Infuse Your Booze

As Kate mentioned earlier this week, sometimes, in a last ditch attempt to find the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy people on our lists, we end up in the LCBO. While she directed you to wine for almost anyone on your list, I’m here to bring you an alternative in case you’re shopping for someone who prefers spirits.

Infused alcohol has been all the rage over the past year or so. I actually dabbled with it last October, when looking to shake up a special Halloween cocktail. And boy, did it surpass my expectations. More recently, while attending my book club’s sleepover, infused alcohol popped up more than once. Not only did one of the girls in the club bring it to mix cocktails that evening, but another incorporated it into her gift for the gift exchange. It was then that I realized I needed to jump back on the infused booze bandwagon and give the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas.

Cranberry-Lime Infused Vodka
*special thanks to @echezick for the recipe!

What You’ll Need:
1 bag of fresh cranberries
2-3 Limes
12-16 oz. vodka
Air-tight jar/bottle

Directions:
1. Poke a hole in each cranberry.
2. Peel the rinds off limes.
3. Alternate between filling jar with cranberries and lime rinds until full.
4. Add one tablespoon of sugar to fruit mixture.
5. Pour vodka into jar. Seal and shake well.
6. Let stand  for 3-5 days prior to consuming. Shake 2-3 times daily.

Cranberry, Mint & Cucumber Infused Gin

What You’ll Need:
1-2 Cucumbers, peeled
Mint Leaves
Handfull of Cranberries
12-16 oz. gin
Air-tight jar/bottle

Directions:
1. Poke a hole in the cranberries.
2. Peel and cut up cucumber into slices. (I halved each slice as well.)
3. Tear Mint Leaves off stems and into smaller pieces.
4. Alternate between filling jar with cucumber and Mint. Add cranberries sporadically.
5. Add one tablespoon of sugar to mixture.
6. Pour gin into jar. Seal and shake well.
7. Let stand 3-5 days prior to consuming. Shake 2-3 times daily.
8. Strain cucumbers when desired potency is reached.

Looking for some cocktail recipes to mix up with these infused spirits? Try a Crantini and/or Cucumber Collins. Yum!

Quick Tip: These are the jars I used. I would have preferred a bottle with stopper like this, but unfortunately they were out of stock. But, any air-tight jar will do!