Saturday 10 December 2011

Vodka Variations



Hi Crafty Christmas Club! Amy from Diana & Me http://dianaandme.co.uk/ here with some vodka recipes I'm trying out this year. I did vanilla vodka last Christmas, and it was fab (missed the boat for 2011 though, as you need about 2 months' infusion time.) Whereas these recipes claim to only need 2 weeks - just in time for Christmas.

To be clear, I haven't tried these before, so can't guarantee results - it's an experiment!

Pomegranate Lime vodka


  • I cheated and used a packet of pomegranate seeds, but you could use one whole pomegranate and separate the seeds from the peel and pith. Either way, give them a gentle squish with a rolling pin to juice them up a bit.
  • Remove the zest from one lime using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife - just zest, as little pith (white bits) as possible.
  • Add the strips of zest, and pomegranate seeds plus juice, to 375ml of vodka. You'll want a middle of the range vodka - cheap supermarket own brand will always taste like cheap supermarket own brand. Equally, don't break the bank on something extraordinary! I went for what was on special offer at the time.

  • I tipped the excess vodka into a different bottle so that I could use the original bottle for infusing, but you can use any jar that you can seal tightly. Just remember to leave plenty of room for shaking up your infusion.
  • Tighten up the lid and shake, then put in a cool dry place. It reckons it needs 2 weeks (shaking gently every few days).

Cardamom Ginger vodka

  • Crush 10 green cardamom pods so that they split slightly
  • Cut 10 small slices of ginger, about 1/4 inch thick
  • Add the cardamom pods and seeds and ginger slices to 375ml vodka (see above for notes on choosing a vodka, and finding a bottle/jar to infuse in)
  • Again, this one should need 2 weeks in a cool dry place, shaking every few days.

Once the two weeks are up, strain into a clean bottle. Add a pretty label, and put it under the tree!

(I'm also planning to try out some spiced orange vodka - hence the oranges in the top picture. Sadly, the cooking times in the recipe were totally wrong and I ended up with little burnt orange bits. I'll keep you posted...)

3 comments:

  1. We've developed a love for sloe vodka and some quicker alternatives are great. Thanks in advance for these.

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  2. I was wondering if an orange version of lemonchello would work? Have you tried doing that? Might be out of time now though...

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  3. I just tried some of the ginger schnapps/ ginger vodka I steeped since November. SUPER good! But I LOVE the idea of adding cardamom; two of my favorites. The best part for me is that it didn't require any added sugar, like most people recommend to make ginger liqueur. Just the ginger was sweet enough for a good drink; why complicate it further? :)

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