291648 Mon Jan 20 16:02:07 -0800 2003 12 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1588384 A message on the DC board which mentioned infusing Vodka with Meyer lemons got me thinking. What are your favorite alcohol infusion ideas? How long does the infusion need to sit before the flavor has really penetrated the alcohol? I've always thought a good infusion idea would be to use hybiscus flowers with some fairly neutral spirit like vodka. They're traditionally boiled in water to create an Egyptian drink pronounced something like "Carkiday" (though I have no idea what its proper English spelling or transliteration would be), which tastes something like cranberry and is very refreshing when sweetened and cooled as a summer drink. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/166888#891929 Mon Jan 20 16:02:07 -0800 2003 0 DanM 1 1588391 We've never gotten around to doing it, but Azami and I think green chile vodka would be pretty good. We're big fans of both Absolut Peppar and Stoli Pertsovka, which have very different pepper qualities. Green chile, with its roasted pungency and earthy quality, would be a good twist on the pepper theme. Probably make for a rather wintry vodka. Depending on how intense a flavor you want, you can infuse for either days or weeks. Cheers, SKD Mon Jan 20 17:48:37 -0800 2003 1588384 0 Xochitl10 1 1588392 I've done various infusions. One thing I've noticed (which I guess won't come as a surprise to the alcies out there, but was a bit surprsing to me): there IS a significant difference in the quality of the different vodkas. I bought one of the cheaper Trader Joe's vodkas to infuse with vanilla and I was amazed how much more medicinal it smelled than Ketel One. Does anyone have a favorite, cost effective vodka base for infusions? As far as flavor ideas, before I get to my unconventional suggestion, I will admit I've done the usual suspects myself with some success -- vanilla and various citrus. It is such a waste to dump the zest of citrus - why not just keep a bottle of vodka at the ready which is a "mixed citus infusion" you just dump all of the zest into (getting the zest off is so easy once one has a proper microplane grater - I've never tried putting the whole peel in but I suspect it would end up being bitter). My non-standard ideas, none of which I have tried, but all of which may be worthy in their own way: 1) cardamom 2) kaffir lime leaf 3) anise 4) nutmeg (use for spiking egg nog?) 5) coffee beans 6) tea leaves 7) apples - would this work? good for apple martinis? That's enough for now I guess. Mon Jan 20 17:52:19 -0800 2003 1588384 0 Dylan 2 1588393 I've gotten into doing infusions this year, but for making liqueurs (limoncino and the like). For those purposes, I just get a bottle of grain alcohol. Can get two decent sized batches out of a single 750mL bottle (and get to try two different kinds with each bottle!). I imagine that for actually doing infusions you wouldn't want to dilute grain down to the appropriate level. Talk about fire water! After adding the syrup to finish off liqueurs, there was only a slight difference between batches using diluted grain and decent, not-cheap vodka; probably entirely attributable to the fact that I kept the grain batch at a slightly higher proof :) Mon Jan 20 18:08:07 -0800 2003 1588392 0 tbear 2 1588436 I think the idea of using kaffir lime leaves is fantastic--I love them...but I wonder whether you can get the flavor out of the leaves without cooking them. Mon Jan 20 23:49:46 -0800 2003 1588392 0 DanM 3 1588499 I'd be willing to wager it would work - you'd just need to soak for a while. Not that much different than infusing with lime zest. Bruising and chopping the leaves to release the oils would probably help. Tue Jan 21 15:45:20 -0800 2003 1588436 0 Dylan 3 1588520 I have heard that chlorophyll is soluble in alcohol. I seem to remember from my days living in Berkeley that using green leafy type things to infuse vodka can make the vodka taste little too much like a plant - Now if the plant doesn't really TASTE good to begin with, then bad tasting infused vodka seems like an obvious result (I don't think the taste was the point, though). But with something like kaffir lime leaves, you might not get enough of the good tasting oils to counteract any chlorophyll taste that would come with the leaves. But worth a try, no doubt. Tue Jan 21 20:41:38 -0800 2003 1588436 0 bubbles 3 1588527 Maybe the solution would be to grind the leaves. Perhaps you could put the ground leaves in a cheesecloth, or strain when done. Tue Jan 21 22:12:15 -0800 2003 1588436 0 DanM 3 1588545 I tried it several years ago, but I really don't recall whether the flavor was "chlorophyll-y." Had the idea of making a "Thai" white beer by adding grain infused with kaffir and lemongrass. It definitely picked up the aromas after a couple of weeks, but I just can't remember what the flavor was like. Wed Jan 22 08:07:39 -0800 2003 1588436 0 ted 2 1588495 A favorite hobby of mine, well, until we ran out of space to put the bottles. One of the most popular I've done involved lemons. I have done the whole lemon peels but I use a vegetable peeler to take off the rind and I try not to get too much of the white stuff. And I put it all in a bottle of EVERCLEAR!---yes, thats right, the stuff you use for spiking punch. After the peels become hard and brittle [just think of the effect on your liver!] and the liquid has turned bright yellow, remove the peels and add sugar syrup to taste. Serve cold---voila! you've got limoncello! Other mixtures I have made include thyme in both vodka and in everclear---one time it was fantastic---bright green like chartreuse with a great thyme flavor---but the next time it was brown and not so pleasant to taste. I've never figured out why. I've also done cherrys which can be a little cough syrupy, and quince which seemed to be a love or hate kind of thing. My husband's favorite is something called liquor 44. Take a banana, remove peel and poke 44 times with a knife. Take an orange, leave the peel on and do the same. Repeat with a vanila bean. Add to bottle of good vodka along with the equal to 44 french sugar cubes. stick in the closet [sealed] for 44 days. In the begining shake daily to disolve the sugar. Strain into bottles at the end of 44 days. Serve room temp. This one is a digestive---I find it a little sweet for my tastes. I got a lot of the ideas and recipes from a cookbook by Susan Loomis called "French Country Cooking" and another one called "Apertiff" by Georgeanne Brennan. Apparently, its a common thing to do in France. Tue Jan 21 15:10:58 -0800 2003 1588392 0 jenn 1 1588412 Vanilla beans work really well and it turns out much better than Stoli Vanil. Good use of leftover pods because you can just use the outsides, not the mushy insides of the bean. For this, I just drop the bean in the bottle and and let it sit at room temperature for about two to three days. Just taste it every now and then until you like the flavor. My favorite is ginger-infused vodka. Dice a nub of ginger and put it in the bottle in the freezer for a week or two. Not a versatile mixer, but I like it in the summer with just some club soda or 7up. Mon Jan 20 19:54:50 -0800 2003 1588384 0 norjah 1 1588420 I had a bottle of hibiscus vodka from Vermont a while back. It had an nice subtle taste to it and an appealing red color. Probably not easy to find in DC, but perhaps valuable for inspiration? Link: http://www.vermontspirits.com/red.htm Mon Jan 20 21:20:35 -0800 2003 1588384 0 b grubbs 1 1588430 During winter months, I keep vodka infused with a combo of crushed cardamom seeds, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and cloves on hand. It taste just fine alone, after it's strained, but even better when gently heated (not boiled) along with a dry red wine and a bit of sugar. The wine/vodka mixture is a variation of Swedish glögg, I believe. Typically served with raisins and blanched almonds as garnish. (Often I let the flavors mingle for at least 72 hours, but less.... sometimes 24, when I've run low, which normally doesn't do the job quite right.) Mon Jan 20 22:36:20 -0800 2003 1588384 0 TR