Summer Berry Vodka Infusion

With the exception of the marshmallow infused vodka, I’ve had a very berry time infusing things for you. But I had “berry” high hopes for this one. What, too cheesy? Never! Not this lactose intolerant guy! Hey-Oh!

Like all good concoctours (i just made that word up), I took a sip before publishing this blog. Holy cats man, this infusion takes the cake. Perhaps one of the best fruit infusions I've done yet. I'm not even joking. You'll have to try it to see what I mean. So, where did I find this delicious recipe, you ask?

A drink so nice, I tried it twice!

A couple years ago, I went big. I wanted my own infusion jar for big projects. So, I went online and nabbed a great jar from the good people at www.infused-vodka.com. And wouldn’t you know it, the thing came with a recipe book. Now, I don’t just infuse out of this book, but it’s been very handy on occasion. If waiting for my blog posts to come out is wearing on your patience and you’re not much for Googling creative recipes, get your own copy of their infusion recipe book here.

Oh, and when making this infusion, be careful. Berries will stain!

Preparation Time: About 15 minutes

Infusion period: 5 days

Materials you’ll need:

·      1 pint of fresh raspberries

·      1 pint of fresh blackberries

·      One quart-sized canning jar

·      375ML of vodka (or more if you like)

·      wire strainer or a coffee filter (not pictured)

·      funnel (not pictured)

Recipe:

·      1 pint fresh raspberries

·      1 pint fresh blackberries

·      375 ML vodka (or just fill your jar all the way up, like me)

Servings:

Approximately 17 ounces.

How to make this tasty drink:

1.     Wash your fresh berries, removing any bad berries.

Strawberry cutting board
not included.

2.     Pour in 375 ML of vodka. If your canning jar has a measurement on the side like mine, use it to measure your vodka. (Quick note: Someone once asked me if you had to add the vodka first and my answer is simple; nope! You can do this in whatever order you want. After you are done, you are going to shake the dickens out of it anyways. I supposed, however, adding the vodka at the end would speed up the process a tad. I’m just lazy and don’t like to dirty multiple measuring cups.)

3.     Add your berries to your canning jar.

4.     Seal your jar (duh)

5.     Don’t forget to add your “ready” date.

6.     Shake it up.

7.     Store in a cool dry place.

8.     Shake well every day, or even a couple times a day if you’d like. The key to this tasty drink is the juices.

9.     Optional: strain from your canning jar into another container with a coffee filter or cheesecloth if your guests are squeamish about the berry bits.

How to drink your tasty drink:

Much like most infusions, you can serve this vodka infusion many ways.

My taste test included drinking this warm, like the manly man I am. But, for you pansies out there (aka, me for all future tastings), you may want to consider chilling before serving or serving over ice.

This vodka was so flavorful that it may be nice to drink chilled in a martini glass straight up, but I'd imagine it would taste great with soda water, tonic water or a white soda.

What I learned after doing this for the very first time:

The finished product!

I tried something new this time. I sipped a partial shot of this drink with someone else so I could get their reaction from it. And what better a person than your intern? Talk about intern hazing. "Hey, come over here and drink this" isn't exactly something you can say to an intern who you don't know very well. That's why I was lucky this particular intern has been interning for me in various capacities for the past two years; a total partner in crime. Don't worry, she's over 21 and I only gave her a half a shot (friends don't let interns drive drunk).

Her reaction was the same as mine. First and foremost, this was the best smelling infusion yet. The color is a bit dark due to the blackberries, but the smell could draw an entire room full of people in. And  this infusion tastes just as flavorful as it smells! Wow. While she shot her portion, I sipped it and savored it. You know, swishing it around in my mouth a little bit like you see those wine tasters on TV do. I had no idea what I was doing, but I do know for sure that I had just made something magical. Trust me, don't shoot this, savor it. 

Want some fun mixed drinks?

Summer Berry Vodka Splash:
Add 1 oz. of Cointreau, 5 oz. cranberry juice and 1 oz. of your Summer Berry infusion in a tall glass of ice. Garnish with a lime.

Recipe Alterations:

As I’ve already admitted, this recipe calls for 375ML of vodka but I almost never stick to that. I filled my infusion jar all the way up. Hey, I'm of modest means and want to stretch my booze a bit further.

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