Things You'll Need:
- Liquor of choice
- Glass bottle with a stopper that's slightly bigger than the liquid volume
- Funnel
- Strainer
- Fruits, vegetables, peppers, herbs or spices
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Step 1
Choose your liquor, and begin thinking its intrinsic qualities. For example, gin is aromatic and floral, while rum tends to be smoky or spicy. Understanding its flavorings will help you decide what ingredients to infuse.
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Step 2
Once you've decided which qualities you want to highlight, select the flavorings you want to add to the infusion. Remember that gin works well with lavender, citrus and cucumber, while rum lends itself to tropical fruits and mint. Vodka pairs with everything from hot peppers to pears, basil or pumpkin, and bourbon is a great match for peaches.
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Step 3
Clean and dry the bottle. Wash, dry and prepare the ingredients you plan to infuse. Depending on the amount of heat you want to impart, peppers can be left whole or cut. Likewise, the flavor of garlic will be more intense if it's sliced. Peel skin and/or pith from fruits and slice. Berries can be left whole.
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Step 4
To infuse liquor, place ingredients in the prepared bottle, and pour the alcohol through a funnel, taking care to cover what's inside.
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Step 5
Seal the bottle, and allow liquid to steep in a cool place, untouched for three days and up until two weeks. As a general rule of thumb, potent ingredients like citrus fruit, garlic, and hot peppers need to infuse for 3 to 5 days; fruits like pineapple, berries and honeydew benefit from a week or more time. Ditto with herbs.
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Step 6
Test the flavor of the infused liquor every day, and add additional ingredients if necessary.
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Step 7
Once your infusion is ready, let creativity be your guide. Whether you opt to serve your drink on ice or up, strain the infused liquor before using it to make a beverage.
