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How to Infuse Vodka With Fruit — And Anything Really!

As Karen wrote last week, it’s certainly the time of year for the fruit. And while she’s had a foodie good time making and gobbling up fruit cobbler, I’ve gone a different route with my fruit. A more adult route. A more, well, just take a look…
infused-vodka-strawberry-martini
 
Yep. After a year of saying that I was going to infuse vodka with fruit, I finally did it. And now I’m wondering what took me so long. Infusing vodka with fruit is ridiculously easy to do, and the results are beyond delicious. I began my how-to-infuse-vodka-with-fruit adventure with pineapple. From everything I’ve read online, pineapple is one of the most common to infuse vodka with because it imparts so much darn flavor and has a natural sweetness that lends itself well to being broken down by vodka. But, as I learned, you can get SUPER creative when it comes to infusing vodka. The sky — or your fridge’s contents — is the limit!

How to Infuse Vodka With Fruit

First, grab yourself a well cleaned Mason Jar or two. (I put mine through the sanitize cycle of the dishwasher.)
mason-jar
Then, chop up your fruit du jour, being sure to remove any cores, seeds, and leaving a decent amount of surface area for the vodka to get to.
how-to-infuse-vodka
Place fruit in your Mason Jar. (See, ridiculously simple.)
infused-vodka-pineapple-top
Pour in your vodka…I went with Skyy Vodka — not too pricey, but not too cheap tasting. (I’ll soon be trying rum and tequilla, too! But vodka is a great liquor to start with as it’s a clean-tasting base.)
infused-vodka-pineapple-pouring
Put the lid on it. Admire your awesomeness.
infused-vodka-pineapple
Lastly, place it in a dark, cool spot and let it sit for a week or two. Shake it daily and taste it every few days. Once the taste is right to you, it’s time to strain! I used a large colander to get the pineapple chunks out, and then ran the infused vodka through a fine-mesh strainer a time or two to get any residual pulp out. Note: Your fruit will be SUPER boozy. Like frat party boozy. I decided to freeze the fruit to use as drunken ice cubes in future cocktail concoctions or to serve at tailgate parties. (It’ll be like the new Jell-O shot!)
infused-vodka-pineapple-strained
I poured my pineapple-infused vodka back in a freshly cleaned Mason Jar and popped it into the fridge until it was cocktail time. Meaning, about 20 minutes later.
For this martini, I simply took a couple ounces of my pineapple-infused vodka and shook it in a martini shaker with ice, a little sugar and a sprig or two of mint from my herb garden. It was so refreshing and delicious. A touch sweet, very strong (be warned: you are drinking straight vodka…) with that lovely flavor of pineapple, it was the perfect summer cocktail.
infused-vodka-pineapple-martini

More Ideas for Infusing Vodka With Fruit

And I felt so smug about my new fruit-infused-vodka-making abilities! Like I was a high-class bartender looking to change the world of cocktails forever! And so I decided to keep infusing. Infuse all the things!
Strawberries!
strawberry-infused-vodka
With boozy frozen strawberries as ice cubes in a martini! (Note this martini’s ingredients are just the strawberry-infused vodka!)
infused-vodka-strawberry-martini
And Bing cherries! One with a big ol’ piece of fresh ginger in it, and one without. I’ve only tried the plain cherry one so far, but the results were AMAZINGLY delicious.
infused-vodka-cherries
And soon … very soon … I’ll be doing blueberries and then getting into more savory pursuits like lemon with rosemary and beets (of course!), along with any other summer fruits that strike my vodka-infusing fancy. Cheers!
Have you ever infused vodka with fruits or other flavors before? What should I try infusing next? —Jenn

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