DIY Flavored Vodka

It has been YEARS since I made my own DIY flavored vodka.  I made it for a children’s party…you know, because sometimes those kinds of parties make you drink. Of course the kids didn’t have any.  But the adults sure did.  Ok, well I’m sure I wasn’t the only one drinking it. I am not trying to suggest my friends are lushes. But when you are watching chocolate cupcake get ground in to your area rug by a toddler shoe, it makes you want to drink something.

This time I decided to make orange infused vodka. Doesn’t that sound amazing!? I didn’t really follow a recipe as this is very forgiving.  My kind of DIY.

I started with a clean mason jar.  I poured in some vodka.  Then I used a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the navel orange, being careful not to get too much of the bitter white pith just below. I put the peel in the vodka and put the lid on.  I gave it a nice little shake and then placed it in my pantry for about 4 days, making sure to give it a little shakey shakey at least once a day. Stronger flavors (like herbs) won’t take as long to infuse.  Fruits generally take 4-7 days.  It is suggested that you taste it each day to see if it is the flavor you want.  But here’s the thing with that. You are tasting straight alcohol. So no matter how much it is “infused” it is still going to taste pretty terrible, no? So this is not a good method for me. I like things on the bolder side anyway so I always err on the side of too strong rather than too weak.

When you think the flavors are how you want them use a coffee filter and funnel to strain it in to a new clean jar.  I stored my finished vodka in the refrigerator but I have read that you can also store them in the freezer to keep for an extra month.  I don’t make a ton of one flavor at a time so that I can try out different flavors and see how they work in my favorite drinks. I have heard that you can flavor the vodka with things like candy, but I think I’ll stick to herbs and fruit.

I LOVED how this turned out. I used this DIY orange flavored vodka in a specialty cocktail (recipe tomorrow!) and then in my fave Moscow Mules instead of the plain vodka.  It was a perfect switcharoo! You can infuse other liquors, not just vodka.  The possibilities are nearly endless! Have you ever done this?  What did you flavor your vodka with?