Strawberry Vodka

It’s strawberry season, it’s strawberry season!!! I’m so excited about strawberry season, that I’ll admit, I’m getting cocky here. For my second infusion for this blog, I’m making something I’ve never made before. It’s simple enough, so I hope I don’t screw this up! My only fear is the depleted strawberry crop this year. You may think that global climate change is a myth, but I’m all bought in. The proof is in the fruits I like to infuse. Mother Nature seems to be messing with our crops. Early thaws and then re-freezes make me glad I’m doing this project now, while I can still get all this great fresh food from my local farmer’s market http://dcfm.org/ right here in Madison! I don’t know what it is about the size of fresh strawberries, but the tiny crop this year is really challenging my manhood! Plus, the smaller they are, the more you have to cut. Oh well. At least when this project is done, I get to drown in my sorrows!

Preparation Time: About 20 minutes

Infusion period: 3-4 days

Materials you’ll need:

Not pictured are a strainer and funnel.

·      2 pints of fresh strawberries

·      One knife

·      One cutting board

·      One quart-sized canning jar

·      375ML of vodka

·      wire strainer or a coffee filter (not pictured)

·      funnel (not pictured)

Recipe:

·      2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in half

·      375 ML vodka

Servings:

Approximately 13-16 ounces, depending on how juicy your strawberries are. And, if you are like me and just kept adding extra vodka to your canning jar, you’ll get more to drink. (I ended up with about 17 ounces after I filled my 1 qt. jar all the way up with vodka.)

How to make this tasty drink:

1.     Slice the top green leafy part off your strawberries.

2.     Cut your strawberries in half.

If these berries don't make your mouth water,
you are working on the wrong project!

3.     If your canning jar has a measurement on the side like mine, us it to add in your vodka.

4.     Add your berries to your canning jar.

5.     Here’s where I have to admit, I’m a man on a budget and so, rather than just using 375ML of vodka, I filled that canning jar pretty much to the top. Hey, sue me for trying to make my strawberry vodka go a little bit further.

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

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 strawberry seeds.

If this doesn't make you thirsty, I don't know what will!

How to drink your tasty drink:

Much like most infusions, you can serve strawberry vodka many ways. While alpha men might drink their vodka at room temperature, I’m more of a beta male myself. There’s nothing on a warm summer day like ice-cold strawberry vodka. I like to store my booze in the freezer for a day before serving it to guests (aka, my belly). Much like the pineapple vodka you can also serve strawberry vodka on ice. And last, and certainly not least for those of you who own at least one martini glass, you can also serve it shaken, not stirred.

Got a pal who likes strawberries but can’t handle their booze straight up? No problem, you can add this to pretty much anything, including white soda or a martini (see below).

At first blush, this is the finished product.
But if you look closer...
It's a self portrait I like to call...
"Craig with tiny head."

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

A good scientist always tests their experiment, right? So, I don’t mind admitting I had a little taste. The first thought that popped into my mind was, “Damn, that’s good!” I’m glad to report this experiment was a resounding success! The vodka really pulls the juices right out of the strawberry. As a result, the berries do hold a lot of booze, so I’m committed to figuring out how to have a feast on the berries. However, considering most of the good flavor has been sucked out of those berries and now resides right in my tasty booze, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my leftover strawberries.

Also, I'm a big fan of my 16 ounce glass flasks I ordered online. But if you've got extra room, I'd suggest adding some of the berries for appearance. Yum!

Want some fun mixed drinks?

Peachy Martini:

Add 3 oz. of strawberry vodka and 1 oz. of peach brandy in a martini shaker full of ice. Shake, shake shake and pour your little heart out. Serve in a martini glass and garnish with a lemon wedge. I've never tried this, but if you do, please, leave a comment. I'd love to hear about it!

Recipe Alterations:

As I’ve already admitted, this recipe calls for 375ML of vodka and two pints of strawberries. However, I broke the rules by adding more vodka. It’s a risk/reward situation. I’m sacrificing some of the strawberry flavoring for more booze. What can I say? I’m a bit of a boozehound!

My dad always said “Waste not, want not.” When I was a kid, I didn’t really grasp the meaning of this. But now that I’m a man on a budget, I’m hearing him loud and clear. The leftover berries are very boozy, yet there’s not much sugar left, so they don’t taste too good. I’m considering blending them in my magic bullet as part of a boozalicious smoothie. What do you think?

If you've tried this or just like what you read or simply have a suggestion for a future infusion, please leave a comment. 

Cheers!