With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I would start a series of posts about homemade gifts that are better than ones you can get in the store. While many people have gotten away from making their own gifts in lieu of giving gadgets like the iPad and iPhone, there are still a handful of people out there that enjoy making their own, unique gifts.
Below I have the
first homemade gifts project: infused alcohol. Infusing alcohol with various
flavor combinations is a wonderful way to experiment your tastes. The essential
idea is to merge an assortment of flavors into a base liquor or oil to create a
custom-flavored gift.
Choose your alcohol and choose your flavor(s). Vodka is the most universal base
alcohol utilized. Other light alcohols such as gin, sake, or light rum can also
be utilized for infusing flavor. I hope that you enjoy them. Let me know what
flavor combinations like the best.
Selecting Your Infusion Flavors
Selecting your infusion flavors is probably the best part about infusing alcohol. The options are endless. The most commonly used ingredients for infusions are herbs, spices, berries, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, fruits, citrus fruits, peppers and garlic cloves are most commonly used for infusions. The most popular infusions are fruit-based, however you can use your imagination to create some wonderful combinations. Use your creativity to personalize your creations.
Supplies Needed
- Fresh herbs, spices or fruits for flavor
- Alcohol of choice
- Quart-sized Mason jars, infusion jars or any air-tight jar
- Coffee filter
Instructions
Clean your jars well and add the flavor ingredients to the bottom of the jar. Pour the alcohol into the jar, over the ingredients and replace the lid. Shake the jar 3-5 times. Store the infusion in a cool, dark place like the refrigerator.
You will need to shake the infusion every day for 5 days. Intense flavors will not need as long as less powerful flavors. Perform a taste test the infusion every few days to ensure the flavors are infusing to your liking.
Once the infusion has achieved flavor peak, remove the infusing ingredients from the jar. Use a coffee filter to strain the liquor into another clean jar. Store final infusion liquor in a cool, dry location until you are ready to give as a gift.
Check out this site for Mason Jar decorating ideas.
9 Flavor Infusion Recipe Ideas
These yummy alcohol infusion recipes are created to be mixed with 32 ounces of booze. You can use more if you are making larger batches of infused alcohol.
Cranberry Orange Spice Rum. 1 cup fresh cranberries + peel of 2 oranges + 1 Vanilla bean +1 Cinnamon stick + 2 Allspice berries +4 Cloves + 6 Black peppercorns+ pinch Ground nutmeg + 1 slice Fresh ginger
Dragon Vodka. ½ cup sweet mango, cubed + 1 cup dragonfruit, cubed
Spiced Pumpkin Vodka. 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree + 1 vanilla bean (split down the middle) + 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Apple and Cinnamon Vodka. 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped + 3 cinnamon sticks
Jalapeno Lime Tequila. 1 cup of jalapeno + peel of 1 lime
Blueberry Lime Tequila. 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) + 1 lime, juiced
Rosemary, Vanilla, Lemon Gin. 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary + 2 vanilla beans (split down the middle) + peel of 2 lemons
Watermelon Mint Gin. 1 cup of watermelon, cubed + 1 bunch of fresh mint
Golden Ginger Gin. 1 cup pineapple + 1 slice fresh ginger + 1 tbsp turmeric
Post updated on March 26, 2020
