Mint

08.27.09 Mint test size 1 (Mint Tea)

The book "101 Martinis" suggested steeping "one Moroccan mint tea bag in 5 ounces vodka for at least 20 minutes. ... If you are unable to find Moroccan mint, use equal parts mint and green tea."

We decided to use Trader Joe's Organic Mint Melange Tea (a blend of Peppermint, Lemon Grass and Spearmint). We are steeping 1 tea bag in 6.25 oz Tenure vodka, twice brita filtered for at least 20 minutes. (11:15 pm) We gave it 30 minutes, tasted it and decided that we liked it. We poured in the remaining bit of excess vodka from the test sizes we were trying that night and steeped it for another 30 minutes before finally removing the tea bag.

Recipe: Moroccan Mint Martini: 3 oz vanilla soy milk, 1.5 oz Moroccan mint-infused vodka, 0.5 oz vanilla schnapps, 0.5 oz simple syrup, mint leaf garnish.

08.27.09 Mint test size 2 (Fresh Mint)

We also bought some fresh mint from the store. We were originally going to do our mint infusion using this, but we couldn't resist the (nearly) instant gratification promised from the tea bag-infused mint. Anyhow, we decided to carry on with the original plan and make a fresh mint infused vodka as well.

We used 2 sprigs of mint, keeping the stems, in 6.25 oz of Tenure vodka, twice brita filtered.

08.30.09 Mint done!

Mint leaves were removed from the fresh mint test. Don't want to over infuse it.

Recipe - Mint (Tea)

6.25 oz vodka

1 mint tea bag

Steep 20-30 min, to taste

Recipe - Mint (Fresh)

6.25 oz vodka

2 sprigs of mint, including stems

Infusion time: 3 days.

Coffee

08.16.09 Coffee test size

2 Tbsp Crushed Coffee (Organic Bolivian Blend Medium Dark Roast)
6.25oz. Fris vodka

Research on this infusion yielded very murky results. The only thing that people seemed to agree on was that this infusion takes a very short time, ranging from 12 hours to 5 days.

We ultimately decided to treat the infusion like regular coffee, using 2 Tbsp of coffee per 6 oz (6.25oz, to be exact) of vodka. The general consensus on the internet was that the beans should be crushed, and not ground. Lissa crushed the beans ~10 at a time, by putting them into a pyrex measuring cup and pressing them with the bottom of a glass.

The beans were then added to the vodka (@2:15pm).

There was a debate about whether or not to add 1/4 tsp sugar. Some websites suggested to add it because it would act as a catalyst to help the coffee flavors mix with the vodka. Ultimately, we decided not to add the sugar, but thought it would be fun to do a side-by-side experiment some day with and without sugar.

Here are some interesting links we found along the way:
Bitterness and overextraction

Coffee infusion technique
Espresso infused vodka

We will be testing this ~12 hours after it was started, and every ~12 hours after that, until we determine that it is done. We expect the infusion to be bitter and that it will need to be mixed with something to make it palatable.

16:00
Lissa felt that it had a coffee flavor, definite vodka taste still and needs more time. No bitterness yet.
20:15
Lissa sampled this one again. It is starting to smell very nicely of coffee. It tastes like coffee, but the flavor is not yet as strong as she would like it to be. However, there is a touch of bitterness at the end. We decided to remove the beans and re-infuse with a new batch to hopefully add more flavor without adding bitterness.

08.17.09 A bit more infusion

9:15 pm. Lissa just added another 2 Tbsp of crushed coffee beans to the infusion. She'll check again in 2 hours to see how its progressing. It may be done then.

11:15 pm. Lissa tasted the infusion and decided that it was done. It tastes more like coffee. However, the second round of infusion seems to either not helped the flavor or made it slightly worse. Chilling the infusion does help the flavor though. As we suspected, this is a bitter tasting infusion and will be best used with other mixers.

Recipe

750 ml vodka

1/2 cup crushed coffee beans

Infusion time: ~6 hours, to taste

Best when chilled

Vanilla

08.02.09 Vanilla Version 1

2 grade A Gourment Tahitian Vanilla beans, split lengthwise. 750 ml Fris vodka.

Research does not clearly indicate how long this will take. We intend to give it 2 weeks and then sample.

08.09.09 Taste test

The vanilla was starting to develop a pleasing smell, but the flavor was not complete yet. We decided to give it another week.

08.14.09 Declared done - 12 days

Filtered using the funnel. Wonderful smooth flavor. The Grade A Tahitian has a great flavor and we would use it again. The vodka has a mild burn, a vanilla flavor throughout and a sweet lingering finish.

08.16.09 Back to infusing

Lissa thinks that it can get even better if we continue to infuse it. Emilio thinks it's done but he will humor the request to continue to infuse it. He thinks it will get better in general and leaving the bean in will look cool but the flavor is already wonderful and smooth. We put the beans back into the bottle, and we'll see where this goes.

Cocoacello

03.09.09 Cocoacello Version 1

We started our first infusions today. We used Daniel's Blog post about how to make a cocoa infused liquor as the guidelines for our infusions, which were ginger and cocoa. For each infusion, we had one 750ml bottle of 190 proof Everclear. After some searching, we managed to find cocoa nibs in the bulk bins at Whole Foods.

We used 1/2 lb cocoa nibs (~227 grams).

We poured in the Everclear. Then Emilio took the infusions to their shelf, and we had to wait.

04.18.09 Cocoa infusion done! (~6 weeks)

After the cocoa-Everclear had been infusing for nearly 6 weeks (5 weeks, 5 days to be exact), we decided that it was done.

The nibs had settled into layers. There were a lot of fine particles, which would require careful filtering. We double filtered it first with a gold mesh coffee filter to remove nibs, and then again with paper coffee filters. This left us with 3 cups of cocoa-infused Everclear.

For the cocoa liquor we mixed it with a vanilla syrup: 5 c sugar, 4 c water and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes.

After taste-testing we determined the final ratio: 1.5 c cocoa-Everclear to 2.5 c vanilla syrup. We store in the freezer, this has also become thicker with age.

Our infusion turned out more purple than a chocolate brown, because we didn't use roasted cocoa nibs.

08.16.09 Cocoacello version 2

We have 750ml of Graves Grain Alcohol, 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof).

We will be treating this infusion like the vodka one, and so we'll be using 1/2c of roasted (thanks Daniel!) cocoa nibs for 750 ml of grain alcohol.

We had started a chocolate vodka infusion approximately one hour before, and that one started taking on a brown color rather quickly. It soon became apparent that the everclear was not going to take on the flavor as quickly as the vodka, which had surprised us.

Emilio hates that it will take longer than the vodka!

We're not quite sure how long this infusion will take. We are using considerably less cocoa nibs than we did in version 1. These are roasted, but we still suspect that it will take 6+ weeks.

Recipe

750 ml grain alcohol

1/2 lb roasted cocoa nibs

Infusion time: 6 weeks

Mix with vanilla syrup to taste.

Vanilla syrup: 4 c water, 5 c sugar and 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes.

We used 1.5 cups cocoa-Everclear to 2.5 cups vanilla syrup.

Blueberry

07.18.09 Blueberry version 1

We decided to try a new infusion with Blueberries. We know that it may take a while but the after tasting store bought and local blueberries we were shocked when the store bought won!

We purchased a new bottle of vodka and took the hopefully tasty plunge. We used 1 cup of halved blueberries (6.5 oz) and 750 ml Pinnacle vodka.

Research indicates this infusion could take at least 3 weeks.

07.25.09 Notes

Vodka is taking on a blue tinge. Some of the berries are beginning to bleach and some are suspended in the middle of the vodka. Mild blueberry taste with a lot of vodka, which isn't surprising given that it's only been a week.

A friend suggested that we cook them first then do the infusion. We will have to try to do a mixture or something.

08.02.09 Taste testing after 2 weeks

After infusing for 2 weeks, it tastes good.

L: Blueberry flavor then vodka burn then blueberry flavor again.

E: No aroma, nice taste, but a sharp vodka burn. It could be done.

After debating, we decided to give it more time and to taste again in a week.

08.15.09 Infusion done - 4 weeks!

Bottled the blueberry vodka. Filtered using a wire strainer. The blueberries and lost a fair bit of color, but not as much as Lissa was expecting them to.

This infusion was bitter, and we balanced it out by adding three packets of Stevia in the Raw, which would be the equivalent of 6 packets of sugar.

Recipe

750 ml vodka

1 cup of halved blueberries (6.5 oz)

Infusion time: 4 weeks

add sugar to taste (we added 3 packets of Stevia in the Raw, equivalent to 6 packets of sugar)

Habanero

07.18.09 Habanero Version 1


We have been looking forward to doing something different so we decided to try to infuse Habanero peppers to get something that has a real kick! We used 3 habaneros. Emilio tried one seed to test the heat. It was hot, but we decided to keep the seeds in the infusion. So the habaneros were cut into quarters, stems removed, seeds kept (7/8 oz habanero), and 750 ml of Fris vodka was added.

Lissa's research (because she is a scientist after all) indicates that this should only take a few days.

E: I can't wait for this one! We should infuse it for a week

L: I'm scared! A week seems like a long time.

E: Fine, we will taste test it each day so it doesn't get too hot. Darn it...

07.19.09 Tasting

Tasted ~12 hours later. Has a pepper flavor and definitely heat!

Tasted ~24 hours later.

Definitely hotter, mild pepper flavor. Burn of the pepper hides the vodka burn. Pepper burn lingers for a few minutes. Still not done though.

07.20.09 Declared Done after 3 days.

Filtered with wire strainer.

E: Wonderful burn that is not alcohol, or rather it covers the burn that is normally present with the vodka. From one tasting the burn lingers 5-7 minutes. A little bit goes a long way. A little bit of pepper taste. Not unbearably hot or painful and will not be painful later.

08.03.09 Habanero v2

Emilio decided he wanted to push the boundaries of the habanero infusion. He sliced up 3 habanero peppers and put them in.
08.10.09 Taste check

After a week, Emilio tasted it and found out that the infusion was not any hotter than v1, but the burn lasted longer.
08.14.09 Habanero v2 - Done after 11 days!

Letting it sit for a little while longer made a larger difference. The taste is and burn is more intense and the burn lasts for a much longer amount of time.

Ben says, "mmmmmm...."

Emilio said, "Feel the burn baby, feel the burn." Emilio has dubbed this variety "oh HELL - Yeah".


04.11.10  Habanero v3


6 large habaneros.  Sliced in half and seeded (1 1/3 cup, very inefficiently packed).  Added to 750 ml of "cleaning out the cupboard" vodka.  (~190 ml Svedka, ~240 ml Vikingfjord, ~320 ml Fris) at 3:06pm.

Filtered 4/15/10 E had to stop the infusion because now the vodka is crazy hot! Should have pulled it the day before but it seems that 24 hours made one hell of a difference.


Recipe

750ml Vodka

3 quartered Habanero peppers stems removed and seeds intact.

Infusion time ~7 days, to taste.

Cinnamon

07.18.09 Cinnamon test size

2 cinnamon sticks + 1/4 tsp sugar. 250ml Fris vodka (1/3 bottle).

Research suggests that this should be done in a week. (started infusion at 07.19 @12:20am)

Mad Scientists blog used 3 sticks, 1/2 spoonful of sugar for 750 ml vodka with a 2 week infusion time. We'll experiment and double the amount of cinnamon sticks to see if that will speed up the infusion time.

Hypothesis: 6 sticks in 750 ml vodka = 1 week infusion time. Scaled to 250ml = 2 sticks & 1/4 tsp sugar.

E: "floating sticks of awesomeness"

07.19.09 Taste Test

Vodka has taken on a reddish brown color.

E: Vodka with cinnamon aftertaste. Definitely needs more time.

07.25.09 Taste Test

Sampled this one again. Has a cinnamon flavor, but still plenty of burn. We'll give it some more time.

08.02.09 Cinnamon Test done - 2 week infusion time

E: Lovely cinnamon aroma. Still has a little bit of a vodka smell. L: Smells very strongly like cinnamon. Strong cinnamon taste at start, continuing throughout, a bit of a vodka burn, but still a moderate-strong cinnamon finish.
Vodka has taken on a very nice brown-red color.

Filtered using the funnel. Super-easy. :)

08.02.09 Cinnamon Version 1

This was so great, we decided to make a full-scale version right away. We used a new vodka that we had just picked up: Vodca Exclusiv, 750 ml. Decided to re-use the previous 2 cinnamon sticks, and add 2 more new cinnamon sticks plus 1 tsp sugar. To scale correctly, we should have used 6 cinnamon sticks and 3/4 tsp sugar. This may screw up infusion times, but we'll use what we have and learn.

08.09.09 Declared done - 1 week infusion time

Filtered using the funnel. The infusion had a really nice caramel color. It had a very strong cinnamon scent, with a vodka burn. We both agree that it has a heavy cinnamon flavor with barely any vodka taste. The cinnamon is potent and raw. It has a wonderful aroma and will be great for mixing.

Raspberry

06.30.09 Raspberry Version 1

~9pm. Raspberries picked at Lyman Orchards 3 days before. They were frozen. We thawed them and mostly drained the liquid/juice. The raspberries were just a pile of mush. Added to Platinum 7x distilled vodka. Vodka and raspberry mush completely filled the mason jar.

07.05.09 Declared Done! 5 day infusion.

We taste tested the infusion and found it tasted like vodka with hints of raspberries instead of the desired raspberries taste with a hint of vodka. We decided to crush the raspberries against the side of the jar with a fork since the flavor was still stored in the raspberries. We intended to infuse them longer but upon another tasting we found it tasted enough of raspberry to declare it done. Total time was 5 day of infusion.

We filtered the infusion using a colander. Vodka ended up having particulates in it. (07.18.09 Refiltered with gold mesh coffee filter to remove particulates)

Future improvements: crush raspberries at the start.

07.06.09 Drinks

* Sprite 1/2c & 2 shots raspberry vodka.

E: 6/10, L: 6/10, good but not as good as strawberries and cream drink

* Raspberry Lemonade: ~1/4c lemonade & 1 shot raspberry vodka

E: 6/10, L: 5/10 (more raspberry flavor would make it better). Lemonade w/ mild hints of raspberry at end.

07.08.09 Raspberry Version 2

Lissa started a half bottle infusions of vodka. The vodka is Smirnoff triple distilled, using 375 ml vodka.

Our previous infusion was 1 cup thawed, mushy (but local & freshly picked 3 days prior) raspberries. Started w/ 1/2 c frozen whole raspberries, but once they were thawed, they only filled the half cup about two-thirds of the way. Lissa added more raspberries, until it was 1/2c thawed, mushy raspberries. Lissa mashed up the raspberries with a fork, because that was one of the improvements we thought we should make from the first time. At this point, there was some juice in with the berries. I left the juice in because it was originally part of the berries. When I added it to the vodka, it immediately turned a deep red due to the raspberry juices.

07.18.09 Declared done! - 10 day infusion.

We taste tested the infusion and declaired it a win! It had a good flavor of raspberries and the harsness of the vodka comes from the Smirnoff, of which we will not purchas again in the future. We filtered the infusion with a gold mesh coffee filter. E: Filtering the raspberries was a "pain in the filter." (Also refiltered Raspberry1 with gold mesh coffee filter to remove particulates)

Notes for improvement: Don't use Smirnoff.

Raspberry 1 vs Raspberry 2:

E: Raspberry2 (made with Smirnoff) is not as smooth, but infusing the raspberries for 10 days added a stronger berry flavor

L: Raspberry2 burns more. Both taste like raspberry, but Raspberry2 does have a stronger flavor. Also, crushing the berries right away helps.

08.03.09 Raspberry Version 1.5

We liked the extra fruitiness of the longer infused Raspberry v.2, so Emilio decided we should re-infuse Raspberry v.1. We still had some of the raspberries we had picked in the freezer, so we decided not to mess with a good thing and thawed out 1/2 cup of those to use. There was ~550 ml of Raspberry v.1 left, the 1/2 cup of thawed and crushed raspberries was added to that. We'll taste it again in a week to see how that affects the infusion.

Just for fun, Lissa set a bit of the Raspberry v.1 aside so we can truly compare the improvements. What good is it to do an experiment if you don't have some sort of control group?

8.10.09 Declared Done!

We just got back from Montreal on Sunday and tasted it before going to bed. The raspberry taste is very good with very little vodka aftertaste. Lissa thinks that the second version is sweeter and masks the vodka taste better. Version 1 you can taste the vodka at the beginning where as version 1.5 not so much. In version 1.5 it is not twice as sweet. She thought it would be even sweeter.
Emilio felt that it has a smoother taste and was sweeter by a small fraction.

We were surprised that there was no significant color change between v1 (bottle) and v1.5 (shot glass).

Recipe

1 cup of crushed raspberries

750ml vodka

Infusion time of 10 days or more to taste. Greatly improved if a second round of infusing with another cup of raspberries.