When I first started doing infusions, a banana liqueur wasn’t really at the top of my list. It simply didn’t appeal to me. But the longer I do this, I hear more and more people talking about banana liqueurs they have had and how tasty they are. At some point, I would like to do a banana rum. But since I have more experience infusing bourbon, and I really think of bourbon as a fool-proof spirit base for infusions (ok, I’m sure someone will tell me otherwise). So, with a small leap of faith, we embarked on banana bourbon.
This is really easy and delicious.
We let the bananas get really ripe and tasty…
They may not look pretty, but they were perfect.
We took these two perfectly ripe bananas, added two cups of bourbon, and infused for just over two weeks. I guess two was the magic number because this is another keeper. It tastes like sweet bananas and a mellow bourbon. I think this will make for some great cocktails, but it is also great on its own.
Be sure to filter, then strain through cheesecloth and coffee filters.
Cheers!
June 5, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Fascinating! Does the bourbon pick up much sweetness from the bananas, or is it mostly just banana flavored?
June 5, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Hi Tanya, I think this is a nice balance of banana and bourbon flavor. I think both are mellowed, but both are still there. It’s quite tasty
June 5, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Love love this infusion..very tropically!
June 5, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Thanks! Maybe we should add the banana rum to our tropics in the winter series… For next winter of course
June 6, 2012 at 6:46 am
Bingo! I have a rather large quantity of Buffalo Trace left in my liquor cabinet that is taking up way too much room (it’s a 1.5L bottle that I was given for Christmas a couple years ago). I’ve already tried making a Bourbon Cream Liqueur which was kind of so so . Banana Bourbon sounds like my next experiment! Thanks for the great idea.
Cheers!
G-LO
June 6, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Awesome! I hope you like it. I thought it was quite good. If you’re looking for any other bourbon infusions (they all really do so well), some of my favorites were the coffee bourbon and the cherry bourbon. cheers!
June 6, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Thanks Alicia! I’ll let you know how it all goes.
June 6, 2012 at 11:15 am
This is making me think bananas foster–does it actually taste that way? Or maybe this would be the perfect liqueur in which to actually flame bananas before pouring the whole shebang over some crepes…
June 6, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Yum! I hadn’t thought of it, but I guess it does sort of taste that way, although I’d say bananas foster would be much more rich. I saved the bananas and put them in the freezer to add to pancakes or banana bread or something.
June 6, 2012 at 7:10 pm
i think we all have our “safe booze” ~ yours sounds like bourbon and mine is brandy ~ i guess it’s always good to go out of our comfort zone but hey if it ain’t broke…
but rum sounds realllly good with bananas!
June 6, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Well, if there is one thing I have learned from infusing is that the flavors can surprise you. My four basics that I use for most of my infusions are vodka, gin, brandy, and bourbon. Before I started infusing, I would have told you that bourbon was my least favorite of those four. And now, I would say it has gone up significantly, and for infusions it is probably my favorite. It is really easy to infuse with, but so is brandy. They both have so much natural sweetness that you often don’t need to add any sugar.
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June 22, 2012 at 9:05 pm
This sounds amazing. What bourbon did you use? I assume not top-of-the-line, but also not the bottom.
June 22, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Thanks, and you are correct on the bourbon. I think Jim Beam works great for infusions.
June 29, 2012 at 7:21 pm
After some soul searching I decided to buy a pint of Wild Turkey 101 to try infusing with bananas. I think the the salty dark sweet & aggressive oak and touch of spice will hold up well to banana sweetness. I was tempted to go with sweet and soft Evan Williams Black but felt that might err on the side of sweet and flabby. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
June 29, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Perfect! I made my first banana bourbon cocktail this evening. It was good but not too noteworthy. (chocolate bourbon, banana bourbon, marshmallow brandy) I will keep trying. Don’t let this stop you. The banana infusion is great on its own.
July 3, 2012 at 11:14 pm
I see The Coop has made his way here! Excellent!
As far as the Banana Bourbon goes, I have so far only had it on its own over ice. Quite nice! As I said on Instagram and Twitter over the past two weeks, this was a really nice way to finish off that jug of Buffalo Trace that was taking up way too much space in my liquor cabinet. Happy to see that people are really into this. All good fun!
Happy Fourth of July!
July 4, 2012 at 10:05 am
Thanks G-LO, I also think the banana bourbon is good on its own. I will try another cocktail or two, but I’ve been busy with raspberry and strawberry infusions lately – sorry!
For another summer inspiration, peach bourbon is very nice. I made a white peach bourbon last summer and it was delicious.
November 1, 2012 at 6:50 am
This is my first attempt with infusion….making not drinking!! I am making this for a christmas gift and would love some sort of recipe to put on the bottle, either drink or eats. Also is that marshmallow brandy something you made? Thanks. Look forward to trying many more of your recipes.
November 4, 2012 at 9:47 am
Hi Debby, I’m very excited for you to be experimenting with your first infusion. I’m sorry I have not posted any banana bourbon cocktails yet! I will have to do that soon… Until then, here are a few from a blog Measure & Stir. They have a lot of great cocktail ideas!
http://measureandstir.com/2012/09/24/banana-julep/
http://measureandstir.com/2012/10/02/banana-split-chocolate-banana-lemon-2/
Yes, I did make a marshmallow brandy. I have not yet posted it yet. There are lots of marshmallow vodka ideas online, but I made mine with vegan marshmallows, so they didn’t quite dissolve like I think the regular ones might. You can try just throwing some marshmallows in brandy and let them sit for a few weeks and see if they dissolve.
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October 3, 2012 at 7:47 am
I just read a new posting from another blog I follow here on WordPress: MEASURE & STIR. He just wrote “Banana Split: Chocolate, Banana, Lemon” using banana-infused whiskey. Just thought you’d want to know (if you don’t already).
October 10, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Hey, thanks for the tip! I do read Measure and Stir, but managed to miss the Banana Split cocktail. Sound great! (and I still have some banana bourbon…)
October 21, 2012 at 7:30 pm
What a great idea! Love your site here!
October 21, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Thanks Shelly! So glad you have found us!
October 21, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Hi. I have done some infusions before—lemons, blueberries, cranberries, to name a few. But I need a source for some nice, but simple bottles to put it in. I like the one here on the banana bourbon—where do you get those?
October 21, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Hi Kim, the bottle that I used for the banana bourbon came from my local homebrew store, which is wonderful! They do sell online, although I’m not sure if they sell the bottles online: Homebrew Exchange http://homebrewexchange.net/
My favorite online bottle source is: Specialty Bottle http://www.specialtybottle.com/?gclid=COP37cnWk7MCFeGDQgodRGoATA
If there are any local stores specializing in canning supplies, they often carry wonderful bottles as well. I have another favorite local bottle source, but I don’t think they sell online: Mirador http://www.miradorcommunitystore.com/
October 21, 2012 at 8:08 pm
What about using tequila to infuse? What would be good to put in it?
October 21, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Hi Sandra, there are lots of great things to infuse in tequila. I think strawberry, mango or pineapple sound great. How about cucumber and lime? Or maybe jalapeno? If you are infusing hot peppers, be sure to use them sparingly and for only a short infusion time. I don’t drink much tequila, but we had a guest post for Hatch Chili Tequila: http://boozedandinfused.com/2012/09/20/hatch-chili-infused-tequila/
October 21, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Where do you get your amazing bottles with the plastic capped corks?
October 21, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Hi Michelle,
The bottle I used for the Banana Bourbon came from my local homebrew store, which is wonderful! They do sell online, although I’m not sure if they sell the bottles online: Homebrew Exchange http://homebrewexchange.net/
The plastic-capped corks are sold separately and fit on wine bottles, etc.
My favorite online bottle source is: Specialty Bottle http://www.specialtybottle.com/?gclid=COP37cnWk7MCFeGDQgodRGoATA
If there are any local stores specializing in canning supplies, they often carry wonderful bottles as well. I have another favorite local bottle source, but I don’t think they sell online: Mirador http://www.miradorcommunitystore.com/
Hopefully one of these will have what you’re looking for, and hope you find a good store near you!
October 22, 2012 at 5:24 am
I do not drink alcohol because of a medical condition….but when I saw a link to this on facebook I was so excited because this is right up my husband’s alley….and then when I have girlfriends over they can try out his handi work….so I can’t wait for him to get started and I am sure i will at least have to have a sip to try it…:) Thank you for this site it seems great…
October 22, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Jennifer, thanks for finding us! I hope your husband and your friends enjoy! This one was really easy, a good one to start with.
October 22, 2012 at 8:08 am
I have had peach flavored tequila before. Hmmm, maybe I could infuse the tequila with a couple of peaches. I don’t really care for tequila very much, but I loved the peach tequila. It was so smooth!
October 22, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Hi Roxy, I think infusing a liquor really does allow it to take on a very different flavor. So if you have tequila and you aren’t drinking it, I definitely think you should infuse it. I have made a peach bourbon and peach brandy, and they both turned out great. peach tequila sounds fun!
October 23, 2012 at 8:44 am
Thanks Alicia! I didn’t realize flavoring liquors could be so easy.
November 6, 2012 at 8:29 pm
We had an over ripe banana, a new ball pint jar, and a bottle of Jim Beam so we’re giving this one a try. We’re halving the recipe since we only have a pint jar and 1 banana. We’ll see how it goes.
November 9, 2012 at 7:30 am
Perfect, let me know what you think!
January 11, 2013 at 2:01 pm
I ended up using my banana bourbon in a lovely whiskey old fashioned that makes use of the flavors well. I recently blogged it and linked to this post. FYI – it’s http://www.cooperedtot.com/2013/01/boozeandinfused-blog-banana-infused.html
January 20, 2013 at 8:41 am
Great cocktail recipe!!! Cheers~
March 8, 2013 at 5:47 pm
I would love to hear your peach bourbon infusion
March 20, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Hi Jim, the peach bourbon is an easy one… Take about 2-3 very ripe, juicy peaches, and 750 ml of bourbon. Pour all together in a large 1/2 gallon jar. Infuse for 4-5 weeks. Strain and enjoy. If the peaches are large you agony need 2.