Ever infuse spirits yourself?

[Jaybird]

I have a 5 gallon used bourbon barrel I bought years ago for a Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Porter I was doing. Well after I used it a few times I wanted to get that "bourbon" flavor back in it so I went out and bought 4 gallons of Black Velvet, at the time it was the cheapest whiskey I could find. Into the barrel it went for a good long nap. I figured it would add a little flavor and if nothing else keep the barrel wet and swollen while I was waiting to make another batch. Ok long story - short about a year later I remembered I had this thing filled with whiskey. OHHH my god! It had turned into the best damn whiskey I had ever had (to date). I re-bottled a 750ml and took it to a party a few weeks after discovering it again and the bottle was gone in 30 min!
Just thought I would share....You can take a cheap ass bottle of BV and add a little time and oak and BAMMMM..... Bourbon!

Cheers
Jay

 

[dyqik]

Kahlua is pretty easy to make - wrap up about a pound of ground coffee beans in muslin and steep in hot water for 15 minutes, add sugar and vanilla to hot coffee, cool, then add 50%+ vodka or white rum (adjust strength to taste) and cool in bottles. Age 30 days or so.

 

[SquidPope]

I wonder if soaking some peat-smoked malt in a bottle of so-so whiskey would work to improve the flavour. Anyone ever tried that?

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.

I don't remember where I found the recipe, but I've made bacon bourbon plenty of times Cook up 4 to 6 slices of bacon until crispy, and set the bacon aside. Pour the bacon fat and any bits that are sticking to the pan into a large mixing bowl with an average-sized bottle of bourbon. Cover it, let it cool, and move it to the fridge for a day or two, and then into the freezer overnight.

The freezer will cause the fat to solidify, so you can strain it off easier. Use a coffee filter inside a funnel to catch any smaller bits of fat as you pour it back into the bottle, and you're done!

Oh, and you get to eat the bacon

 

[Evets]

I've made Limoncello and Orancello but my favorite is Mojitocello, Vodka with Lime and mint.
I just infused some vodka with maple syrup the other day after my sister mentioned it. Very tasty.

 

[Brettomomyces]

I have a 5 gallon used bourbon barrel I bought years ago for a Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Porter I was doing. Well after I used it a few times I wanted to get that "bourbon" flavor back in it so I went out and bought 4 gallons of Black Velvet, at the time it was the cheapest whiskey I could find. Into the barrel it went for a good long nap. I figured it would add a little flavor and if nothing else keep the barrel wet and swollen while I was waiting to make another batch. Ok long story - short about a year later I remembered I had this thing filled with whiskey. OHHH my god! It had turned into the best damn whiskey I had ever had (to date). I re-bottled a 750ml and took it to a party a few weeks after discovering it again and the bottle was gone in 30 min!
Just thought I would share....You can take a cheap ass bottle of BV and add a little time and oak and BAMMMM..... Bourbon!

Cheers
Jay

I've actually heard of a new wine product that does exactly this...http://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/wooden-bottle-oak-bottle-makes-cheap-wine-taste-good

I think 5 gallons of amazing cheap whiskey sounds like a lot more fun though...have you put any beer into that barrel yet?

I haven't played around a lot with infusions, but I had a few extra stalks of lemongrass from work and stuck them in a bottle with vodka. It was really interesting right around the 4 week mark.

 

[Jaybird]

I've actually heard of a new wine product that does exactly this...http://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/wooden-bottle-oak-bottle-makes-cheap-wine-taste-good

I think 5 gallons of amazing cheap whiskey sounds like a lot more fun though...have you put any beer into that barrel yet?

I haven't played around a lot with infusions, but I had a few extra stalks of lemongrass from work and stuck them in a bottle with vodka. It was really interesting right around the 4 week mark.

Ohhh yeah! I rotate it around a LOT! Re coopered it 3x now

Cheers
Jay

 

[John53189]

Fresh jalapeno vodka..3 seeded (or not )2-3 weeks= awesome bloody
1 cup fresh raspberries in rum or vodka (3 weeks) + 1/2 cup sugar for the girls= awesome lemonade or with club soda.
Had some weird skittles infused vodka...not for me. Now the wife wants it...

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Annual limoncello batch. Straining bag makes it difficult to see the lemony goodness, but it is in there.

Also made some fantastic lemonade

 

[Kblandfo]

Basil Vodka is one of my faves... unlike many of the other infusions you should only let it sit for a 2 days and I wouldn't let it sit for more than 3-4. The leaves deteriorate quickly. This is a very aromatic vodka.
I also do vanilla beans and just let them sit in the vodka until its empty. You can reuse them really.

*cool idea with the vanilla beans- if yours come in vacuum sealed plastic, you can cut them open (use beans however you planned) and save the plastic. Cut it up into large pieces and then add them to table sugar in jar. Shake this around for a few days and you have vanilla infused sugar.

Also done tequila and vodka with jalapeno. The peppers will go vegetal in the tequila after a while.

Also have done dried tropical fruits into rum.

Its a lot of fun!

 

[JDWebb]

I started infusing liquor some time ago. I have a closet full of liqueurs I have aging from peach brandy, spiced pear liqueur, apricot, orange, mixed berry, raspberry, blackberry, a whole list of them. I also make about 3 different coffee liqueur's (I hate to call them Kahlua's). Be happy to share some recipes.

One thing I've learned though, I don't sweeten until after the steeping period, usually a month. Then I use a 2:1 simple syrup afterwards. I also make my own extracts, currently I have 28 8oz bottles of vanilla in rum, bourbon and vodka, and a 1 quart jar in black strap rum.

 

[jtd_419]

I do huckleberry vodka every year or two, raspberry once or twice and being from Washington ............

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Rum-No-5-394715

This recipe made an awesome spiced rum.

 

[Niestle]

So this is my first foray into the world of infusing. Sorry I am resurecting a old thread but I didnt want to start a new thread just for my questions.

So looking at the Malinowka Recipe posted by Stonecutter2. I was wondering if I could use frozen berries for the mix? Or do they have to be fresh? Also if I added vanilla beans to the mix would one or two be sufficent or should I add more than that to give it a nice vanilla blackberry flavor.

Also has anyone ever used brown sugar for the simple syurp step, and if it does work what is the flavor that would come across in the infusion?

And lastly the rectified spirits. would it have to be Everclear? Or could it be a different type (say Rum?). Or omitted altogether if we are useing straight Brandy.

Thankyou for the feed back.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I've not done the recipe, but you can almost certainly use frozen. Freezing fruit breaks down the cell walls and leads to better juice extraction, so it might even be preferable to using fresh.

I'll let someone else answer the more specific questions about your recipe.

Welcome to the forum

 

[Niestle]

Cool thank you for the info.

 

[EtchyLives]

Here is the recipe I'm using to make limoncello

Next week I'm zesting and adding the simple syrup.

 

[whoaru99]

I made this one: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/limoncello.html

Tastes good to me, but I don't have a wide basis of comparison.

 

[worlddivides]

I'm making a traditional limoncello myself right now. Totally traditional. About 3 weeks now. I didn't even know there were alternate versions. EtchyLives's looks pretty interesting, though.

 

[ThirstyChap]

I did a cucumber lime vodka. I took the lime out after a couple of hours I didn't want to zest to make it too bitter.

It was pretty good. However! I should have peeled the cucumber. The peel made it more bitter than I would have guessed.

In regards to the hazelnut vodka. I'd recommend toasting the nuts first to bring out the flavor. If you can get 100proof, like Smirnoff, you'll get more extracted from the nuts and more of the oils will dissolve into the alcohol.

For an unrelated project I had a good bit of success with black walnuts in everclear. It tates and smells exactly like black walnut. I wasn't planning on direct consumption of the infusion(hence using everclear)

 

[Tomcat0304]

candied pecan bourbon.

Recipe, please!!

 

[fathersergius]

I'm making a traditional limoncello myself right now. Totally traditional. About 3 weeks now. I didn't even know there were alternate versions. EtchyLives's looks pretty interesting, though.

What is a traditional limoncello recipe? If it turns out good, inquiring minds would like the recipe.

 

[fathersergius]

I'd like to see more recipes from people who are happy with the way their recipes turned out! My favourite comes from the website of Club Wort in Palatine. The recipe is about 2/3 down the page. http://www.clubwort.net/resources.htm


Here's the recipe:

Phil's Krupnick Recipe

***3 pounds (4 cups) Honey
***2 teaspoons * Vanilla extract
***2 cups * Water
***1 teaspoons * ground cloves
***2 teaspoons * ground cinnamon
***1 teaspoons * ground nutmeg
***1 Large * lemon, sliced ¼" thick, then in half
***1½ cups * Grain Alcohol (190 proof, Everclear)
***1½ cups * Brandy
* * Cinnamon Sticks



Combine Water & Honey in sauce pan
Boil for 20 minutes (skim foam from top)

Add cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon, simmer for 20 minutes.

Add 3 cinnamon sticks
Remove from heat, allow to cool.

Add Vanilla

Add 1 cup grain alcohol
Add 1 cup brandy
Mix and place in 2 liter soda bottle (include all spices and lemon)
Add more grain alcohol & brandy to top the bottle off.

Let the mixture 'age' for 2 months, at room temperature.
Shake it to mix when you can.

Do not mix for the last 2 weeks to let the spices settle to bottom.

Decant mixture. Mix in additional brandy and grain alcohol and/or water to obtain desired 'kick', proof and thickness (Optionally, place back into bottle, and allow spices to settle again for 2 weeks)

(Also, the 'sludge' at the bottom of the original container can have some brandy added to it, mixed and then settled for one additional week. *Decant off the clear liquid and add to the originally decanted mixture.)

Taste and adjust mixture with additional brandy. Place in dispensing bottles and add 1 cinnamon stick.

Allow to 'age' an additional 2+ weeks before serving.


I mix and store in LARGE mason jars because I like the volume markings on the sides. I've had some for a couple years and it's still good. I also added quite a bit of brandy and vodka back to make it less sweet but lost track of the percent alcohol at the end. Letting it sit is hard work but it's well worth it. It's also a good use for any bottles of honey that have crystallized and are hard to use for anything.

It makes a great warmer after being out in the winter. Cheers!

 

[worlddivides]

What is a traditional limoncello recipe? If it turns out good, inquiring minds would like the recipe.

The zest of fresh lemons steeped in some kind of neutral grain alcohol/rectified spirit (or you can use regular vodka, but the more traditional limoncellos generally start with a pretty high percentage of alcohol - i.e. not 40%) for generally a month or so, then mixed with simple syrup. Regardless of the percentage of the alcohol you started with, the end product is somewhere between 25% and 35% alcohol, most commonly right around 30%.

Traditional limoncello is pretty simple to make. Different recipes generally just vary on how much zest (i.e. how many lemons) you put in, the alcohol percentage of the rectified spirit, how long you steep the lemons, and how much simple syrup you put in (and also how the simple syrup is made - how much is sugar and how much is water).

 

[petey_c]

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

Was just perusing this winter cocktail thread earlier today.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Peppermint-Bear-Shooter/
I guess I should also check the date of the post I'm quoting...

 

[hunter_le five]

Was just perusing this winter cocktail thread earlier today.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Peppermint-Bear-Shooter/
I guess I should also check the date of the post I'm quoting...

Hi.

 

[charliethebum]

I have a friend who soaked poblano peppers in vodka for a month or so. The vodka picked up quite a bit of flavor. Awesome bloody Mary material.

 

[TwistedGray]

Whiskey with cinnamon sticks and hot chiles, dried. That usually goes into my homemade hard cider.

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Yes. Did this one and it's really good, including the resulting spiked hot chocolate: http://www.wsj.com/articles/diy-aquavit-recipe-1417801674