This week I decided to try some fancy alcohol infusions. I used a base of diluted Everclear, but you could easily start with a bottle of vodka, instead. Here’s what I tried:

I’ll be sure to post an update with tasting notes on how they turned out. In the meantime, here’s what I did.

For the Cucumber Lime (below, left): A fifth of vodka (750 ml) + 1 peeled cucumber, sliced + zest from 1 lime

For the Ginger Lime Chili (below, right): A fifth of vodka (750 ml) + 3 inches peeled ginger, sliced + 2 dried arbol chilies + zest from 1 lime

For the Vanilla Cardamom: A fifth of vodka (750 ml) + 1 vanilla bean sliced in half and split + 2 Tbsp cardamom pods, broken open + 1/4 cup sugar

For the above infusions: Infuse for about 1 week. Store in a cool, dark place and shake every day, then strain out the flavorings and allow to mellow for another week.

For the Decaf Black Tea: Half a fifth of vodka (375 ml) + 4 decaf black tea bags

For the Lavender Black Tea: Half a fifth of vodka (375 ml) + 3 Tbsp loose lavender black tea

For the tea infusions: Steep the tea in the alcohol overnight (about 10-12 hours), then strain/remove the teabags and allow the infusion to mellow for a week.

I’ll probably give these another week to steep, but I can’t wait to try them!