Is it as simple as it seems? Can I stick some chocolate or a few sticks of cinammon or a couple of jalepenos in a bottle of Absolut and it will take on the flavours after a certain amount of time?
C’mon, there has to be a trick. Help me out, gang. What’s the skinny?
I certainly hope so, because I just poured a fifth of vodka, a quart of rasperries, and 2 cups of sugar into a jar and stashed it in my pantry. I’m looking forward to a Chambord-esque liqeur in 4 to 6 months.
My little concoction is not my invention; I’m following a recipe from the farm where I picked the berries. I assume it will work because they’ve had this recipe available for years and someone would have noticed by now if it was worthless.
Note, however, how much of the other ingredients the recipe called for to be mixed with a fifth of vodka. A quart of rasperries and 2 cups of sugar takes up more space in the jar then the vodka itself. If you wanted to try chocolate or cinammon you would probably need at least a couple of pounds.
It’s called maceration. And it works. Don’t remember the name right off, but there’s a brand of vodka that comes in dark blue bottles that works well; I also use E&J or Christian Brothers brandy.
Basically, you’re using booze, a sugar/water mix to take the harshness off, and something to flavor it.
The connoisseurs advise that you use a liquor with low alcohol content. Absolut, good as it is, might be a trifle too strong. Another good thing you can try is horse radish. It’s guaranteed to clear you sinuses. Wormwood is also nice with a very bitter taste.
Dill is a classic in Russia. There’s also buffalo grass, but that’s pretty rare this side of the Atlantic. Last time I had some was at an Orthodox church fair in DC.
As far as I understood it, little else was required save time, the vodka, and the flavor of choice, if you were just looking for a flavored shot. Don’t know anything about the addition of sugars to make liqueurs. A quick Google search of “vodka infusion” turns up several recipes, mostly on distillers’ websites. Apparently all you need by way of equipment is an infusion jar, which is easily available.
Ethilrist, you’re probably thinking of Skyy vodka.
Mmm…macerating sounds wonderful, but that’s not really what I was looking into. I think.
I’m talking about going to a good martini bar and they have dozens of vodka bottles with different stuff stuck in them. Not changing a liqour into a liqueur, but just giving vodka a hint of a flavour.
This would be different, no?
As an aside, the only vodka I know of offhand that comes in dark blue bottles is SKYY. Is that it, Ethilrist?
Damn, Olent beat me. 
On a website selling absinthe, I noticed they sold “THC Vodka.” It was produced by steeping vodka in pot seeds. What a stupid idea, everyone knows there’s no THC in the seeds. I bet it tastes like bong water.
As others have mentioned, there’s no real trick to it. The only thing required is patience.
I used to make pepper tequila by just dropping a couple of serranos in a bottle of Cuervo and letting it sit for a couple of months. I did periodic samples after a while and fished the peppers out when it reached the desired flavor. If left in too long, it would be real firewater.
I also know people who make their own vanilla extract for cooking by dropping vanilla beans in bottles of vodka. A little moderation on beans or soaking time should give you something drinkable.
Experiment away. If your flavors of choice work out well, you’re set. If not, have a party and I guarantee the booze will disappear regardless of the flavor.
In the UK we make sloe gin (a sloe is a kind of small , wild , sour plum ) Take a pint of London Dry Gin ,put in a pound of sugar and a pound of sloes after pricking the fruit with a pin. Stir a couple of times a week and after three months filter off the liquid and you get a very warming liquore ideal for a cold winter’s night.
A pound of sugar in a pint of gin? Seriously?
I’m not arguing, just verifying that that’s not a typo and you really use that much sugar.
Something called a “rum-topf” (sp) is popular in europe, where a special lidded crock (no, not the imbiber) is utilized. The rum and fruit are added, the lid is sealed with a layer of water all around and periodically added as the water evaporates, to maintain a seal. Left to itself for about 6 months, it is some very tasty stuff.
I have never tried with cinamon, but Jalapenos work great! Avoid the chocolate though! I did it once, and ended up with an ugly brown goo, that nobody drank - even towards the end of the party…
I’ve also tried ginger and fennel seeds. Not too bad.
Lemon rind works great, but don’t let it soak for too long (not more than a day) or it gets a bit bitter. Various kinds of sweets also make nice shots!
Yes ,after looking at several cook-books I agree that a pound of sugar is too much. The books give quantities varying from 4oz to 12 oz per pint. But don’t forget that the British pint is 20 fl.oz and the sloes are very sour. A pound of sugar would probably be OK in a standard (0.75 litre) bottle of gin. It would probably also depend on how dry the gin is.
Infusing vodka is cake. Take a vanilla bean, a couple of coffee beans, a hot pepper of your choice, a bit of citrus rind or whatever comes to mind and drop it in a bottle for about a week. Next comes the good part: the taste test. If it’s not flavored to your liking, leave it in there for a few more days. Repeat the taste test. I should note that several tests should be conducted to ensure uniform infusion. 
Decant the infused vodka into a fresh container and enjoy. I find that making these infusions is especially handy for making specialty martinis.
Yep. Skyy vodka would be the one.
From my own experience with making metheglins (spiced meads), I would advise you to be careful with the cinnamon–if you leave it in too long, it may impart an excessively bitter flavor to the drink in addition to its regular flavor.
In sum, infusing vodka and many other liqours is absurdly easy. Making Liqeurs is also pretty damn easy, especially considering what some of them cost. Have fun!!
Easy as pie. I worked for a couple of different restaurants that did it. Some of the better ones:
Strawberries
Pears with Cinnamon stick (tasted like apple pie)
Raspberries.
Olives, for dirty martinis.
I’ve never known it to take longer than a few days to reach drinkable state, but a week or more would probably yeild better results. We sold them too fast to know how long they lasted.
If you want Chocolate martinis, use white Creme de Cacao. Great flavor and no brown mess to deal with.
If you’re a purist, you won’t make a martini with vodka. If you’re an elite purist you’ll just whisper vermouth or look at the bottle. But, if you like olives in your martinis and are willing to let that nectar known as gin be tainted by vermouth, try replace the brine in the jar of olives with vermouth. It’s a nice touch.