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This is my how to on infusing vodka with any flavor. I will hopefully include all of the basics you will need to know about how to make infused vodka.
Step 1: Flavor
Flavor is an important choice, you can always go wild and go farther and farther from what people call 'standard' but remember that infusing vodka and infused alcohol has been around for a very long time so what has become standard is pretty much the best bets. You may not want to spend 2 weeks making lemon infused vodka or cranberry infused vodka when smirnoff and other brands have already done all of the hard work for you, But it is worse to spend 2 weeks and a bottle of vodka making pepperoni infused vodka --or some other monstrosity--.
An important note, this step is by far the most artistic and open to variation, I don't know how pepperoni infused vodka tastes, but I am sure someone somewhere might like it more then I ever could.
Stick to the standards at first, buy cheap vodkas so you are free to experiment, and feel free to mix flavors --lemon/lime, cherry/lime, cranberry/cherry/lime/basil infused, etc..-- when you feel comfortable with a mix or blend, then make a batch with a more expensive filtered vodka and enjoy!
Step 2: Preparation
The drink (vodka)
You should buy 750ml or 1 liter of a clean vodka. Preferably fine a 100 proof (50% alcohol) vodka, but you can always stick to 80 proof if you cannot find anything else.
Start off your infusing adventures with cheap vodka! buy store brands, no name brands, Romanian vodka I don't care but cheap is better. If you want to get better quality from cheap vodka I recommend filtering it through a carbon filter ( Britta or no name brands work fine) a few times, but that is another story. Cheap vodka is fine for infusing purposes, especially when you plan to test out new flavors you have not infused before.
The flavor (infuser)
You should already know how flavor you want to try out first, most people start out with lemons or limes, second is herbs or peppers. Try to use the freshest ingredients you can find, if you live on a farm or villa all the better for your drinking pleasure.
The container (jar)
The final important part is getting a container that can seal the drink and let the flavors mingle with the vodka.
Step 3: Infuse I mean, wait.
Place the ingredients into a glass container, seal it tightly and place away from direct sunlight (your refrigerator should work fine).
The infusion process takes up to 2 weeks to complete, depending on what you are infusing into the vodka and how much infused vodka you want to make.
The rule goes, the more flavorful the infuser the less time it takes, Vanilla, Citrus, and basil take less than 4 days to infuse; melons, and berries should take around a week, and pineapple, peppers, or ginger
should take almost 2 weeks to infused 1 liter of vodka.
Step 4: Enjoy
I shouldn't even need to push this point. Enjoy your infused vodka, make a vodka martini with it, make a bloody mary with it, but enjoy. The martinis that you make with basil or cherry infused vodka will bring
an extra pizzazz to your cocktail.
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