How To Upcycle Cheap Alcohol Into Expensive-Tasting Libations

Do you ever really need a good excuse to celebrate? There are always December holidays, birthdays, and especially momentous occasions to commemorate, but sometimes the little moments in life are equally as deserving.

Aside from transforming your personal environment with decorations and pulling out the recipe box to make something lip-smacking-good, what's the universal way to mark a special event?

You got it...booze. Whether it has lots of bubbles, tastes creamy-n-sweet or it just burns the hairs off your esophageal tract, most of us will gamely raise a glass to just about anything....Groundhog Day, Successfully Removing All The Cat Hair From The Couch Day...whatever the "day," it's all fair game.

However, this most crucial tool for instant happiness is rather costly these days, and if you happen to be partial to tasty varieties, prepare to work a little extra overtime in order to justify the expense. 

Then again, you could just turn the most budget-friendly offering at your local liquor depot into a libation that is as easy on the wallet as it is sliding down your throat.

Perusing the Greenwala files, I noticed that we've already accumulated a fair amount of DIY resources for eager liquor mixologists, from this video tutorial on "How To Make DIY Hard Apple Cider" and this one on "How To Make Beer In A Pumpkin" to this simple recipe for "Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur"-- we've even got instructions on how to make DIY ice shot glasses.

But, if you crave the sophistication of flavored alcohol, we've also got you covered -- take a look at this video tutorial demonstrating "How To Make DIY Berry-Infused Vodka" and then review About.com's step-by-step instructions below, which are applicable for whatever type of spirit floats your boat.

It may take a little time and effort, but it's definitely going to be worth the wait. Don't foget -- this would make a super-duper handcrafted holiday gift, too!

HOW TO MAKE INFUSED ALCOHOL

Time Required: up to 2 weeks

What You Will Need:

Herbs, spices or fruits for flavor

Vodka or other spirit

Mason jars, infusion jars or any air-tight jar

Coffee filter

1. Choose your spirit:

Your base spirit will set the foundation for a good infusion. Choosing a decent spirit that is smooth and clean will allow the added flavors to shine. If you're experimenting with a new infusion you may want to use a less expensive bottle so as not to waste money or good liquor. Another option is to use a home filtering device like the Vodkastick, which will allow you to filter out the impurities of a cheap brand.

2. Choose your flavors:

Herbs, spices and fruits are most comonly used for infusions. The most popular infusions are fruit based, however you can use your imagination to create some wonderful combinations. I experimented with garlic, habenero and basil in vodka for some great Bloody Mary bases. Use your creativity to personalize your creations. For best results, use fresh ingredients only.

3. The Beginning:

The process itself is very easy. Choose a clean, air-tight jar: quart sized mason jars work well. Using smaller jars will allow you to divide a liter of vodka into a few jars, giving you the ability to create small batches of a variety of flavors at once. Wash the ingredients, place them inside the jar and fill it with vodka. Shake a few times and cover tightly with a lid.

4. Infusion Time:

You will want to store your infusion in a cool, dark place and shake it 3-5 times a day for the duration of the infusion. On average the ingredients should stay in the liquor for 3-5 days. Some of your more intense flavors will only need 3 days, less intense flavors should stay in the jar for a full week or more (see the infusion times list below). You will want to do a taste test every few days to see if the flavors are sufficient.

5. The Finish:

Once your infusion has reached it's peak in flavor you'll need to take the flavoring ingredients out of the jar. Use a fine strainer or paper coffee filter to strain the vodka into another clean jar or bowl. You can return it to it's original jar if you would like, cleaning the jar thoroughly first. Store the finished infusion as you would any other liquor of it's type.

Tips:

1. Ingredient Preparation:

Berries: wash and leave whole, but score the skins on harder berries.

Pineapple, Mango and similar fruit: wash and cut into chunks.

Strawberries and Citrus fruit: wash and slice thinly or use zests of lemons and oranges.

Vanilla Beans: wash and cut lengthwise.

Herbs: wash and use whole (stems and all).

Peppers: wash and leave whole or cut in half.

Garlic: use whole cloves, removing the layers of skin.

2. General Infusion Times:

Use these times as a guideline to gauge how long you should leave the ingredients in a jar of liquor.

3-4 days: Intense flavors such as vanilla beans, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes, mint, garlic, tarragon, basil, oregano, dill, thyme and peppers.

1 week: Moderate flavors such as cantaloupes, strawberries, peaches, mangoes, pitted cherries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

2 weeks: Mild flavors such as pineapple, ginger and lemon grass.