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That's something that I've been looking forward to with my blueberries and strawberries. I'm thinking that they would make a nice ice cream topping if I blended and strained them and reduced with some sugar. Boozelicious.
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Oct 26, 2011 22:19
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lonelywurm posted:Not just Hamilton. I went through every vodka the LCBO has online and found only one with an ABV above 40% (well, that was under $30 for 750mL). Anyway, if you're interested, it's called Prince Igor Extreme, it's 45%, and apparently it's everywhere: http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/inventory/searchResults.do?language=EN&itemNumber=604926 Hey, thanks! Also, here's a really dumb beginner question: my basil vodka is sort of tea-coloured and seems like it has little...I don't know, fibre fragments? floating in it. Did I gently caress up? It tastes terrific.
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Oct 26, 2011 23:18
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Dogfish posted:Hey, thanks! That might just be chlorophyll going brown? What did you strain it through? If the fibers annoy you, strain it through a coffee filter and see if that plucks out the bits. I always put mine through a coffee filter but that's because I hate having jibblies in my drink. The general rule, though, is that if it tastes good, you didn't gently caress up. If you don't mind the jibblies, don't worry about it!
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Oct 26, 2011 23:28
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Basil's gonna go brown. And it's awesome.
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Oct 27, 2011 00:06
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Yeah, just finished some basil/black pepper. It's definitely brown.
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Oct 27, 2011 00:14
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Awesome. Gonna mix it with some strawberry for the best drat after-dinner drink ever.
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Oct 27, 2011 02:30
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I was inspired by the last thread to do limoncello, coffee liqueur, cherry bourbon and strawberry vodka to name a few. This new one convinced me to start some pumpkin spice. There's two batches of pumpkin steeping with 100 proof vodka in my pantry now but I'm looking for advice on the spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice were my initial plan. Beyond that, perhaps brown sugar simple syrup instead of regular table sugar?
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Oct 27, 2011 07:30
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I think ginger is essential for pie-type infusions, but then again I love ginger just in general. But if you've got some ginger lying around, I definitely recommend tossing it in, it really brightens up the flavors and helps the sweet pumpkin and the sweet spices from getting too cloying.
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Oct 27, 2011 13:39
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Telamon posted:I was inspired by the last thread to do limoncello, coffee liqueur, cherry bourbon and strawberry vodka to name a few. This new one convinced me to start some pumpkin spice. There's two batches of pumpkin steeping with 100 proof vodka in my pantry now but I'm looking for advice on the spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice were my initial plan. Beyond that, perhaps brown sugar simple syrup instead of regular table sugar? Ginger and cloves. Careful with the cloves. And honestly I don't see what the allspice adds, but that's a fight I've been having over literal pie for as long as I can remember. I also recommend molasses and/or honey over brown sugar.
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Oct 27, 2011 13:41
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Get yourself: 3 cups of raspberries (or 2 cups of raspberry puree sans seeds) 1 cup of brandy 1/2 cup of sugar 1 tsp. lemon juice If your raspberries are still in their berry form, get all the juice from them. Pulp is okay, seeds are not. I heartily recommend going to your local homebrew store and getting rapberry puree instead of squeezing. Combine rapberry squeezings, brandy, sugar, and juice in a mixing bowl, stirring until sugar is totally dissolved. Pour into a clean wine bottle and cork. Set aside somewhere cool and dark for six months. After you're past the half year mark, uncork and serve over ice. I have had people almost demand that I make this for their birthdays and it's the first thing a half-dozen of my friends ask for whenever there's a shindig at my house. Raspberry Shrub, accept no substitutes.
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Oct 27, 2011 22:00
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betaraywil posted:Ginger and cloves. Careful with the cloves. And honestly I don't see what the allspice adds, but that's a fight I've been having over literal pie for as long as I can remember. Ok then: ginger, cloves and molasses instead of brown sugar, check. I fully understand the power of cloves though. Those things don't need much time at all before they overpower whatever they get added to. My poor apple pie infusion  I need to make another one eventually, sans clove, and mix them together.ItalicSquirrels posted:Get yourself: This sounds fantastic.
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Oct 29, 2011 02:46
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Just to be sure we're on the same page, he meant ginger and cloves in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg (or at least I'm almost certain). I can't speak for infusing a pumpkin spice liquor, but for the pumpkin ale I homebrewed it was definitely necessary.
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Oct 29, 2011 06:03
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Darth Goku Jr posted:Just to be sure we're on the same page, he meant ginger and cloves in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg (or at least I'm almost certain). I can't speak for infusing a pumpkin spice liquor, but for the pumpkin ale I homebrewed it was definitely necessary. Yeah. A pumpkin pie without cinnamon is the product of a world I don't want to live in. And actually I didn't do nutmeg because I'm just not a fan, but that's a separate issue.
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Oct 30, 2011 18:17
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I got impatient with my mint infusion and didn't let it age properly, and that was a terrible mistake. Sitting a month made it beautiful and smooth. People have talked about tea, but has anybody tried Rooibos? Same idea as tea-teas?
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Nov 9, 2011 22:51
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Rooibos is a little different animal in that the leaves actually don't leech tannins, so there is little risk of overinfusing them. To be on the safe side I'd start them and taste it on a pretty regular basis to get the intensity you want.
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Nov 9, 2011 23:52
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Where is everyone sourcing their vanilla beans from? I'd love to have some coffee-vanilla rum and/or vanilla brandy to take to our New Year's Eve party (assuming the batches last that long).
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Nov 10, 2011 17:14
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fine-tune posted:Where is everyone sourcing their vanilla beans from? I'd love to have some coffee-vanilla rum and/or vanilla brandy to take to our New Year's Eve party (assuming the batches last that long). I bought a sampler pack from here: http://www.vanillaproductsusa.com/ The site looks shady as heck, but they sent me the beans.
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Nov 10, 2011 17:59
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fine-tune posted:Where is everyone sourcing their vanilla beans from? The spice section of the supermarket. Any supermarket. I don't think we do things all that differently in Australia.
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Nov 11, 2011 07:51
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Here, at least, you pay $15 for one vanilla bean at the grocery store. Two if you're lucky. Or you could by half a goddamn pound of the same beans online for five bucks more.
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Nov 11, 2011 19:11
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The raisin/cinnamon/vodka infusion is AMAZING. Everyone who tried it loved it and I heard 'it tastes like Christmas!' at least three times  .My mint infusion was less successful, but it was only infusing for like three days before I filtered it and I possibly didn't use enough mint. The vodka taste was still very overpowering. I think I've maxed out my vodka budget for the next month or so, but after Christmas I'll be trying again!
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Nov 11, 2011 23:16
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Right now I have a lavender infusion going right now and it tastes and smells wonderfully perfumed. I've had it infusing for a very long time, so I will likely distill it again as the resulting liquid is dark brown. I also have a jasmine flower infusion. It's just a small pint of vodka with the flowers from my plant thrown in as they grow. It tastes very delicate and sweet, like honey and pollen and I cannot wait to have it for Christmas. I make limoncello every year when Meyer lemons are in season but still have a ton left over so I'll probably do blood orange vodka this year. I'm thinking of doing some rosemary vodka too. I won't let that go as long as the others though. Would persimmons work? I really like the persimmon flavor but don't much care for the texture.
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Nov 12, 2011 02:46
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notsoape posted:My mint infusion was less successful, but it was only infusing for like three days before I filtered it and I possibly didn't use enough mint. The vodka taste was still very overpowering. I think I've maxed out my vodka budget for the next month or so, but after Christmas I'll be trying again! How long did you let the mint sit after you pulled the leaves? Mine took about a month to settle into something drinkable.
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Nov 12, 2011 06:23
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I just strained a coffee infusion (Quart Vodka with 1/2 cup colombian coffee beans) and a star anise infusion (1oz crushed star anise with a quart of vodka) for fun. I will post pictures later, alongwith tasting notes. Does anyone here do any good Bourbon Infusions? I have done lemon, orange, and Black Cherry+Vanilla (which was disgustingly amazing).
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Nov 13, 2011 00:39
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ScaerCroe posted:I just strained a coffee infusion (Quart Vodka with 1/2 cup colombian coffee beans) and a star anise infusion (1oz crushed star anise with a quart of vodka) for fun. I will post pictures later, alongwith tasting notes. I actually did a bit of a quick spiced bourbon infusion for a spiced mint julep. It was for an ICSA a few years back, and it came out great--my whole thing was fusion of indian / southern food, so I spiced the bourbon with traditional curry spices (lots of black pepper, a bit of chili, coriander, cumin) and mixed up a mean mint julep after it infused for a day or two. It was pretty tasty and not overwhelmingly flavored, but I didn't have whole cardamom and I didn't want to use powdered at the time and I definitely missed the cardamom. If I do it again, there will be a TON of cardamom in it. Nicol Bolas fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Nov 14, 2011 |
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Nov 14, 2011 15:15
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Nicol Bolas posted:I actually did a bit of a quick spiced bourbon infusion for a spiced mint julep. It was for an ICSA a few years back, and it came out great--my whole thing was fusion of indian / southern food, so I spiced the bourbon with traditional curry spices (lots of black pepper, a bit of chili, coriander, cumin) and mixed up a mean mint julep after it infused for a day or two. It was pretty tasty and not overwhelmingly flavored, but I didn't have whole cardamom and I didn't want to use powdered at the time and I definitely missed the cardamom. If I do it again, there will be a TON of cardamom in it. That intrigues the hell out of me. I did a pretty good Jack Daniels (yeah I know) infusion with Serrano chilis and whole coriander--three chilis and a tablespoon of coriander seeds in a handle, sat for a month or so. Did the ribs/seeds separately but it ended up being a little hotter than I'd wanted anyway. In retrospect, I had the Serranos lying around and figured "eh, I can save ten minutes by not going and getting Jalapenos," but you should take the time because that much heat really kills the rest of the taste. (I did a quick version with a mickey and Jalapenos that worked much better, but that also only sat for a week, so there are a lot of variables.)
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Nov 14, 2011 16:20
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ScaerCroe posted:Does anyone here do any good Bourbon Infusions? I have made date infused Makers Mark. I let finely chopped dried dates infuse in a fifth for just over a week, then strained. It is very sweet and nice for making a very sweet manhattan or old fashioned.
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Nov 14, 2011 17:04
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I've made a Bacon Gentlemen Jack. Yes, that sounds goony as gently caress, but it came out pretty good. Also made a Mint Gentlemen Jack. Which turned out to be a crowd pleaser the last party.
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Nov 14, 2011 23:01
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I like the idea of using various spice infusions. Has anyone tried this with mulling spice? I crammed six bags of it (essentially tea-bag sized filter-bags) into a bottle of vodka, and it was delicious.
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Nov 15, 2011 22:39
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Shaddak posted:I like the idea of using various spice infusions. Has anyone tried this with mulling spice? I crammed six bags of it (essentially tea-bag sized filter-bags) into a bottle of vodka, and it was delicious. Yea, I put one package of Finnish mulled wine spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, Seville orange rind) into about half a liter of rum and sweetened it. It's the best infusion I've ever done (n.b. I'm a newbie).
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Nov 16, 2011 01:45
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About a month ago, I read this thread, got inspired, and sliced and peeled a Cortland apple and put it in a jar of vodka--I'd say about 22 ounces of vodka. I pulled it out today and tried the vodka, and it barely tastes like anything. Does it need more time to age or steep? Did I use too little apple, or the wrong kind? (I bought the Cortland because it was supposed to be tart and a good baking apple.) Should I put more apple in?
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Nov 16, 2011 04:54
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When I did an infusion of honeycrisp apples I packed the jar and just covered with vodka. Apple doesn't have a lot of flavor, and has a lot of water, so it's gonna take a while. Mine steeped for a couple months. Try infusing it again, and use a lot more this time.
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Nov 16, 2011 05:20
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This, and yeah, age everything. Everything I've done has improved with age.
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Nov 16, 2011 10:45
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This thread reminded me of the Rumtopf I made a couple of years ago. I had tried it at a Koln Christmas Market and bought a cheap Rumtopf jar from Amazon. The process is very similar to the infusions mentioned in the OP but the amount of fruit and sugar per ml of spirit is higher. The end result is beautiful fruit which can be a dessert on its own and a very sweet liqueur which matches well with rich Christmas puddings.
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Nov 16, 2011 11:52
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I've made blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry-vanilla vodka infusions before and they turned out great! Now I'm working on pumpkin pie (I don't look forward to trying to strain out all that mush though), strawberry, and pear. My pear chunks did start going brownish though, will everything be alright? I tried to shake it up twice a day so thing rotate and everything gets soaked through and through with vodka. My plan is to infuse some vodka with my mulling spice packets and blend it with the pear for some delicious mulled pear action
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Nov 19, 2011 03:58
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The other infusion I've tried (other than filter-bags of mulling spice, that is) is a combination of ground cloves and grated orange peel. Equally delicious.
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Nov 19, 2011 06:22
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I'd like to thank the thread for convincing me to make my own infusion. I've a bottle of cheap brandy infused with russet apples, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom which is delicious and will go down a treat at Christmas.
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Nov 20, 2011 03:35
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Show Me A Chicken posted:About a month ago, I read this thread, got inspired, and sliced and peeled a Cortland apple and put it in a jar of vodka--I'd say about 22 ounces of vodka. I pulled it out today and tried the vodka, and it barely tastes like anything. Does it need more time to age or steep? Did I use too little apple, or the wrong kind? (I bought the Cortland because it was supposed to be tart and a good baking apple.) Should I put more apple in? My apple infusion was 4 apples, cubed small, in 750ml, steeped for two weeks and then replaced. Apples aren't that strongly flavored so you need to be patient and use more than you think at first.
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Nov 28, 2011 03:00
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I know there is a degree of difficulty in making mixed spiced infusions - like apple pie, or pumpkin pie, etc. It can be difficult to get the right balance because the different spices infuse at different rates. While doing different batches of individual spice infusions and then mixing to taste works well, it takes a long time and usually requires aging to mellow out the spiciness. If you are going to be sweetening the final product with simple syrup, an easy solution is to do the spice infusion in the syrup - not the spirit. I have found this to be very easy as the sugar syrup readily takes on the spice flavors and it is easy to add spices/re-infuse if it is too bland, and easy to dilute with un-infused syrup if it is too spicy. I just finished a "holiday cordial" by infusing some vodka with orange zest and dried cranberries, making some simple syrup with fresh ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves, and then mixing to taste before bottling. This is way simpler than last years 4 different infusions and then a slightly under-aged product being poured at our Christmas gathering.
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Nov 29, 2011 00:48
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I was inspired by this thread to try to make my own concoction. I've had a leftover handle of Kamchatka vodka that was about 3/4 full from last Halloween that I used (along with another handle) to make Skittles infused vodka, and hadn't been touched since because Kamchatka is disgusting. So, after some pumpkin carving, I stuffed all the guts of two medium sized pumpkins (minus seeds, of course, because they're delicious when roasted), a bunch of cinnamon and a lot of brown sugar into the bottle. I'm not sure exactly how much I put in but it was enough so that my nostrils didn't burn after sniffing. I shook it everyday for two weeks, and then I strained it into a number of flasks I had lying around. Now, I'm not one for vodka. In fact, I hate it because it triggers a gag reflex, but I must say, this stuff is pretty good. It tastes mostly of cinnamon and brown sugar and has a nice hint of pumpkin. There's still a bit of rubbing alcohol aftertaste, but it's very drinkable, and I'd go so far as to say it's good. Not something you want to sip, but a shot goes down nice. I would recommend that if anyone has some leftover (non-rotten) pumpkin guts, put it in some vodka with cinnamon and brown sugar, and you won't go wrong.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:38
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Just had my first try at infusing. Mint infused vodka to celebrate the holidays, just finished straining it (I gave it about 48 hours to infuse) and am now playing the waiting game on when it gets really good. Mixed it up with some syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar) as I am planning on drinking it dry during the holidays
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Dec 3, 2011 16:02
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