for a week
after one week discard the mint leaves and place cranberries in a container
crush cranberries with a pestle
strain cranberry pieces out and combine the two liquids
serve chilled

Suggestions:
Freeze cranberries before putting them into the bottle to allow more color and flavor to seep into the vodka
serve as a cocktail (pour 4 parts soda water, 1 part cranberry juice, and 1-2 parts infused vodka [depending on the desired strength of the drink] over a combination of crushed ice and mint leaves and garnish with additional mint leaves [or for a surprise a basil leaf].

Mint is in the bottle

Cranberries and Mint now

This is the Vodka after a week as you can see it looks kinda yellow not the desired red

Time to crush some berries

This is what it would look like with the crushed berries in the bottle
I recommend straining before making drinks as it is easier

Pomegranate Lime Gin

This week I did an infusion for a party. I decided to make this infusion because last year I had made a pomegranate gin infusion that was good, but I felt it was missing something to liven it up. I would say that most people that drink gin like it with either lemon or lime. I personally like it with lime more than I do with lemon as the lime flavor is sharper and more sour which I like as a counter balance to the pine flavor from the juniper berries.

Pomegranate Lime Gin

Ingredients:
750 ml London dry gin
1 pomegranate
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp lime zest

Directions:
seed the pomegranate
zest lime
squeeze lime juice into a empty 750 ml bottle (I used a wine bottle that was washed and dried)
add crush pomegranate seed pods in a funnel to allow for the juices to better mix with the gin and lime zest to the bottle.
add gin until full
shake every day for 1 week followed by once a week after that
after 2-4 weeks strain the pomegranate seeds and lime zest out and enjoy
store in a cool dry place
serve chilled.

Suggestions:
make a gin and tonic with this and garnish with a lime wedge.
combine with soda water and pomegranate juice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Pomegranate Gin I made last year

Everything all together

Before straining out the seeds

Strained and ready for drinking

I just stored it back in its bottle as a plastic container seemed like a bad idea

Vanilla Rum/ Vanilla Extract

This week I infused some rum with vanilla beans. I did this for two reasons with the first being to make some rum that is infused with vanilla. The second is to have a supply of homemade vanilla extract for baking cookies. Infusions are really easy to do so long as you are being smart and planning ahead before you need the infusion. basically you need at least a weeks time for the infusion with longer periods of time causing more intense flavors.

Vanilla White Rum

great for a added flavor to your mixed drinks especially things like rum and coke.

Ingredients:
12 oz. White rum
1 Vanilla bean
some patience

Instructions:
Cut vanilla bean down the center and peal back the bean exposing the insides (for the first timers it looks like fine black dirt).
Place the bean in a glass bottle that is larger than 12 oz. and can seal.
Pour white rum in the bottle and seal.
Store in a cool dark place.
Shake rum everyday for a week or until the rum has reached desired infusion level.
Strain to remove bean and seeds from rum.

Suggestions:
Try it with cinnamon sticks, coffee beans, cocoa beans (for a chocolate flavor), nutmeg. or whatever spices you want to combine with rum. You can even make your own spiced rum.
Try using other types of rum.

Day 1 the bean is cut down the center, halved, and in the rum.

After the first day before shaking.

Day 3 the dark eye is just a trick of the light

Strained with vanilla extract to continue its journey

Trying it out on the rocks

White Rum Vanilla Extract

great for adding different flavors in cookies and other baked goods

Ingredients:
12 oz. 70 proof White rum
1 Vanilla bean
a lot of patience

Instructions:
Cut vanilla bean down the center and peal back the bean exposing the insides (for the first timers it looks like fine black dirt).
Place the bean in a glass bottle that is larger than 12 oz. and can seal.
Pour white rum in the bottle and seal.
Store in a cool dark place.
Shake rum everyday for a week.
continue to store in a cool dark place shaking once per week for 6 months.

Strain to remove bean and seeds from extract.

Suggestions:

You can try Adding a cinnamon stick, nutmeg, or other spices to add additional flavors if you have a specific recipe in mind otherwise it would be a good idea to just have it as is to keep it as versatile as possible.

Special Notes:

This style of vanilla extract can have a higher alcohol concentration (~70 proof) than store bought vanilla extract (unless it says pure which needs to be 70 proof by law)

also with the extended period of time infusing flavor I would highly recommend not drinking this and instead only use it for baking.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4 the seeds have escaped the pod

Separated out

In a cupboard for the long haul