Ever infuse spirits yourself?

[worlddivides]

I know a lot of people do when making beer, but does anyone out there infuse vodka, bourbon, rum, or whatever just for drinking and not for adding to a beer?

The story leading up to this is that I bought all the ingredients to make an Irish-style stout, but with cacao nibs and vanilla beans for added flavor. When my fiancee saw the vanilla beans, I found out for the first time that she HATES vanilla. So, I couldn't use the vanilla beans in my stout since everything I make I share with her. In the end, it will be an Irish-style stout with just chocolate flavor from the cacao nibs.

So, what to do with the vanilla beans? To me, the answer was simple. I took a 70% full bottle of my go-to Irish whiskey and put the vanilla beans in there.

It's only been five or six hour since I put them in there and already it smells like HEAVEN.

I know there is a prohibition against talking about distillation/making spirits, but this is technically just "infusing" commercial spirits with the flavor of something else with no distillation involved, so I imagine it's fine to talk about.

 

[estricklin]

I've done the black pepper vodka.

 

[Lgaddy44]

I've been curious about this myself, having done nothing more than infusing some vodka with vanilla beans for a beer.

I can't remember where I saw it (I'm sure Google knows), but I recall a cool looking recipe for bacon infused bourbon. That would suit me just fine.

 

[zeptrey]

I've done the black pepper vodka.

Same here for some kick arse bloody mary's.

 

[worlddivides]

I've been smelling my vanilla-infused whiskey once every day and it just keeps getting more and more... vanilla-ey.

I tried a shot of it yesterday and it was interesting. While it was in my mouth, it more or less tasted like how the whiskey normally does with a very slight vanilla flavor. But afterwards, there was much more of a vanilla aftertaste than a whiskey aftertaste. Quite pleasant. I think it's turning out pretty good.

I've got a bunch of beer adjuncts that probably would work great in infusing spirits (sweet orange peel, bitter orange peel, cacao nibs, etc.). Plan on using those for beer, but they do get me thinking...

 

[botigol]

Vanilla in whiskey is very nice. I have only done it once with Tahitian vanilla beans, but it was very tasty! They say that you should let it infuse for about two months in order to get maximum extraction.

 

[jcoxen]

Does Limoncello count?

 

[worlddivides]

Making limoncello would be making a liqueur, which is quite different from infusion. But I personally think liqueurs are awesome.

I've known a lot of people who make "umeshu" which is a Japanese plum liqueur (which in English is almost ALWAYS incorrectly called a "plum wine." Sorry, but people calling umeshu "plum wine" is seriously one of my pet peeves). It's typically made by steeping unripe plums and sugar in shochu (a spirit made from yams, barley, rice, or brown sugar that's clear and usually around 21% alcohol) for several months. Usually when it's all said and done, it has an alcohol content of anywhere from 6% to 15% (most of them near the middle of that range).

Damn good stuff.

Vanilla in whiskey is very nice. I have only done it once with Tahitian vanilla beans, but it was very tasty! They say that you should let it infuse for about two months in order to get maximum extraction.

Good info to know. I thought it would probably be around there. I'm planning on leaving the vanilla beans in there until the bottle is empty. I have sampled it twice so far, but only in about 1/3 or 1/2 of a small shot glass. I'm still waiting for the infusion to get a lot stronger before I start "actually drinking it."

 

[jcoxen]

Making limoncello would be making a liqueur, which is quite different from infusion. But I personally think liqueurs are awesome.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing the difference. Soak lemon zest in vodka or soak vanilla in bourbon. Admittedly, you do back-sweeten the limoncello but it sounds like a distinction without a difference to me.

 

[worlddivides]

Sorry, but I'm not seeing the difference. Soak lemon zest in vodka or soak vanilla in bourbon. Admittedly, you do back-sweeten the limoncello but it sounds like a distinction without a difference to me.

True. I guess all infused spirits would technically be considered liqueurs as well.

It may just come down to perception. An amaretto and a pepper-infused vodka are seen quite differently, but I think they do technically both fit under the category of "liqueur."

And I suppose if I really sit down and think about it, a hazelnut liqueur and a hazelnut-infused vodka aren't really that different at all...

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

If that's the case, then yes

Limoncello and Orangecello (the difference in taste isn't as blatant as it sounds) are both holiday favorites around my house.

 

[Hello]

I've done hot peppers in vodka, vanilla beans, and various fruits. All good.

 

[sonofgrok]

There used to be a big thing around the nets about self infusing vodka with bacon but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I have done Vodka with vanilla beans myself and it turned out great.

 

[hunter_le five]

Jalapeno peppers infused in gin or vodka are fantastic for spicy Bloody Mary's.

I seem to remember my roommates infusing Skittles and gummy bears in vodka back in college, but that was just gross.

I know there is a prohibition against talking about distillation/making spirits, but this is technically just "infusing" commercial spirits with the flavor of something else with no distillation involved, so I imagine it's fine to talk about.

Not even close to being related to distillation. You're not even really "making" anything, you're just adding flavor to spirits. Nothing to worry about.

Making limoncello would be making a liqueur, which is quite different from infusion. But I personally think liqueurs are awesome.

"Liqueur" is just a fancy word for "flavored distilled spirit that has been sweetened". Basically, it is an infusion + sugar. Not much of a difference, there is still generally infusion involved. I think it would be more accurate to say a "liqueur" is a type of infusion, rather than saying "it is quite different", because, well, it's not.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I seem to remember my roommates infusing Skittles and gummy bears in vodka back in college, but that was just gross.

Oh man you were missing out. Gummy bears are incredible when soaked in vodka imho, but the trick is to let them go for at least a week, to the point where they hold their shape but they're very soft and slurpy

 

[motobrewer]

i make schnapps every once in awhile. usually berries - strawberries, raspberries. infuse in everclear, strain, then water down to about 45%. either drink it straight, very cold, or make a liqueur out of it with simple syrup

jalapeno-infused tequila makes awesome margaritas.

 

[worlddivides]

I've never tried jalapeno-infused spirits before, but I love jalapenos so much that I think I'm going to have to try it sometime.

 

[jcoxen]

If that's the case, then yes

Limoncello and Orangecello (the difference in taste isn't as blatant as it sounds) are both holiday favorites around my house.

We do Limoncello year round but our recipe is a bit different. Cheap bastard that I am I couldn't see wasting the meat of 12-15 lemons every time we made a batch so we zest the lemons, then peal the pith off and add the flesh of the lemon as well. We use a muddler on it to get the party started and then add the vodka. And of course we back-sweeten with simple syrup.

What we end up with is more lemonade-ish than normal lemoncello but served ice-cold out of the freezer on a hot summer day (in small glasses since it's 80 Proof), it's great. I've also done the same thing with limes. I liked it but SWMBO wasn't a fan. I've not tried oranges yet but I think I'm gonna have to add that to the list.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

That actually sounds more appealing than what mine is. I always feel like I go too heavy on the syrup but the family rants and raves about how good it is.
Gotta keep the people happy I guess. I'll definitely give yours a try

 

[estricklin]

Oh and I guess it doesn't count for much but I infused some Jim Bean with french oak chips to make a beer with.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

i was making my own flavored vodkas well before I started brewing. I'm enjoying some right now. I do some clones of complex vodkas i had in poland in russia (as best as I can recall the flavors and interneting the ingredients) either way it's a fun way to make some sipping schnapps.

 

[Waltzie]

What are some of those cloned vodka recipes?

 

[MaxStout]

I've thought about making something like ouzo or pastis from vodka and star anise.

 

[Majawat]

A favorite of mine is to infuse a quality vodka with Swedish Fish candy. Very simply done, but easy to overdo. I've had the vodka fairly syrupy from too many Fish. I don't know about other infuses, but the Fish have to be filtered out of this one. I use a coffee filter or two.

 

[itsthebeard]

My wife and I have done several infusions for work(we're in food and bev) and home. My favorite so far is our pineapple chipotle tequila and candied pecan bourbon.


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[worlddivides]

candied pecan bourbon.

That sounds really, really good.

 

[Lgaddy44]

Since we're on the topic, I have a few vanilla beans left over from I don't know how many months ago. I've kept them in my fridge in the sealable Brewer's Best pack they came in. I wanted to throw a few in a mason jar of vodka, but I notice they have small white specks all over them. Could this be mold maybe?

What's the shelf life on vanilla beans? Could I/should I still use these for this purpose? If it is some type of mold, could I assume soaking in vodka for a month would kill off anything bad?

I do intend on using the vanilla infused vodka (whether made from these beans or new ones) to add at kegging of future brews. I don't want to ruin some good beer over some bad vanilla beans.

 

[whoaru99]

Cayenne and black pepper infused vodka.

 

[stonecutter2]

I've made a few infusions with fruit and rectified spirits (Everclear etc) and vodka, while trying to get back to my roots a bit. My family is Polish, and these are called "nalewka."

My Dad told me a story of his grandma giving him some "malinowka" (mahl-ee-NOOF-kuh) when he was little, which is an infusion of raspberries in vodka/rectified spirits. This is then aged for as long as you like, which makes the fruit characteristic prominent.

So, I decided to snoop around on the net and found some recipes on Polish websites that I then translated. It's really very simple to do.

Malinowka Recipe:

Get a large jar with a tight sealing lid, like a mason jar.

You want to fill the jar about 1/2 full of raspberries. Weigh the raspberries (or whatever you're infusing - i have a batch with strawberries going), then put in the jar.

Fill the jar 1/2 with rectified spirits, and 1/2 with vodka (I use Sobieski vodka).

Let it sit and infuse for a month or so (4-6 weeks). Fruit will begin to look very pale and kind of weird, but the liquid will then be colored by the fruit's color. And it will smell amazing.

You can now do another round of the above, adding new fruit and then infusing again to give it a more powerful flavor and color (my personal favorite thing to do - it's awesome).

Strain out the fruit, retain the liquid, and put the fruit back in the jar. Now pour sugar on top of the raspberries that weighs about 1/2 of what your initial weight of the fruit was.

The sugar will absorb the liquid out of the raspberries, making a syrupy liquid. Let this sit for a few weeks to do its thing, shake occasionally.

Strain the liquid out of the raspberries, and now combine the initial infusion with the syrupy liquid.

Filter through a coffee filter, or a funnel with a cotton ball stuffed in it. It will be nice and clear.

Now bottle it up, and put it someplace cool and dark for 3-6 months. It will be pretty tasty, slightly sweet, very fruit forward with a warmth to remind you that you're drinking some pretty hard stuff.

 

[worlddivides]

That sounds pretty awesome, stonecutter.

I just started a new infusion today myself. I have no idea how it's going to turn out, but I used 2 ounces of sweet orange peel and 1 ounce of coriander seed (semi-crushed meaning that I crushed them for about 5 minutes before putting them in the jar) infusing about half a liter of vodka. It already smells amazing. Great sweet orange smell with a hint of coriander. Interesting how the sweet orange peel sinks to the bottom while the coriander seed floats on the very top.

I'll probably leave it for about a month before trying any of it.