Fall is the perfect season to create spicy, sweet, and savory vodka infusions. Imbuing your favorite vodka with autumnal fruits, herbs, and other flavors of the season is not only ideal for holiday entertaining and creating fun holiday gifts, but also for keeping you warm and cozy with a delightfully flavored vodka mixer on those chilly fall days. Today, the folks at Belle Premium American Vodka in Virginia will share some simple ways to create autumn-inspired vodka infusions that you’ll love! While our vodka is a smooth and balanced spirit that stands out in flavor and texture on its own, or when mixed into a vodka cocktail, adding your favorite infusions to our vodka is a great way to put your own twist on our vodka. Please read on to learn more!
Three Fall-Inspired Vodka Infusions You’ll Love
What You’ll Need:
- Three to four cups of Belle Premium American Vodka
- Infusion add-ins (mix and match, pick your favorite flavors, and try some you’ve never tasted before)
- Quart-sized mason jar with an airtight lid
- Mesh strainer to separate your infusions
- Funnel for less mess when transferring infused vodka to the bottle
Prepare Ingredients
A good rule of thumb is to use about two or three cups of your chosen infusion for each three to four cups of vodka. To prepare your infusion, chop fruits or vegetables into small bite-size chunks. When using additional ingredients such as cloves, it’s best to poke the cloves into the fruit or veggie. Other ingredients such as cinnamon sticks can be added in as is. Here are some of our favorite fall-inspired vodka infusions that are perfect for any occasion.
Ginger and Honey Infusion
Ginger and honey make a wonderfully spicy and sweet duo, especially when combined as a vodka infusion. Ginger vodka makes for a delightful mix to create a spicy martini or comforting, warm fall cocktail when added to hot herbal tea or hot apple cider. Simply slice or shave fresh ginger root for your infusion that you can gently crush once placed inside your jar, adding a teaspoon of honey for a tad of sweetness. Pour your vodka over the infusion, seal tightly, and store for infusion.
Cranberry and Lime
Cranberries are a standard fall and winter berry that pair perfectly with vodka. To get the most flavor from these red gems, Ocean Spray® recommends poking holes through the cranberries before pouring them into your infusion jar. Next, peel the rind off of one to two limes, slice, and place in your jar. If you want to add a little sweetness, mix in two tablespoons of white or brown sugar. Add Belle vodka, seal, and store.
Apple and Cinnamon
Nothing says autumn quite like the taste and aroma of apples and cinnamon. This vodka infusion is ideal for creating crisp and sweet dessert martinis. It is also great for creating holiday vodka cocktails using either soda, cider (the alcoholic kind), or peach juice. Chop a mixture of red and green apples (we recommend Honeycrisp or Jazz apples combined with Granny Smith apples) and add to your infusion jar. Then, add in two to four cinnamon sticks (depending on your desired flavor). Add cloves to the apples for an even spicier apple vodka.
Strain and Store
Once infused, store your vodka in a dark place, such as a cabinet or pantry, for approximately five to seven days for best flavor. You can also store in the refrigerator, however, it is not necessary. Shake the jar every so often to circulate the ingredients. You can taste the mixture on day three or four to see how the infusion has progressed, which can help you determine how many more days it needs to infuse. Once the infusion is ready, strain the ingredients and pour your freshly infused vodka either back into the original vodka bottle, smaller decorative liquor bottles, or even a thoroughly cleaned wine bottle. Enjoy your infused vodka in your favorite martini, cocktail, or straight!
At Belle Premium American Vodka, we think our spirit is perfect the way it is. But if you like flavored vodka, Belle is an excellent, realistically priced top-shelf vodka ideal for infusing. Whether you prefer to enjoy Belle Vodka as is, or with an infused flavor of your choosing, please do so responsibly!
Visit Belle Vodka to learn more about our American-made, American-proud vodka, born and bred in the heart of Virginia.