Infusing Fun Into Your Cocktails
Your base is the booze that you’re going to flavor. I recommend a nice mid-shelf, mid-price
alcohol. Top shelf isn’t necessary, but no infusion ingredients will make terrible rot-gut booze
taste like anything other than a drain cleaning solvent, so find a comfortable middle ground of
price and quality.
With all base liquors, the higher the proof, the more extraction power you’re looking at. So an
overproof gin or bourbon will pull more flavor from your infusion ingredients than an 80 proof
version. If you are looking for maximal extraction of volatiles, as for a medicinal or culinary
extract, 190 proof Everclear may be of use.
Vodka
A decent vodka is notable for its lack of flavor, which makes vodka the perfect beginner’s base
for infusions. You can see this at a commercial level in the liquor section, where things like
cotton candy vodka, bubblegum vodka, marshmallow vodka and other My Little Pony flavored
spirits take perfectly good shelf space away from single malt Scotch.
Ignoring the flavor evil that’s being done in the name of commercial flavored vodkas, this
neutral spirit plays extraordinarily well with most infusion ingredients, and is highly mixable as a
spirit. For folks who see little point in drinking something basically flavorless, infusions can give
vodka life. For all these reasons, if your heart isn’t already set on a particular non-vodka base
creation, I recommend that you start your infusion experiments with vodka.
Classic infusion flavors: anything and everything. There are no limits to what you can infuse in
vodka. Bacon? Dill Pickle? Oatmeal? Bacon-Dill-Pickle-and-Oatmeal? You name it and
someone has done it.
Gin
The cocktail lover’s booze, gin is a mix of herbs and botanicals typically distilled with neutral
grain alcohol (vodka). To people like me, this makes gin something like “vodka with a point”
because the spirit has a substantial flavor punch all on its own, or in minimalist concoctions like
the martini.
This does make gin slightly trickier to work with from an infusion standpoint. Add in the
diversity of flavors in gin – that mix of botanicals varies by brand and can range radically in
make-up and complexity – and you have a base that requires a bit more thought to infuse. The
good news is, gin was meant to be mixed, and if you think about the type of gin mixed drinks
you like to drink and what would be appropriate garnishing flavors, you’ll be led to infusion
combinations that make sense.
Classic infusion flavors: cucumber, citrus of all kinds, floral (lavender especially), herbal – think
basil, fennel or lemon verbena – apple and pear, and green tea.
Tequila
Blanco is unaged with a typically straight forward flavor. It is a good choice for infusing with
bold and assertive flavors that might overwhelm more subtle, aged tequilas. Gold tequila is
Blanco with a little caramel color added, typically. Reposado has been aged less than a year in
oak and is a bit smoother than Blanco. Anejo is aged over a year and is more smooth yet. The
lighter the tequila the more adaptable it will be to a diversity of flavor infusions. Complex anejos
require a more careful hand so that the more subtle flavors of the base are enhanced, not
overwhelmed.
Classic infusion flavors: Chili, citrus, tropical fruit, coconut, ginger, melon, watermelon. The
sweet herbs like mint, lemon verbena and cinnamon basil are also good.
Brandy
Brandy doesn’t seem to get a lot of press, which is too bad, since it plays so well with others. In
cocktails, desserts and savory cooking, brandy is a spirit that rarely fights. Fruit, spice and
anything non-vegetal will work with this base. Brandies are made from grapes unless otherwise
noted, and are typically aged in wood casks from two to six years or more. The longer the aging,
the more complex the alcohol (and the more expensive). American brandy offers a good value.
Save the V.S.O.P Cognac for sipping by the fire and infuse the cheaper domestic stuff.
I’ve noticed high quality fruit brandies (eau de vies) are gaining in local producer popularity, and
I heartily approve this trend. A brandy made from non-grape fruit (apple, plum, cherry, pear,
plum, etc.) will play well with any flavor that the fruit from which it was made would appreciate.
Classic infusion flavors: Fruit! Fresh or dried, I can’t think of any non-tropical fruit that would
be out of place with brandy. Apple, pear, plum, cherry, apricot – you just can’t go wrong. Spices
– brandy is aged in oak typically which lends warm vanilla spiciness to the base. Play this up
with infusions of vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and/or clove. Nuts – Walnut brandy is a classic,
but almonds, pecans and hazelnuts also have a warm richness that will do well with brandy. Put
all of the above together for a fruitcake spice infused brandy that no one will re-gift at the
holidays.
Whiskey, Scotch & Bourbon
The whiskies are a big family, encompassing everything from mild Canadians to smoky, peaty
Scotches. As a family, they share the traits of being distilled from some sort of fermented grain
and aged in wood barrels for anywhere from several months to many years.
For purposes of infusions, there’s some space to generalize. Scotch: Proceed with caution. First,
Scotches tend to be quite “spendy” and powerfully flavored just as they are. I’m not saying you
can’t infuse Scotch, but I wouldn’t recommend starting with a 18 Year Laphroaig. Bourbon: The
premium brands are often almost as intensely flavored as a Scotch will also require a careful
hand to infuse. Milder bourbon takes very well to infusions with the cookie spices, cherry and
citrus. Canadian and Irish whiskies are often milder still and so can make a versatile whiskey
base.
The whiskies themselves offer a huge range of flavor, and I recommend working with the flavors
natural to this family, smoke and vanilla, caramel, spice and honey.
Classic infusion flavors: Nearly any fruit you’d put in a pie: apple, cherry, plum, fig, peach,
blackberry. Spice: vanilla! the cookie spices, coffee, chocolate, nuts.
Rum
Like tequila, rums vary from clear in color and straightforward in flavor to dark, stronger and
more complex tasting. And like tequila, the lighter the rum, the more adaptable it will be to
infused flavors, with the more complex and darker rums requiring a bit more thought in flavor
pairing.
Spiced rum is interesting, in that it is already an infusion. While there are a some quality
commercial spiced rums out there, most run overly sweet to my taste, a low quality base rum
tarted up with artificial flavors. But spiced rum can give us a lot of inspiration.
Classic infusion flavors: Typical spices that play well with golden or aged rum are vanilla,
cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves, pepper and citrus peel – the kind of tropical spices
that grow in the same latitudes as sugarcane, rum’s parent plant. For white rum, citrus,
particularly lime, is a great pairing, as are tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, lychee, coconut,
etc. If you like strawberry daiquiris, consider a fresh strawberry rum infusion.
Infusion Ingredients
You can infuse your base with nearly anything edible, so how do you pick and choose what’s
getting mixed together? Think with your taste buds, think about flavor combinations you already
know you like – in food, booze and elsewhere – and be willing to experiment a little bit.
Just like cooking, you may find your flavor inspiration in the spice drawer, the garden, or a
favorite dish at a cafe. I love seasonal infusions and the great news is that it’s far easier to make a
cucumber gin infusion than it is to make dill pickles.
Fresh Fruit and Berries
Alcohol is a fantastic solvent, and I suspect any residual pesticide or herbicide residues on your
fruit will become a permanent part of your infusion. So I recommend organic or better fruit for
infusions if possible.
Wash fruit. Peel if desired and appropriate. Apples and pears can be peeled or not, as you prefer.
Discard any part of the fruit you wouldn’t eat: stems, cores, etc. Rough chop or slice large fruit.
Leave small fruits, like cherries, whole. I don’t bother pitting cherries. Gently fill your bottle or
bag about half-full of chopped fruit or berries (don’t crush down) and top with your base.
For citrus, the zest is the part you really want. Remove any thick, bitter white pith and discard.
The zest of a small grapefruit, one lemon or two limes will nicely infuse two cups of base.
Typically I save the juice for another use.
Delicate fruit like raspberries will be spent after about a week or two, firm fruit like pineapple or
green apple can handle longer. Citrus zest is good at 5 days to a week.
Again, taste frequently and decide what you like. I don’t think the fruit that comes out of an
infusion is good for much, but some people like to eat the boozy dregs left after straining over
ice cream or cake. When the infusion is to your liking, strain and filter.
Dried Fruit
I love dried fruit infusions. They are fast and easy to make, and the resultant boozy plumped fruit
is just as good as the just slightly syrupy infused base. Dried fruit gives flavor quickly, but you
can’t really over infuse it, so just mix it up and stick it away someplace out of the way.
Use natural, untreated dried fruit without additives if possible. If using large dried fruit, like pear
halves, rough chop if desired. Use a lightly packed half-cup of dried fruit per two cups of base.
Drop dried fruit into a bottle or bag and top with base. Your bottle should be a little less than half
full.
Let infuse for a few days to several months, or until so delicious you can’t stand it anymore.
Strain and filter.
Nuts
Nuts are, if you’ll pardon the pun, a hard nut to crack. If you are going to embark on nut
infusions, be prepared for a few extra steps.
If necessary, shell nuts. Nuts with skins on tend to lend tannic astringency to infusions. This
astringency typically mellows with age, but for a minder infusion, blanch and skin nuts before
using. This is easier said than done with nubbly nuts like walnuts and pecans, and I don’t bother.
If you are using a golden or brown base liquor, the flavor of your nut infusion will be better if
you toast the nuts until golden brown and delicious.
Spices, Dry Goods & Similar
Spice infusions are as easy as it gets. Drop dried spices into bottle or bag, add booze. Wait.
Always use whole, not ground spices. The cookie spices tend to do well if you want a warm,
cozy, “Christmasy” flavored infusion. Fennel is always nice. Vanilla beans are lovely, and for
the most flavorful extraction should be split lengthwise before use.
One vanilla bean is generally plenty unless you are making an extract – they are potent! Beware
of cloves and cinnamon stick, which will dominate if overused.
Don’t be afraid to mix up combinations to your taste. If you love Bloody Mary’s, try a dill and
celery seed infused vodka as your base. Throw a jalapeno or dried red chili in there too if you
like it spicy. Chai spices and black tea can infuse a vodka for a killer Chai White Russian. I
typically end up with 1-3 tablespoons of whole spices per cup of base.
Loose black and green tea, or high quality teas left in the little tea bag, can be added to your
base. I have a green tea apple gin coming along nicely right now. Use 1 tablespoons loose tea or
2 teabags per 2 cups base.
Coffee should be lightly crushed but not ground and added to your base at ½ – 1 cup of coffee
beans per 2 cups base, depending on how strong a coffee flavor you want.
Cocoa nibs are how you infuse booze with a chocolate flavor. Do not attempt cocoa powder or a
hunk of baking chocolate. You’ll be disappointed. A half-cup of nibs to 2 cups of base works
well.
With spice and dry goods infusions like these, taste frequently. If the spice is a complement to
something else, like a dried apple and cinnamon rum, keep the spice quantities very moderate.
Vegetables, Roots, Herbs & Flowers
As with fruit, organic is better. Wash or scrub as appropriate. Root vegetables should be peeled
and well trimmed. Anything particularly earthy can leave your base dirty tasting. Vegetables
should infuse three days to a week. Taste often. Cucumber, beet, carrot and horseradish are all
popular vegetable infusion ingredients.
Chop your vegetable into bite-size hunks or slices. Spicy peppers can be added whole (pierce a
few times with the tip of a knife) or halved. If you want pepper flavor with less heat, remove
seeds and ribs from fresh peppers before infusing.
Herbs and edible flowers should be rinsed and patted dry. The soft leafy herbs can be added in
long sprigs and in fairly generous quantities. Strong flavored, woody herbs like rosemary should
be used very carefully.
Some flowers have very distinctive flavors. If you aren’t confident about the flavor or strength of
your edible flowers, go easy. A little lavender can add an enchanting backdrop to an infusion.
Too much and you’re drinking a soap cocktail.
I think most herbal and floral flavors do best in combination with other flavors. Think
blackberry-rose tequila, strawberry-basil vodka or tangerine-bronze fennel gin. However, most
fresh herbs peak at about 4 days of infusing. If you are combining herbs or flowers with another
“main” flavor, I recommend starting your main infusion a few days before and adding the herbal
component a bit later.