Homemade Vodka Infusions

So, I'm back in California. Living with my mother. Unemployed. You all know what that means: time to booze. But let's try to keep it classy, y'all. Time to try out some (hopefully delicious) vodka infusions.

This whole idea started a few weeks ago when I bought a promo on GiltCity.com for Public in NYC. $30 for three vodka infusions and three fruit liqueurs? Sold. The vodkas were pineapple pinkpeppercorn, mango yuzu jalapeno, and fig fennel. Pineapple pinkpeppercorn was the clear favorite. For the fruit liqueurs, grapefruit, lemon vanilla, and banana clove. The banana clove tasted like bananas foster. Shitty drunken camera phone photo documentation below:

Isn't the butcher block super cute for the fruit liqueurs?

We stole the pencils. Should've taken the clipboard, though.

Needless to say, upon my arrival at home recreating this experience was priority #1. I headed over to BevMo with Wooks, who proceeded to poop in the vodka aisle, and picked up a huge bottle of Svekda vodka for less than $20. I also bought a bottle of whipped cream vodka because... you know... necessary.

First step, fill glass mason jars with desired fruit, herbs, etc, and top with vodka. I chose to do four flavors: banana clove, pineapple pinkpeppercorn, strawberry basil white balsamic, and grapefruit rosemary. I just eyeballed the recipes. For banana clove I used dried banana chips, and for the strawberry basil white balsamic I added a bit of sugar to help draw out the flavor from the strawberries.

Photos immediately after filling the jars:

From left to right: strawberry basil white balsamic, banana clove, grapefruit rosemary, and pineapple pinkpeppercorn.

In a few days they look like this:

See how the colors have deepened? And the strawberries have started to turn white as the color drained into the vodka.

Finally, after about a week, I drained each into bottles I bought at The Container Store:

The pink peppercorns look like little alien beads.

This really isn't that appetizing. Sorry.

Finally!

Ta-da! 

Okay, so my measuring could have been a bit more exact so I could fill each of the bottles up properly, but I'm going to drink it anyway. Who really cares? Ideally, I'd like to get some coffee filters to strain the banana clove a bit more thoroughly. See the thin film of fat at the top? Not so tasty-looking. Otherwise, YES!

I'm looking forward to trying this with other flavors. I want to do a peach - OH! or maybe a peach cranberry for Sex on the Beaches! And I think an espresso vodka would be really fun. Now I just need to figure out how to make "Rootbeer Cream."

Here's to being drunk in style! Cheers!