Hoppy Vodka?

This may sound kinda gross to some of you, but has anyone on here ever heard of a hop flavored vodka?

I was thinking commercially available or made by you?

I thoroughly love hops, and sometimes I've had IPAs so strong, you'd think you're drinking grain alcohol with a little malt and a whole lotta hops.

And I also loved vodka. I'd like to take a PRE-MADE bottle and add hop flavoring to it.

I was also thinking about making some. I'm not sure how I'd go about it though. Hop flavored is infused through the boiling process, correct? And dry hopping doesn't affect the flavor too much, does it? Any ideas?

Anybody else think it's a good idea? Or not so much?

You didn't just ask advice on how to make hooch did you?

Nope. That would be making vodka.

I'm wanting to know if anybody has ever tried to add hop flavor to a regular bottle of Kettle One that you buy from the liquor store.

If you're not big on the idea, just say you think it wouldn't be very good. Or looking for people who think it would. Just bored on a Friday night.

Also, not 100% how you got the concept of Hooch from this? Is it the wording? Actually, I see how you can see that.

Sorry. My bad, when you said you were thinking about making some I assumed distilling.

Don't think you can really boil the vodka = it'll just drive off the alcohol.

You know how some bars have containers of fruit and $hit steeping in vodka? Do the same thing with hops. Can't hurt to try.

Haha, no problem dude. I fixed it as it was worded kinda funny (beer + forums = funny words).

Was thinking about dry hopping also, just worried about it not taking the flavor very well.

I know alcohol helps to extract flavor (like Vanilla) so I'm wondering if a drink with 40% ABV extract some of that flavor?

Hoppy Shots anyone?

Dry hopping vodka will most certainly infuse some flavor. Give it a try.

I would try it for sure! As a matter of fact, I might do that in the morning. I have some peppercorns soaking in vodka and meyer lemon peel. The lemon peel is for limoncello, the peppercorns, just because. Hops is a great idea, how come I never thought of that?

Haha. Glad to see I'm not the only one.

Ya'll have convinced me, I'm gonna give it a try also.

This opens the door for more technical questions. Any sugestions for how many ounces or what type for a 750ml bottle of decent, smooth mid-range vodka?

Also, wondering how long I should let it 'steep'.

I think I'm gonna try an ounce of Amarillo for 10 days, I'll letcha know how it turns out....

Here goes. I set this up this morning.

Recipe:

1.5 ounces of Czech Saaz Whole Leaf Hops

.750ml Kettle One Vodka (I'm using Kettle One, although Boru or Vikingfjord would probably work for a little cheaper)

That's it. I, like enderwig, am going to let it set for 10 days. Although I'll probably 'taste' it once every day or so, hahaa.

Also, enderwig, are you using a hop bag or free floating? I was thinking bag for more clear vodka, but how sexy would it be to have whole hop leaves floating throughout the bottle?

the saaz might be overpowered by the vodka, id be more inclined to try an american citrus hop cascade,amarillo,centenial(i get more flower from this one),simcoe,etc.

I almost forgot - the Polish add a few blades of bison grass to a bottle of vodka, and it really tastes wonderful. Hops may have a similar effect.

I used to goto a vodka bar in edinburgh. they had 100's of different flavours. Just chuck in whatever you like the taste of.
ideas : Peppercorns (not too many though, found that out the hard way)
mints : crush them down and shake to dissolve.
any sweets : melt them with a little vodka in a pan like you would chocolate with a bowl with water below in the pan, add this to the bottle.

Afterburner : Shot of pepper vodka following immediately with a shot of mint vodka.

Wouldn't that be a hop tincture?

I have a lot of hops that are needing to be used but probably going stale, I think I'll try this.

ILurvTheWhiskey said:

Also, enderwig, are you using a hop bag or free floating? I was thinking bag for more clear vodka, but how sexy would it be to have whole hop leaves floating throughout the bottle?

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Just letting them float, I will probably put it through a coffee filter when it tastes right.

I might have to try this. Hop infused vodka would make a killer vodka tonic!

I just bought some hop oil from freshops.com for some undisclosed christmas gifts that I'm making. You may try adding that to the vodka.

As many others, I fill my airlocks with vodka. Depending on my mood, I'll drink the shot after I rack to secondary or during bottling. I'm always surprised how much hop flavor is in the shot after brewing an IPA. I assume direct "dry-hopping" vodka will be like this on roids. A hop-tea addition would also be interesting.

Wow. I've always thought about shooting the left over, used brew-flavored vodka, but never got up the nerv. I commend you!

How does it taste?

yeah, I would try a hop tea or hop oil extract

You could always run some vodka through one of these.

Tenchiro said:

You could always run some vodka through one of these.

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that is very very nice. And also a crapload of hops. Cool gadget. As for the flavors coming through, Vodka is a solvant and should pick up all the hop oils. If olllllllo can pull of bacon vodka i doubt hop vodka wont work. Go for it!

ILurvTheWhiskey said:

Wow. I've always thought about shooting the left over, used brew-flavored vodka, but never got up the nerv. I commend you!

How does it taste?

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Generally not very good but this may be because I use the fairly cheap vodka in the airlocks. Between the high alcohol and the off flavors in the vodka, there is not a lot of room for other flavors. Normally there will only be a slight hop taste, but after an IIPA, there is a surprising amount of hop flavor in the airlock vodka.

Next time try a sip and see for yourself.

Yuri_Rage said:

I almost forgot - the Polish add a few blades of bison grass to a bottle of vodka, and it really tastes wonderful. Hops may have a similar effect.

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WARNING! Bison grass contains the same carcinogenic compoundthat is used to make cheap Mexican Vanilla extract, called coumarin. Coumarin was banned as a food additive in the United States in 1978. Coumarin should be avoided by people with perfume allergy. Apparently it is also present in sweet woodruff syrup, so all of you authentic Berlinerweiss drinkers watch out as well. Don't think it's anything to freak out about unless you are supersenitive, or have liver problems, at which point you shouldn't really be drinking vodka anyways, and should take your berlinerweiss with raspberry syrup instead of the woodruff. Medical advice to be taken at your own risk. Over and out.

Is Yuri trying to kill us off? And where exactly does one procure bison grass? i mean its not something my neighborhood supermarket has anyway and im not about to stick my hand up a buffalo's ass.

You'd also need access to a bison's ass in the first place, which inconveniently isn't at the local grocer's either.

I predicted this two years ago, surprise no one has tried it yet.

Tenchiro said:

You could always run some vodka through one of these.

Click to expand...

That is a beautiful site!

New project: I call it Add-An-Imperial...

I found the vodka to be a great success (although my friends didn't like it as much as I did) so now I'm moving on up. I have 1 ounce of Cascade, 1 ounce of Cluster and 1/2 ounce of Saaz that I'm going to add to a bottle of 95% ABV Everclear. Going to let it set for... 6 months.

Once it's good and done, then I figure probably half a shot in a regular IPA should bring it up to snuff with an Imperial or double IPA.

Any suggestions?

ILurvTheWhiskey said:

I was also thinking about making some. I'm not sure how I'd go about it though. Hop flavored is infused through the boiling process, correct? And dry hopping doesn't affect the flavor too much, does it? Any ideas?

Anybody else think it's a good idea? Or not so much?

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I think its a great idea and intend to try it.

You obviously don't want to boil the vodka, and boiling hops is primarily for the bitterness. Dry hopping the vodka should add plenty of flavor. It is a big flavor component of many IPAs. I would imagine the alcohol would be even more effective in extracting the flavor and aromas of the hops.

I'm thinking of infusing some Cascades (I have plenty from my harvest this fall) with some Skyy Vodka from my cabinet (I don't normally drink vodka I just keep some on hand for mixed drinks). A small mason jar with lid should work well. Then filter with a coffee filter to maintain some amount of clarity.

Craig

Flavouring spirits is an ancient tratition where I come from so I just say "go for it". One of the very best flavoured spirits I know of is the "Hallands Fläder" (Fläder=the herb Elder flower). It is redicilously good flavoured and at the same time redicilously lethal....

H

Try DFH120. It's like a very low end hop flavored vodka.

ohiobrewtus said:

Try DFH120. It's like a very low end hop flavored vodka.

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With lots of sticky maltyness.

Another idea. Ethenol evaporates at what like 147dF. What about getting a cheap bottle of some over proof vodka, everclear etc., taking a portion of it out, boiling it with some hops then adding it back in and reducing the overall ABV or the overproof. Overproof usually has little to no taste, but that burn from the alcohol.
My though is that this vodka would be better for hopping as once you dilute it with the vodka/hop tea the flavor of the hops would come through more.?

How about putting the hops and the vodka in a pressure cooker? Put it on the heat until it begins to blow, then pull it off and let it cool down. Most of the alcohol should still be there (as well as the volatile aroma/flavor compounds) and youll have steeped the hops. You could then dry hop it once it's cool for some of that fresh hop flavor. Let it sit for about a month, filter again, then age for a couple more months.

what about putting the hops and vodka in a pressure pot at like 180F for 60mins then cooling the pressure pot until it is around 70F. The pressure pot should prevent the alcohol from evaporating.

you probably would only want to keep the hops in the vodka for a week or two at most.

soaking it for longer would really start to dissolve some of the organic molecules in the hops that wouldn't really be pleasant tasting (chlorophyll and starches for example).

keep in a dark place and soak the hops for a week or two, shaking the jar occasionally.

FYI - New Holland has a spirit they call "Hopquila". Haven't had it yet, but I'm curious enough to try it when I get the chance.