Boozed + Infused

Infusing liqueurs at home with inspiring and seasonal ingredients


by 13 Comments

Maple Mushroom Martini

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.

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!


by 21 Comments

Hatch Chili Infused Tequila

Editor’s Note: This is our first Guest Post! I regret to admit, but I am not a lover of tequila. So Lauren from Gourmet Veggie Mama graciously offered to help us out with a Hatch Chili Tequila infusion. While I’m drowning in berry brambles in the Northwest, Lauren is in Texas, sweating it out with lovely Hatch Chilis.

Thank you Lauren for writing this great post and coming up with this lovely drink.

I love Hatch chiles. In case you’re not in the know, they are an amazingly flavorful variety of New Mexico green chiles that come into season from late August through mid-September each year. Once roasted and peeled, they are perfect for making an enchilada sauce, adding to a quesadilla, making a salsa, spicing up your scrambled eggs or a frittata… or infusing some tequila.

That’s right, folks. After sampling a cocktail made with green chile-infused tequila, dubbed the New Mexican martini, at my friendly neighborhood Chuy’s, I decided I needed to try an infusion of my own.

Since I had a whole bottle of tequila to use, I tried this two ways: One with the roasted Hatch chiles left whole (though peeled), and one with the chiles peeled, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips. The taste wasn’t appreciably different, but I do think the chile cut into strips did result in a quicker infusion. Either way, the result was a spicy, flavorful tequila that would add a nice kick to any number of Mexican-themed cocktails, like a margarita or even a Bloody Maria!

Hatch Chile Infused Tequila

1 1/2 cups silver 100% agave tequila
1-2 Hatch chiles (depending on size), roasted, peeled, and split

Place the tequila and Hatch chiles in a glass jar and seal. Shake and allow to infuse for 2-3 days. Strain and enjoy!

***
After I strained the tequila, I had the potentially brilliant idea to use the tequila-soaked chiles to accent some guacamole. Sadly, the tequila flavor was a little overwhelming. Next time I think the leftovers will just go in the compost pile after imparting their tasty flavor.

Speaking of which, I used my Hatch chile-infused tequila to make a delicious, spicy spin on my old standby, the Mexican martini. Enjoy!

New Mexican Martini

2 oz Hatch chile-infused tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 oz light agave nectar

Mix the agave nectar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with 1 oz of warm water and stir to dissolve. Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, and lemon and lime juices, along with plenty of ice. Shake well and serve in salt-rimmed martini glasses garnished with an olive or a curl of the Hatch chile.

* Lauren writes the blog Gourmet Veggie Mama, and styles herself a recovering lawyer-slash-aspiring domestic goddess. She loves all things food and drink, and, despite being a vegetarian, manages to be quite a glutton as well. Since discovering Boozed + Infused, her Cocktail Thursday posts have acquired a definite kick!


by 16 Comments

What should we do with… Peapod Vodka?

Sometimes I just have to try…

Back in June, the sugarsnap peas in our tiny little garden were thriving! And they were so delicious… So I just had to try it out; peapods and vodka. Now I’m not quite sure what to do with it, other than maybe add it to cream sauce or risotto. Any suggestions?

Peapod Vodka

1/2 c. chopped peapods

3/4 c. vodka

Combine and infuse for 1-2 weeks. Strain and filter.

The flavor is actually quite nice. It tastes like the delicious peapods from my garden… any cocktail ideas?

Picking fruits and veggies for future infusions at my parents’ garden (MUCH larger than my garden)


by 7 Comments

Cantaloupe Vodka

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.

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.

And since it took me so long to post, here is part of the reason…

Steens Mountain

Thompson Reservoir

Thompson Reservoir

Alvord Desert

Desert Horned Lizard

Herd of Pronghorn

There is no fence between me and this angry face… I better get going…

Hiking into Crack in the Ground (yes, that is really the name)

Related Post:

Love Cocktail: Cantaloupe Vodka, Honey, Lime


by 12 Comments

Sweet Heat Cocktail

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…

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!


by 29 Comments

Chili Agave Liqueur

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.

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.

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.

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!

Cheers!

Related Posts

Sweet Heat Cocktail


by 33 Comments

Almond Liqueur

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.

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!

Almond Liqueur on Punk Domestics


by 10 Comments

The Ultimate Summer Drink: Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Try this, and you will not regret it!

20120729-205403.jpg

Strawberry Basil Lemonade (makes 2 large drinks)

6 oz Strawberry Rum
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
2 TB Agave
4-6 Thai Basil leaves, plus more for garnish

Muddle basil with some ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the remainder of the ingredients, and more ice, shake vigorously. Serve in a tall glass over ice, and add more basil to garnish.

This drink is the epitome of summer. We loved it, and hope you will too! Another great use for that Strawberry Rum.

Cheers!

Related Posts

Starting a Strawberry Booze Infusion

Update: Strawberry Booze Infusion, Day 5

Update: Strawberry Booze Infusion, Day 17

Strawberry Mojitos


by 56 Comments

Bourbon, Bourbon, Infused Bourbon!

Hey there bourbon lovers… I’m assuming (based on the title of this post) that if you are not a bourbon-lover, you are not reading. However, those of you who have neutral feelings about bourbon, you should really consider trying a bourbon infusion. They are amazing.

Coffee Bourbon

Coffee Bourbon

So, back to the bourbon… We have recently had a handful of bourbon fans tell us that they have started their first bourbon infusion. Some have started the banana bourbon, others the coffee bourbon. And for all lovers of bourbon out there, I thought we would make it easy on you and compile a list of all of the bourbon infusions for which we have posted recipes to date.

Chocolate Bourbon

Chocolate Bourbon

Before we get into the list, a few things we have learned about bourbon infusions:

– They almost never need any additional sweeteners

– They take little effort and turn out phenomenally

– They cause many people who are not traditionally bourbon lovers to have a much better appreciation of this fine, brown spirit

Cherry Bourbon

Cherry Bourbon

Below are all of her the bourbon infusions we have posted thus far (as well as a few cocktails and other recipes). Please click the link to get the recipe and post for each infusion.

Cherry Bourbon and don’t miss the Cherry Bomb

Coffee Bourbon and the Coffee Bourbon Milkshake

Chocolate Bourbon and the German Chocolate Cocktail

Apple Pie Bourbon

Mint Bourbon (cocktail recipe included)

Peanut Bourbon and Chocolate Peanut-Bourbon Clusters

Fig Bourbon and Fig Manhattan

Prune Bourbon (we have not yet posted a recipe but an easy treat was prune bourbon in ginger ale)  We also used the infused prunes to make the amazing Boozy Prune Jam

Banana Bourbon

Blackberry Bourbon

Apple Pie Bourbon

Apple Pie Bourbon

My favorites? I would say the Cherry Bourbon, Coffee Bourbon (you really must make this and try the milkshake) and Apple Pie Bourbon. The Prune Bourbon was delicious, but the Boozy Prune Jam was so good, I would make the infusion again just so I can have more jam.

So to all the bourbon lovers, I hope you find some inspiration and start an infusion. Don’t see one you like on the list? Feel free to ask me about other ideas for your infusions.

Cheers!


by 30 Comments

Blackberry Infusions… Marionberry goodness

All of these infusions can be made with almost any variety of blackberry. Here in Oregon, we have a local cultivar of blackberry called the Marionberry.  This berry is slender and a bit tart, but a very tasty variety of blackberry.

I must be a bit greedy… because my recent trip to my parents’ farm to pick Marionberries yielded ten pounds of these beauties. (I also managed to come home with a couple pints of wild black raspberries, a favorite from my childhood.)

While most of the berries made their way into a large batch of jam, and a few ended up in a batch of Maple-Bourbon Blackberries, the rest were turned into several prized infusions.

Blackberry (Marionberry) Bourbon

2 1/2 c. Blackberries

2 1/4 c. Bourbon

Combine ingredients in a large jar, seal well and shake. Store in a cool, dark place for several months or until it reaches your desired taste, shaking contents every few days. Add sugar/honey if desired. Strain and filter with strainer, cheesecloth, and coffee filters.

Blackberry (Marionberry) Mojito Infusion

2 c. Blackberries

2 c. Rum

1/4 c. Packed mint leaves (we used a combination of spearmint and chocolate mint)

Zest of 1 lime

2 TB Sugar (or more to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a large jar and follow directions above for Blackberry Bourbon.

Blackberry-Lemon Liqueur

2 c. Blackberries

Zest of 1 lemon

1 1/4 c. Brandy

3/4 c. Vodka

2 TB Sugar (or more to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a large jar and follow directions above for Blackberry Bourbon.

While you may not have Marionberries in your area, try any of these liqueurs/infusions with your local variety of blackberry. As each variety has a different “sweetness” to it, you may want to alter the sugar content to suit your variety.

Cheers!

Related Post:

Bourbonberry Cocktail