Making homemade infused vodkas couldn’t be easier, and it’s fun! I made two different flavors, an Infused Raspberry Vodka made with fresh raspberries, which is a sweet, beautiful, fruity vodka, and a subtler, spicier Infused Ginger Vodka, made with fresh ginger root.
Infusing vodka and other spirits is a tradition in many cultures, including Sweden with it’s tradition of serving aquavit at Christmas and Mid-Summers celebrations. The first time I made a Scandinavian style infused vodka I used fresh blueberries and a little sugar. I then stored it in the freezer and gave everyone who visited over the Christmas season a little shot to warm them up! Sort of an icy-hot sensation, and it’s very festive.
But you don’t have to wait for the holidays to make and enjoy homemade infused vodkas! To get started you’ll buy some basic vodka. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on the vodka because you’ll be infusing flavorful ingredients into it. You will also need glass jars, sugar and your infusing ingredients, which in my case were fresh raspberries and ginger root.
For the raspberry vodka, use a quart sized mason jar and add vodka, raspberries and a small amount of sugar. The sugar is optional, but adds a nice hint of sweetness to a berry infusion. For the ginger version, use a pint sized jar and add the vodka and sliced, peeled ginger.
If you’ve never used fresh ginger before, don’t let it’s looks scare you, it’s really easy to peel. All you need is a spoon! Just press down with the spoon and scrape the skin off as you go. This keeps much more of the ginger intact than when you peel with a knife.
Now all you need to do is wait…. I know – this is the hard part! Keep the jars in a cool, dark spot on your counter and give them a little shake every couple of days. I would let the vodka infuse for at least five days, and ideally for a week or two. Especially for the ginger vodka, I would wait even longer, ideally three weeks. Once you like the level of flavor, strain the vodkas and pour into clean jars. Now you are ready to make cocktails! You can store the infused vodkas in the refrigerator and they will be cold and ready for drinks like the Raspberry Vodka Mule and the Ginger Peach Grown Up Slushie!
These infused vodkas also make really nice homemade gifts. You can make the jar look pretty by tying a string or ribbon around it and including a drink recipe. Or you could include the homemade vodka in a gift basket with fun glasses or bar tools!
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Homemade Infused Raspberry Vodka
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
Try making your own infused vodka! I love to use fresh raspberries, the flavor infuses well, and you can make lots of different drinks with it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of vodka
- 1/2 cup white sugar (optional)
- 6 oz raspberries, the small package in the produce section. About 1 1/2 cups.
Instructions
- Add sugar and vodka to a quart sized mason jar.
- Cover tightly and give it a few shakes to combine sugar into the vodka.
- Add raspberries to the jar. Cover again and let sit on the counter in a cool, dark spot for at least 5 days, preferably a few weeks, gently shaking every day or so. You will notice the raspberries losing their color as their flavor infuses into the vodka.
- After the infusion time is up, strain the raspberries out of the vodka and discard.
- Now your Homemade Infused Raspberry Vodka is ready to use!
Notes
If you are making the infused vodka for gifts, you can easily double this recipe.
Homemade Infused Ginger Vodka
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
The fresh ginger root gives a nice, subtle sweet heat to the vodka. Use this for all your favorite mule cocktail recipes, or for a Ginger Peach Grown Up Slushie!
Ingredients
- 3 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 1 cup of vodka
Instructions
- Cut off the little knobs on the ginger root, then peel the skin with the edge of a teaspoon.
- Slice the ginger into 1/4 inch rounds.
- Place the ginger into a pint (2 cup) sized mason jar. Using a muddler, or the handle of a wooden spoon, crush the ginger a bit, but don’t demolish it.
- Pour the vodka over the ginger and cover tightly.
- Place on the counter in a cool, dark spot and let infuse for 2-3 weeks.
- Once the infusion time is done, strain the ginger root out of the vodka and discard. Pour your Homemade Infused Ginger Vodka into a clean jar. It’s now ready to use!
