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https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net...57804942_q.jpg Food Fanatics
Food Fanatics
So simple to make...Just find a chocolate cupcake recipe, cut the tips off the strawberries, ice them with green butter cream and add sweets for decoration
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Were Also Coming Up on New Years
Sunset Cocktail
April 24, 2012 by Alicia | 13 Comments
I spent some time this weekend working on the landscape around our garden bed. This included laying sand, pebbles, cut stone, and ground cover. After the physical labor was done, it was time for a refreshing cocktail… and seeing as it was sunset, the Sunset Cocktail magically appeared on our patio.
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Sunset Cocktail
3 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Pineapple Rum
1 oz Hibiscus Brandy
Add ice to glass, pour ingredients in order listed above. Enjoy!
As an alternative, we had Hibiscus mimosas a few weeks ago that were a great morning version of this cocktail (not that this Sunset can’t be enjoyed at Sunrise… it does have orange juice, after all!)
For the Hibiscus mimosas, try 2 oz OJ, 2 oz champagne, and 1/2 oz Hibiscus Brandy.
Cheers!
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El Pepino Cocktail
April 26, 2012 by Alicia | 13 Comments
You’re going to think I’m some kind of freak of nature when I tell you this… but I don’t like Margaritas. I’m kind of scared to admit that to people, especially as I’m writing this blog about boozing and infusing. It is almost Cinco de Mayo! What a perfect time for Margaritas, and infused tequila. But not for me. I usually go for a Mexican beer with lime. Which is delicious in its own right. But… this year will be different.
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A few weeks ago, I made the Lime-Chipotle Finishing Salt from The Cozy Herbivore. It is delicious on popcorn, and sprinkled into a variety of dishes. Among the list of recommended uses is a Margarita Rim. I’m always jealous of those who drink Margaritas. They always look so tasty.
So, I decided I would enjoy this salt on the rim of a different drink. We happened to have some Cucumber Vodka left, so it seemed only logical to pair it with this salt.
El Pepino
2 oz Cucumber Vodka
1 oz Gin
1 TB Dry Vermouth
1 TB Fresh squeezed lime juice
Lime-Chipotle Finishing Salt
Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and then dip in the Lime Chipotle Salt. Stir the remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain and enjoy.
The salt and chipotle finish off the flavor so well, without being over-powering. I can see why others have said that this had really stepped up their margarita consumption. It is not too late to infuse some cucumbers before Cinco de Mayo… if you’re so inclined. This would be a great addition to your festivities!
Salud!
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Chocolate Covered Candied Bourbon Cherries
May 3, 2012 by Alicia | 2 Comments
Are you sick of me posting about cherries yet? I figured it has been long enough since the last cherry cocktail that I could revisit one of my favorite fruits.
When we make a liqueur or infusion, we occasionally get questions about what to do with the “boozed” substance that is left behind after making an infusion. Jim from 2012 Will Be Delicious! said that he made the Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Booze and later ate the oats as a “hangover cure” breakfast. Sounds interesting!
I hate to admit to waste, but I nearly always toss out the ingredient after it has infused the alcohol. Usually the ingredient has become overwhelmingly boozy, with almost no flavor left behind. I often save vanilla beans from infusions, and we have scraped what was left in the pod to use in something else. I have a bag of cinnamon/vanilla/bourbon soaked apples in my freezer with the intent of using them in a boozy pie… but I don’t know if that will ever happen. We did use
some bourbon soaked figs in a baked English Toffee Pudding (in place of chopped dates).
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With the Cherry Bourbon, someone asked what I was going to do with the dried cherries after I filtered all of the bourbon out. Well, we candied them and covered them in chocolate!
Step 1: Candied Cherries
1 1/2 c. Bourbon soaked Cherries (from the Cherry Bourbon)
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. Cherry Juice (the one we used was called “Just Black Cherry”)
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer on low until almost all of the liquid is gone (ours took about 20 min.).
Spread them out on parchment paper or a silicone pan liner. I spread them out individually so they wouldn’t clump together. Alternatively, you could press them into a layer in a baking dish and cut into squares or use in a cookie bar, etc. These are super sticky and chewy, but very tasty.
Allow to cool. We kept them on wax paper, and placed them in the refrigerator until we were ready to use. (And by ready to use, I mean ready to coat with chocolate!)
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Step 2: Cover with Chocolate
I followed the recipe from Oh She Glows for 3 Ingredient Chocolate Covered Raisins, substituting the Candied Cherries.
1 1/2 c. Candied Cherries
1/4 c. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 TB Coconut Oil
Place chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for approximately 1 minute. Stir to incorporate all the chocolate, ensuring all the chips are melted. Mix in the cherries, about 1/4 cup at a time. Spread out onto parchment paper or wax paper, and place in freezer to harden. Once the chocolate has dried, remove from freezer and break up the fruit. Delicious!
Have any of you saved the “boozed” ingredients from your infusions? What have you made with them?
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Star Anise Gin
May 15, 2012 by Alicia | 13 Comments
Anise… I think this is one of those flavors where you either love it or hate it. My mother happens to love it, and she loves gin. So this was one of her Mother’s Day goodies.
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Star Anise Gin
20 grams Star Anise
1 c. gin
1 TB Simple Syrup (or more/less to taste)
Place Star Anise in a jar, add gin, seal tight and shake. Allow to infuse for about 2-3 days, then add simple syrup.
At 3 days, this tasted pretty good. Keep infusing until it reaches your desired taste, then strain and filter with cheesecloth and coffee filter if desired. Your infusion time will depend on how strong you want the flavor. It reminded me of a Good and Plenty candy (which I always loved).
I happened to have a lot of star anise, but you could probably cut way back on the amount in the infusion and just allow it to sit for a longer period.
This was very easy and really tasty on its own. And I think might make for a very refreshing gin and tonic!
Cheers to Mom!
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Sesame-Honey Vodka
May 17, 2012 by Alicia | 12 Comments
I like sesame, and I like honey. When I was a kid, we used to make a variety of a honey-sesame candy, and somehow I thought it would be good to infuse vodka with these flavors. … it is delicious!
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Sesame-Honey Vodka
1 oz Sesame Seeds
1 c. Vodka
2 TB Honey
Stirring frequently, toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan on low, until they start to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add all ingredients to a small canning jar or other sealing jar. Shake, and allow to infuse in a dark, cool place for 3-4 weeks. Strain and filter, with cheesecloth and a coffee filter, then enjoy!
This infusion really tastes like sesame and honey. I think it will be great in cocktails… any ideas?
Ok, so back to these sesame seeds… Since I’ve been on a roll trying to use my infused ingredients, I decided to keep the infused, vodka soaked seeds. I toasted them on low in the oven until they started to brown, stirring occasionally. I then roughly followed the instructions for a sesame-honey candy (from Nourished Kitchen), and … they were pretty good! They disappeared pretty fast.
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If you like sesame, you will like this liqueur.
Cheers!
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Peanut Bourbon
May 20, 2012 by Alicia | 8 Comments
This is an easy one. And if you like peanuts, you will like this.
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Peanut Bourbon
2/3 c. Raw Peanuts (unsalted)
1 1/2 c. Bourbon (or other spirit of your choice)
Remove skins from peanuts, and give just a quick rough chop (not much). Toast the peanuts lightly until they just start to brown and the oils are starting to come out. Set the peanuts aside and allow to cool. Once cooled, add both the peanuts and bourbon to a jar and cap it. Shake or stir, and keep in a cool dark place. Allow to infuse until it reaches your desired taste. We let this infuse for about a month, but you could do a much shorter time. It started to get the peanut flavor very quickly. Strain and filter with cheesecloth, and if desired, with a coffee filter.
* Keep those peanuts after you have strained them! (And stay tuned for a future post about the delicious treats we made with those infused peanuts.)
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If you can’t find raw peanuts, you could probably try any unsalted peanuts. Make sure if you do use raw peanuts that you toast them to bring out the flavors. I made another nut-infused liqueur without toasting and it didn’t turn out as well.
Cheers!
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Chocolate Bourbon-Peanut Clusters
May 22, 2012 by Alicia | 11 Comments
These chocolate peanut clusters are made with the bourbon-soaked peanuts from our last post, Peanut Bourbon.
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I wasn’t sure how these were going to turn out, so I didn’t measure precisely. These are rough estimates, but I don’t think the amounts are all that important. The recipe was following the same idea and inspiration from Oh She Glows (which we also used on the chocolate covered candied bourbon cherries.)
Chocolate Bourbon-Peanut Clusters
2/3 c. Bourbon-soaked Peanuts (from the peanut bourbon)
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 TB Coconut Oil
2 healthy pinches of Sea Salt
Roast the peanuts in a low oven (225-275 degrees) tossing occasionally, until the peanuts are nearly dried out. Let sit until the following day.
Heat chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or double boiler until the chocolate is mostly melted. Stir in the peanuts, and sea salt. Spoon onto a plate or parchment paper and place in refrigerator or freezer to set. Keep in refrigerator until you eat them (which probably won’t be that long…)
The sea salt is what really made these perfect. You could probably substitute a flaked salt or finishing salt with great results. We had a hand-picked, Oregon Sea Salt which gave it just the right flavor.
Enjoy!
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Almond Liqueur
August 8, 2012 by Alicia | 19 Comments
Ah, summer! We are finally enjoying the warm weather in the Northwest. With all the gorgeous fresh, local fruits available it is tempting to infuse everything in sight! So you may be wondering why I’m posting an almond liqueur recipe that can be done any time of year.
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I started this infusion way back in March. I wasn’t crazy about it at first, so I left the infusion in the back of my coat closet for many months.
I finally strained this about two weeks ago. All it was missing was a bit of simple syrup. Once that was added, this liqueur instantly turned into something that is amazing and delicious.
Almond Liqueur
1 c. Raw Almonds, roughly chopped
1 c. Brandy
1 c. Vodka
1/2 Vanilla Bean, split
1 1/2 – 2 TB Simple Syrup
Place the almonds, brandy, vodka, and vanilla bean in a quart jar or bottle. Close the jar, and allow to infuse for approximately four weeks. (Probably not necessary to let it sit four months like I did!) Strain, then filter through a jelly bag or cheesecloth, and finally coffee filters. Add simple syrup to taste (approximately 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons).
The coffee filters are really important with this straining process. The liquid was very cloudy until it passed through the coffee filters, and then at once became a beautifully clear, golden color.
This liqueur is delicious and may become a regular infusion, and a favorite.
Cheers!
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Lemongrass Vodka
June 9, 2012 by Alicia | 10 Comments
This is a very simple infusion… almost to simple to post. But I’m posting anyway, and there is a reason behind it.
A few days ago I participated in a twitter chat called #GartenderChat. What is Gartending, you might ask? Gardening + bartending = growing your own cocktails!
Wonderful, right?!? This was the brain child (please correct me if I’m wrong) of Jayme Jenkins of aHa! Modern Living and Nest in Style. The chat was hosted by Jayme and Nicky from Dirt and Martinis.
All that gardening/cocktail chat inspired me to make a garden-themed cocktail. I ended up making a spectacular drink with some herbs from my garden, plus this lemongrass infused vodka.
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Lemongrass Vodka
1 scant cup Sliced Lemongrass
1 1/2 c. Vodka
Let infuse for 2 weeks. Strain and filter.
This smells and tastes like a lovely lemongrass-infused vodka… exactly as you would expect. I happen to adore lemongrass, so I couldn’t wait to make this.
I promise to post the cocktail very soon. In the meantime, you should definitely start this infusion.
Cheers!
Related Posts:
Lemongrass-Sage Cocktail
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Lemongrass-Sage Cocktail
June 10, 2012 by Alicia | 10 Comments
Thank you Jayme and Nicky from #gartenderchat for inspiring me to make this drink. It was refreshing and best of all, the sage came straight from my garden.
For those of you who missed the last post, gartending = gardening + bartending = growing your own cocktails.
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Lemongrass-Sage Cocktail
2 oz. Lemongrass Vodka
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 TB Agave (or less to taste)
1 large sage leaf (plus more for garnish)
Place ice in a cocktail shaker, add one large sage leaf and muddle. Add remaining ingredients, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
If you haven’t yet made Lemongrass Vodka, you could start infusing now … (I’m waiting…) or if you are less patient, you could muddle some heavily into the cocktail shaker and add straight vodka.
The lemongrass vodka is so easy, fragrant, and versatile, I know that we will make more of it so that we can have more delicious cocktails… I hope you enjoy this one. We sure did.
Cheers!
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Chili Agave Liqueur
August 18, 2012 by Alicia | 22 Comments
It is hot out! I mean it is really HOT out! Right about now, chili peppers are ripening and finding their way into many dishes and meals… and let’s not forget… cocktails.
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I have received a number of questions about infusing hot peppers. And honestly, this is the only pepper infusion that I have done. It turned out really wonderful. It has great flavor, and also an underlying heat and depth of the peppers.
Feel free to use different peppers in this recipe. But beware not to use too many. That is a very common mistake of pepper infusions.
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Chili Agave Liqueur
1/2 c. agave
1/2 c. water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp black pepper corns
1 serrano pepper (fresh) – sliced in half
1 red or green jalapeno pepper (fresh) – sliced in half
5 dried chili peppers, stems removed, left whole
zest of 1 lemon (large strips if possible)
2 c. vodka
Combine all ingredients except the vodka in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool completely, about an hour. Strain the solids out of the syrup mixture, and pour the syrup into a quart jar or other glass container. Add the vodka to the canning jar, seal tightly. Shake to combine. Allow to infuse for 1 week.
After infusing for a week, strain well through a jelly bag and coffee filters.
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If you don’t want your infusion to turn out too spicy, you could remove the seeds from the chilis before simmering in the syrup, or cut back on the number of chilis. If this does turn out too hot for your taste, thin it out with a bit more vodka and agave.
Those of you who have been asking for some “sweet heat”, you will love this liqueur. We have been too greedy to share much of it with others, but my father said this one was his favorite in a recent taste test. He is a lover of all things hot and spicy, so if you are too… you better start infusing!
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Cheers!
Related Posts
Sweet Heat Cocktail
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Sweet Heat Cocktail
August 22, 2012 by Alicia | 12 Comments
You are going to love the Chili Agave Liqueur that we posted last week. And after you make it, you will need to make this…
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Sweet Heat Cocktail
3 oz Chili Agave Liqueur
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Lemon Twist
chili pepper to garnish (if desired)
Place Chili Agave Liqueur and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, pour into a chilled martini glass, add a lemon twist and garnish.
It is spicy, sweet and completely delicious.
Cheers!
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Coffee Bourbon
May 5, 2012 by Alicia | 30 Comments
Coffee… many of us can’t imagine a morning without it (I’m certainly one of them). And coffee liqueur… who doesn’t love a good White or Black Russian?
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We knew we wanted to do a coffee liqueur, but took some time trying to decide exactly how we would do it. A lot of coffee liqueur recipes call for vodka, lots of sugar, instant coffee or brewed coffee, etc. In general, we like to use less sugar in our recipes and wanted to incorporate a different booze. So, Coffee Bourbon seemed a natural choice!
Coffee Bourbon
1/4 c. Whole Coffee Beans, Smashed (preferably dark, espresso roast)
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 TB dark brown sugar (packed)
1 1/4 c. Bourbon
First we took the coffee beans and placed them in two plastic bags. We took a metal muddler and smashed the beans until they were gently crushed (see photo).
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Place all ingredients in a small canning jar, and set the jar in a dark, cool location. Every few days, shake the jar lightly.
Infuse for about 3 weeks, or until this reaches your desired taste.
Strain and filter through cheesecloth, jelly bag (if desired) and finally coffee filters.
This coffee liqueur is so rich and delicious. You can taste all the nuances of the bourbon, and the espresso roast coffee gives it such a good flavor.
We are also going to try this same recipe with brandy.
This is a “must try”! If you love coffee, you need to make this.
Enjoy!
Related Posts:
Coffee Bourbon Milkshake: Quite possibly the best milkshake you will ever have!
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A Tale of Two Rhubarbs… and some gin
May 30, 2012 by Alicia | 23 Comments
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I have a jealousy problem… I hate to admit it, but I’m often jealous of other people’s produce. Yes, you read that correctly. Produce.
So in the spring, when everyone was singing the praises of their beautiful pink rhubarb cocktails, rhubarb syrup, rhubarb jam… and oh yes, rhubarb liqueur… I sat around and sulked. Where was MY rhubarb? Still growing…
But wait, I had some rhubarb in the freezer from last year. But that posed another problem. It was rhubarb alright, but not the pretty pink stuff. It was the green with a hint of red stuff… not exactly the “glamorous” variety.
So let’s get this straight, I’m now jealous of the *color* of the rhubarb. Oh brother, right?
Well, I finally got over it and pulled the green rhubarb out of the freezer and started an infusion. And because of my insecurities about the color and variety, I spiced it up with some orange zest, orange liqueur, and brown sugar.
A few days later, I ventured up to my parents farm (my favorite source for organic produce). To my surprise, the beautiful red rhubarb was flourishing. So I came home with a bunch of it and started another infusion.
They are both delicious. I think so far most people prefer the Rhubarb-Orange, but they are both tasty, and will be perfect drinking alone and in cocktails.
Variety 1: Rhubarb-Orange Gin
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2 c. chopped Rhubarb (I used frozen, but fresh would be fine)
2 TB Orange Liqueur (triple sec, Cointreau, etc.)
Zest of One Orange
2 c. Gin
1/4 c. Packed Dark Brown Sugar
In a small saucepan, combine rhubarb and Orange Liqueur. Heat until it starts to simmer. Allow to simmer on low for about 2 minutes.
Set rhubarb aside and allow to cool. Once this has cooled, add all ingredients to a quart jar (or larger). Close the jar, shake, and place in a dark, cool location for about 4-5 weeks.
Strain with a mesh strainer, press through cheesecloth, then a jelly bag and finally coffee filters. Perfect!
Variety 2: Rhubarb Gin
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2 1/2 c. chopped fresh rhubarb
2 TB Sugar
2 1/2 c. Gin
3 TB Simple syrup (thick 2-1 sugar to water ratio) or more/less to taste
Toss rhubarb and sugar in a bowl and allow to macerate for at least an hour. (I followed the advice of Country Girl Brooklyn on this step) This brings out a lot of the beautiful pink juices from the rhubarb.
Place the macerated rhubarb and juices in a canning jar with the gin and allow to infuse for about a month.
Strain and filter with a mesh strainer, jelly bag if desired, and coffee filters. Once it is filtered, add simple syrup to your desired taste.
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While these were infusing, the Rhubarb-Orange definitely looked pretty undesirable. The red rhubarb almost immediately became such a beautiful pink. But now that they are filtered, I realize that I should not have judged a rhubarb by its color. I was discriminating. I’m sorry rhubarb. Please forgive me.
If you haven’t already made a rhubarb infusion this year, you should try this! I understand that some areas may not have fresh rhubarb any longer. But in my area we can usually keep harvesting through August. If it’s too late, then please try this next year. They are both very tangy and tasty.
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They actually both look quite beautiful now too, don’t they?
Cheers!
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Hibiscus Lemonade
July 9, 2012 by Alicia | 21 Comments
Who needs a Monday cocktail? It is (finally) a gorgeous, sunny summer day here in the Pacific Northwest. And a cool, refreshing drink sounded just perfect.
We’re bringing back a few infusions that we made a while back, but they are perfect for this summer beverage.
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Hibiscus Lemonade (serves 2)
2 oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 oz Hibiscus Brandy
2 oz Lemongrass Vodka
1 oz simple syrup (or to taste)
6 oz club soda
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a shaker, and stir well to combine. Divide among two tall glasses filled with ice, add club soda, stir and enjoy!
Cheers!
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Mint Bourbon and an amazing cocktail!
May 24, 2012 by Alicia | 9 Comments
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We started infusing a mint bourbon shortly before the Kentucky Derby. For those of you who are Mint Julep fans, you may have too!
For our Mint-Infused Bourbon, we used Chocolate Mint, instead of the typical Spearmint. We picked some mint, rinsed it (and allowed to dry), then packed it into a pint jar and covered with bourbon. Infuse until it reaches your desired taste.
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So, armed with mint-infused bourbon, we couldn’t help but want to try it in the Shady Porch Cocktail from A Taste of Morning. A Taste of Morning is written by Laurie, proprietor of the Morning Star B&B in Manhattan, Kansas. And by the looks of her posts, this would not be a place to miss if you are in the area.
Laurie’s Shady Porch Cocktail called for Mint-Infused Vodka, and we decided to test it out with our mint-infused bourbon instead. The drink was absolutely spectacular! I’m sure it is also fabulous with the original, vodka infusion.
Bourbon Shady Porch (adapted from A Taste of Morning)
1 1/2 oz. mint-infused Bourbon
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. mint simple syrup
4 oz. Ginger Ale
Garnish with lime zest and sprig of mint
Combine first 3 ingredients, and stir well to combine. Pour over ice, and add ginger ale. Garnish with lime and mint.
We used Spearmint for our mint simple syrup, but also enjoyed the chocolate-mint flavor in the bourbon infusion. The flavor seemed to be a bit more gentle than the spearmint.
Thank you again to Laurie from Morning Star B&B and A Taste of Morning. We will definitely make this cocktail again. It was really tasty, and will make for great summer gatherings.
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Green Heather Vodka Tonic
June 16, 2012 by Alicia | 2 Comments
I’ve mentioned this a few times before, but I happen to be a bit of a canning addict. So with everyone touting their delicious jam cocktails, I decided to try one of my own… with Green Tomato Jam!
We made this jam last fall, long after we had picked our green tomatoes. They sat on the kitchen counter for what seemed to be forever, and we finally decided to can them. At first I wasn’t sure what to think of the jam. And in fact we left it in the pantry for months. We finally brought it out a little while back and tested it with a delicious Parrano cheese and baguette. It was fabulous! And it was wonderful in this cocktail as well.
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Green Heather Vodka Tonic
2 oz Heather Flower Vodka
1/2 TB Green Tomato Jam
5 oz Tonic Water
Lemon Twist
Stir the Heather flower vodka and green tomato jam with ice, add tonic and garnish with a twist. Add more ice if needed.
This was very tasty and refreshing. The green tomato jam added a lovely tangy lemony sweet flavor, and the heather flowers paired nicely.
I think this is a great cocktail to drink during next week’s #GartenderChat! If you haven’t checked it out yet, the next one is Thursday, June 21 at 6:00 pm Pacific time.
Cheers!
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Rose Hip Vodka
June 28, 2012 by Alicia | 19 Comments
Wow! Time flies, doesn’t it?! This week is a blur. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure ready for the weekend…
Several months ago, I found a recipe for a Rosehip Tipple from Wildcraft Vita. If you are not familiar with this blog, you should check it out. In addition to some amazing ideas for infusions, there are many other inspirations for flowers, herbs and foraging.
Back to the rose hips… I don’t happen to have any roses of my own. I have some friends with lots of lovely rose bushes, and have already laid claim to their rose hips. But the rose hips have not formed yet. And I’ve really been wanting to make a rose hip infusion.
As it turns out, I was able to find some dried rose hips. And the infusion could not have been easier.
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Rose Hip Vodka
2 TB Dried Rose Hips
1 c. Vodka
Infuse for approximately one week. Strain.
This infusion is very nice. The flavor has hints of citrus, floral, and a bit like fruit leather. If you enjoy rose hip tea, you will like this. And the cocktails are fabulous.
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The infusion will end up looking quite a bit like tea… and tastes good with tea as well. I started out with a small batch of this to test it out, but will definitely make more.
Cheers!
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Heather Flower Vodka
June 14, 2012 by Alicia | 2 Comments
We like to try lots of new flavors over here at Boozed + Infused. When out shopping for groceries, I often scour the shelves looking for ideas of things to infuse. I go to certain stores looking specifically for interesting flavors. One of my favorite stores to find different ingredients is the local Home Brewing supply store. You may be surprised to find that there are a lot of home brew stores out there, and many of them sell online.
At a recent trip to the Homebrew Exchange, I picked up bunch of fun bottles, ingredients, and some inspiration! One of these ingredients was dried heather flowers.
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While I didn’t really know what heather flowers would taste like, I was excited to try a new infusion.
Heather Flower Vodka
2 TB Dried Heather flowers
1 c. Vodka
Infuse for about 7-9 days, strain and filter. Enjoy in cocktails!
The result is a lovely golden color. The flavor is only slightly floral. It has a nice taste to it, but is hard to describe. I can tell you that it makes a great cocktail… recipes will be forthcoming. In the meantime, try a heather flower infusion, or better yet let us know about something new and interesting that you have infused.
Cheers!
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Chive Blossoms in Booze or Vinegar?
June 23, 2012 by Alicia | 10 Comments
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As a canning addict, I have been a fan of Food in Jars for quite a while. So after seeing Marisa’s post last year on Chive Blossom Vinegar, I had been longing to infuse some chive blossoms of my own.
As much as I wanted to try the Chive Blossom Vinegar, we do have certain priorities here at Boozed + Infused. So when my chive blossoms finally started opening up, the first ones went into a booze infusion. There would be plenty more blossoms for vinegar later.
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I was going for something reminiscent of a Gibson with this infusion.
Chive Blossom Martini Infusion
1 c. chive blossoms (about 12 blossoms)
1 c. gin
1/3 c. extra dry vermouth
Following Marisa’s instructions for the vinegar infusion, I soaked the blossoms in water to help remove any sediment or insects. Remove from water, toss in towels, and allow to dry. Add chive blossoms, gin and vermouth to a pint jar. Infuse for a few hours, a few days, or up to a week depending on how strong you want the flavor. Strain and filter the infusion.
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I infused this for 6 days, and this has a very strong onion flavor. I have made a few cocktails with it, but so far the jury is still out on this infusion. It is not for the faint of heart.
I think my favorite cocktail with the chive blossom infusion so far is a variation on a Bloody Mary.
I now have a jar of white wine vinegar infused with chive blossoms, and another jar of distilled white vinegar infused as well. It was very interesting how much more vibrant the vinegar is than the gin/vermouth infusion. The booze infusion is the one that is just faintly pink. For the vinegar infusions, I left the blossoms in for about three weeks.
Be sure to check out Food in Jars for lots of great ideas on canning and all manner of foods in jars. I recently purchased the Food in Jars cookbook and can’t put it down!
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Kiwi Vodka Tonic
June 21, 2012 by Alicia | 8 Comments
Several months ago we made a kiwi liqueur. And with warmer weather (finally) upon us, we used this tasty, fruity liqueur to make a simple Kiwi Vodka Tonic.
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Kiwi Vodka Tonic
2 oz Kiwi Liqueur
4 oz Tonic
Pour over ice, enjoy!
For summer parties and cookouts, fruit liqueur and tonic make for easy entertaining. The fruit gins (blueberry, raspberry-mint, tamarind-orange,) as well as the vodkas (cranberry-orange, raspberry, pineapple, mango) can quickly be turned into fun and festive summer drinks.
Cheers!
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Update: Strawberry Booze Infusion, Day 17
June 19, 2012 by Alicia | 23 Comments
I didn’t forget about the strawberries, I promise! I took a little mini-vacation, hiking and beer-tasting my way through Central Oregon. (Both were amazing!) Now I’m back and have just sampled the gorgeous red strawberry infusion.
Our last post on the Strawberry Booze infusion was at Day 5, and it still had a fairly weak flavor.
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At Day 17, the strawberry flavor is starting to get a bit stronger as is the color. I am hoping that the flavors will continue to enhance with more time, so I am still waiting… (fairly) patiently.
One thing that I did notice after looking back at the photos from Day 5, is that the strawberries have now sunk to the bottom of the jar. I’m no chemist, so I don’t really know what that means. I’m guessing there is more rum in the berries, and more of the fruit sugars in the rum at this point.
So, with the first day of summer almost upon us, we are not quite ready for those strawberry mojitos over here at Boozed + Infused. Maybe by the 4th of July? That would be quite festive! We can hope…
Cheers!
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Cocoa Nib Brandy, and the battle of the booze
June 12, 2012 by Alicia | 15 Comments
Remember a few months ago when we made a Chocolate Bourbon? Well, it was fabulous! But some people tell me that they don’t like bourbon. And since one of them is my mother, and she happens to be a chocolate lover, I decided to test out a Chocolate Brandy.
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The recipe we made was nearly identical to the Chocolate Bourbon.
Chocolate Brandy
2 c. Brandy
1/2 c. Cocoa Nibs
2-inch piece of vanilla bean, split
(if desired, add simple syrup)
Infuse for 4-5 weeks. Strain through cheesecloth or jelly bag, and coffee filters. We did not add any simple syrup. I think it would be delicious with it, but we wanted to be able to use this in cocktails, and thought it would be more versatile this way.
If you have trouble locating Cocoa Nibs, please reference the post on Chocolate Bourbon.
Bourbon v. Brandy… what’s your pick?
I have written before that I have a much improved appreciation for bourbon now that I infuse with it. There had long been a few bourbon cocktails that I really enjoyed, but it was never at the top of my list. But when infusing, bourbon is often my favorite spirit to use. It brings so much flavor and nuance to the end result.
We did a Prune liqueur show down a few months ago where we taste tested Prune Brandy v. Prune Bourbon, and although they were both delicious, the bourbon was the clear winner.
In the case of Chocolate Brandy v. Chocolate Bourbon… I declare the winner to be… Brandy!
I’m sorry bourbon lovers. Both of these are really amazing, and I would encourage ALL of you to start infusing with Cocoa Nibs. As much as I really enjoyed the Chocolate Bourbon, the Chocolate flavor shines through better in the brandy.
But, that is just my humble opinion… have any of you infused with Cocoa Nibs? How about a Chocolate Vodka? I think it would be delicious!
Cheers!
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Cantaloupe Vodka
September 9, 2012 by Alicia | 7 Comments
Summers are busy! While there is so much to infuse, there are so many great things to do in the sun. So these past few weeks have slipped by, and for the last seven days I was hiking and camping around remote Southeastern Oregon along with herds of pronghorn, coyotes, lizards, and little else.
Now that I’m back into civilization, it is time to post something that I infused back in the chaos of summer.
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Cantaloupe Vodka
1 1/2 c. Chopped Cantaloupe
1 1/2 c. Vodka
2 TB Simple Syrup (or more to taste)
Place cantaloupe and vodka in a glass jar and seal. Shake and allow to infuse for 2-3 weeks. Add Simple Syrup and let it sit for another 2-3 weeks for the flavors to mellow.
That’s it! Cheers!
This infusion is very easy, and could probably be done with a lot of different varieties of melon. Depending on the sweetness of the melon, you may not need to add additional sweeteners.
Related Post:
Love Cocktail: Cantaloupe Vodka, Honey, Lime
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Strawberry Mojitos!
July 4, 2012 by Alicia | 14 Comments
Happy 4th of July!
If you’ve been following along, you know that we started a Strawberry Rum infusion about a month ago. The strawberry flavor is now quite nice. And while I’m not quite ready to strain and filter the entire infusion, we can easily pour off some of the liquor to use in cocktails.
And to kick-start our holiday celebrating, we decided to test out some strawberry mojitos on July 3rd.
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Strawberry Mojito (adapted from Allrecipes)
(makes one drink)
10 mint leaves
1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
1/2 to 1 TB white sugar (or to taste)
2 oz Strawberry-Infused Rum
4 oz. club soda
ice
Muddle mint with 1-2 ice cubes in a sturdy glass. Add sugar. Squeeze 3 of the lime wedges into the glass, add the rind and muddle well. Fill glass with ice, add Strawberry-Infused Rum and club soda. Stir, and garnish with final lime wedge, and if desired more mint or fresh strawberries.
This drink turned out just as good as I had hoped. We loved them so much, we quickly had another! I have a feeling this Strawberry Booze will not last long…
If you are hoping to make these for your holiday festivities, you could muddle a few fresh strawberries into the glass, and just use regular rum.
What a perfect holiday refreshment.
Have a fun and safe holiday – Cheers!
Related Posts
Starting a Strawberry Booze Infusion
Update: Strawberry Booze Infusion, Day 5
Update: Strawberry Booze Infusion, Day 17
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Blueberry Gin
May 6, 2012 by Alicia | 15 Comments
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Today I hosted a small get together for a few Portland area bloggers. It was a bit of a leap of faith for all of us as we had never met, and they came over to my home. Luckily, we are all still alive to tell the tale. And fortunately I believe a good time was had by all. A few fun cocktails were flowing, and eventually we got out a stack of spoons for everyone to start taste-testing (I think they may have tasted a few dozen…)
So, a big thank you to Evelyn from Momsicle, Poppy from Funny or Snot, and Krista from Mostly Mommyhood.
Eventually, I will post about our cocktails (and they might too…) so stay tuned. In the meantime, I wanted to share the infusion that was the base of our featured cocktail from today’s gathering.
Blueberry Gin
2 c. Gin
2 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 c. sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 whole cloves
1/2 inch piece of a cinnamon stick
Place the frozen blueberries in a small saucepan. Crush them lightly (I used a pastry cutter). Lightly cook them on low for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. This amounted to about 1 cup of a gelatinous blueberry goop.
After the blueberries are cool, place all ingredients in a quart jar (or larger). Shake and allow to infuse for at least 4 weeks, stirring or shaking occasionally.When it has reached your desired taste, Strain and Filter through a colander, cheesecloth, jelly bag, and coffee filter.
I got some of the inspiration for this liqueur from Post Prohibition. He recommends using frozen berries because of the organic breakdown of frozen fruit (or something like that… I was willing to give it a try) and also lightly cooking the berries.
The flavor came out great. I really love blueberry pie, so the intent was to include a few spices that you might find in a blueberry pie.
It is delicious! I have not yet tried making a blueberry liqueur with fresh berries, but have had a few blueberry infusions that tasted quite weak. I wanted to make sure we didn’t fall into that trap. The result was great.
Cheers!
Related Posts:
The Blueberry Pieball: Our new favorite highball
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Raspberry Infusions: a little splash of heaven
July 1, 2012 by Alicia | 28 Comments
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The first liqueur I ever made was Raspberry. I guess I should say the first four liqueurs I made were all Raspberry!
A few years ago, I went to my parents’ farm to pick some raspberries for jam. I came home with a LOT of berries. I made a few batches of jam, and it seemed like I had not even made a dent in the volume of raspberries. So I started going through my liquor cabinet, selecting anything that seemed like it would taste good with the berries.
I ended up with Raspberry Vodka, Raspberry Brandy, Raspberry Cachaça and Raspberry-Mint Gin. I left all of the infusions in the back of our coat closet for three months. And by the time we filtered them, they were heavenly. (Follow recipe for Simple Raspberry Liqueur below) Each year, the volume of Raspberry Liqueur in my pantry seems to grow.
As I started to infuse a wider variety of ingredients, the Raspberry liqueurs have remained some of my favorites.
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I spent a good part of the day yesterday picking raspberries with my mother. (And I’ve got the scratches all over my arms to prove it!)
I ended up with about four pounds of amazing, sweet, delicious raspberries. If you have never infused raspberries before, you are really missing out. These wonderful liqueurs really are a little splash of heaven.
Simple Raspberry Liqueur
750 ml bottle of 80 proof booze (vodka, gin, rum, brandy, or cachaça)
3 1/2 c. raspberries
1/4 to 1/2 c. sugar (or more depending on your preference)
Combine all ingredients in a large glass jar. Shake or stir every few days, allowing to infuse for up to 3 months, or until it reaches your desired taste. Add more sugar if desired. Strain and filter well. The straining process can take a while with raspberries, but the jelly bag (or lots of cheesecloth) and coffee filters will produce a clear result.
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Raspberry-Mint Gin (adapted from Get Fresh)
750 ml bottle of Gin
1 1/3 lb Raspberries
1/2 c. tightly packed mint leaves
1/2 c. sugar
Follow directions above, same as Simple Raspberry Liqueur.
This is a favorite of ours, and tastes amazing in a gin and tonic.
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This year I decided to try out some new variations and flavors. I don’t quite know how they will turn out yet… I guess we’ll have to wait a while before we know. I hope these inspire you to get creative with your raspberry infusions as well.
Raspberry-Lemon Vodka
2 c. Raspberries
Zest of 2 lemons
2 c. Vodka
1/4 c. Sugar
Follow directions above, same as Simple Raspberry Liqueur.
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ROB Rum (Raspberry-Orange-Blueberry)
1 c. Frozen Blueberries (cut in half or roughly chopped)
1 1/4 c. Raspberries
Zest of one orange
2 c. Rum
2 TB Sugar
Follow directions above, same as Simple Raspberry Liqueur.
After these have infused for a while, we may alter them with more sugar or simple syrup. We also may add more zest if necessary.
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And finally, one last treat…
Chocolate-Raspberry Liqueur
1 1/2 c. Raspberries
1/4 c. cocoa nibs
1/4 c. sugar
2 c. vodka
Follow directions above, same as Simple Raspberry Liqueur.
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We will let you know how these new flavors turn out… but it may be a while before they are ready. We will try tasting them before the three months are up to see if they infuse quicker than we think. But I think they will need at least a month.
Do you have any raspberry infusion flavor ideas? What are your favorites?
Cheers!
Related Posts
Raspberry Caipirinha
Raspberry Bliss
Update 7/12/12 Happy National Can It Forward Day! Visit great canning ideas at The Domestically Impaired Guide to Retro Kitchen Arts.
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Maple Mushroom Martini
September 24, 2012 by Alicia | 9 Comments
Many months ago, we posted a Mushroom Vodka infusion. For the most part, that infusion has been sitting in a mason jar doing nothing… until now.
A handful of readers gave some great cocktail suggestions, and a simple drink with orange bitters sounded great.
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Maple Mushroom Martini
2 oz. Mushroom Infused Vodka
3/4 tsp maple syrup
5-6 dashes Orange Bitters
1/2 TB fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 dash aromatic bitters
Mix all of the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
This drink has the flavor of the mushroom, with a touch of sweetness from the maple, balanced with the tart lemon juice and bitters. In all, I think this was pretty delicious! I wouldn’t mind having another…
Cheers!
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Fresh Cherry Bourbon
September 29, 2012 by Alicia | 24 Comments
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I love cherries! Last winter, since cherries were not in season, we made a Cherry Bourbon with dried cherries. The dried cherries we used were tart cherries that had been sweetened with sugar.
Typically, every summer I preserve cherries for cocktails; brandied cherries, amaretto cherries, spiced brandied cherries, creme de cacao cherries, and much more. In truth, many of these end up on ice-cream, but making a good brandied cherry was the inspiration behind my canning addiction.
Last year, we went a bit overboard, picking 24 pounds of cherries. In addition to our usual boozy cherries, we made a steeped cherry bounce, cherry brandy, cherry jam, and chutney. This year we needed a little break from canning cherries. We still have a few jars from last year to keep our cocktails garnished for a while.
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This year, I took the easy route. I picked up a bag of mixed sweet cherries at the farmers market and made only a simple, fresh cherry bourbon.
Fresh Cherry Bourbon
2 heaping cups of fresh cherries
2 c. Bourbon
Score each cherry with a knife, piercing through the flesh. No need to pit them.
Combine the scored cherries and bourbon in a quart jar, and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks, or until it reaches your desired taste. We infused ours for 2 months and it tastes great. At this point you could strain the infusion, or simply use the cherries in cocktails as you use up the bourbon. (These cherries will be much boozier than our typical brandied cherries which use a simple syrup with liquor added, but will be much better than a lot of the cherries you get at the store.)
This fresh cherry bourbon has a much fresher, cleaner, and light taste than the dried cherry bourbon that we made last winter. I think I actually prefer the dried cherries, but both are delicious and will work well for different cocktails.
How do you prefer your cherry bourbon?
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Fresh Cherry Bourbon after infusing for two months
Cheers!
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Boozy Cherries from 2011
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