Strawberry Infused Vodka

Infusing vodka seems complicated, right? You'll be surprised how easy it is! When you take super ripe strawberries and let them sit in vodka for a few days, you get something UTTERLY delicious. The berries let out all of their bright red juices RIGHT into the vodka. You end up with a vodka that smells and tastes like strawberry perfume. Think Strawberry Shortcake meets booze! It also transforms the clear liquid into the shade of my favorite childhood treat- a cherry Slurpee. Summer perfection!

Strawberry Infused Vodka

Makes about 2 1/4 cups vodka (depending on how much you squeeze out of the strawberries)

(recipe from Sean Timberlake of Punk Domestics)

* 2 pints fresh, ripe strawberries quartered
* 750 ml vodka (I used Pearl Vodka!)

Combine the berries & vodka in a seal-able container large enough to contain it all. Seal, and store in a cool, dark place (like your pantry) for 3 days, or up to a week, agitating daily. Strain with coffee filters or cheesecloth. Store and serve well chilled.

Step 1: Vodka+ Strawberries + Mason Jar

Comments

[paganwonder]

How are the strawberries after you strain off vodka?

[shutterbean]

they are SUPER strong!! And all the color comes right out of them.

[lagniappe4u]

Yea, I tried one and it was absolute non-eatable. Is that a word? Well, you sure don't want to eat them. They are like vodka bombs and not in a good way.

[mamaoliver]

So how long would this last in the fridge. It would make very lovely gifts but I would want to tell the recipient that it has a shelf life of ... Any ideas?

[handful of dust]

Given the amount of alcohol in it, it would probably last as long as you want it to.

[dmarsh55]

Paganwonder, you made me giggle - child of the sixties here - reminded me of 'PJ', which was mixed in a bathtub for big parties. Birthday girl got the first bite of the marinated fruits.

[justindra]

wow, the photos in this instructable is amazing!

[jungleboy]

So nice to see folks getting into their creative infusions. If Mr.BT is not a molecular mixologist he sure should be...MM's are nuts by the way ;-) Infusions like the ones mentioned here are a lot of fun to play with, they are also a LOT more healthier than flavoured vodkas that you buy commercially which are mostly flavoured with synthetic flavourants. Vodka is of course a great nuetral base from which to build from but dont be scared to also try rums and other spirits like gin for interesting results. Cachaca (which is a rum) for example will work great, but so to will darker complex rums like Jaimaican rum or Australian Bundaberg - play around. Although the alcohol is a great preservative it pays to remember that anything that has length like lemon grass, for example, must be submerged under the top level of the booze or air will eventually deteriorate it. That said refregerating your infusions is safer. Here is another couple of awesome tasting treats - Nutella Vodka displace a 1/4 or more for awesome chocolate vodka. Combination infusions with Habenero and lemon grass. Adding a stick of cinnamon to that strawberry vodka giving it a nice twist. Careful with citrus when infusing, it gets bitter within 24 hours so you want to remove the rinds. Best of all, if you keep expirementing you have unbeatable original bases to add to recipes and can come up with mind blowing mixology. I've also infused wild african bush fruits which made for some never before new mixes. It costs more to play around with but brands like Grey Goose and Absolute are excellent, try double infusing by using already infused qaulity vodkas like Absolute Citreon and infuse stuff into that?? Fresh cranberry's maybe, that way your only a step away from cosmo, - have fun - drink responcibly, The Alchemist, Alchemy Cocktails & Entertainment.

[buffal0gal]

I've done this with wild raspberries and thimbleberries, but let them infuse for a month or more. If you really squeeze the vodka out of the fruit, the leftover pulp is pretty grey, dry and disgusting.

To make a yummy liquor, after straining, I added standard syrup to taste. I had squeezed enough juice out of the berries that the resulting vodka had been quite diluted, so despite the disapproving looks from my significant other, I bumped up the alcohol content with an ounce of Everclear for every 8-12 oz. of berry-infused vodka.

[mary candy]

I do it with brazilian vodka = cachaça :P

[budude]

I have been making this for years using Ketel One Vodka - I found this is the way that the Cheesecake Factory was making them so that is what I tried to copy. I make Strawberry Martinis at parties with this and they are a huge hit!

[l8nite]

You should pour it back in its original bottle or a decorative decanter. Im sure this is totally delicious but personally I go in the totally opposite direction and make habanero infused vodka, I just force a couple habaneros in the opening of the bottle and let it sit... the pepper loses its color over time and acts as a warning for those who would dare imbibe

[Spokehedz]

You just made home-made pepper spray, just FYI... It works good in burgers and on poultry.

[l8nite]

lol, I know ! The vodka that stays in the bottle I use for bloody marys and other drinks but I also keep a jar of habaneros covered in vodka in the frig as a "hot sauce" added into cooking foods the alcohol evaporates leaving just the heat...

[tommagic1]

When straining the berries, continue to use your metal sifter or use a collander, but line it with a double layer of cheesecloth. Using the cheese cloth you can strain off the sediment/seeds as well and capture a few more ounces of your vodka. Some, using a larger container, would cut one leg of a pantyhose and fill that with the berries. Put the pantyhose with berries in your container which holds the vodka. You give the pantyhose a squeeze 2X a day (with a spoon, pressing agains the side of the container)...then when complete just wring out the panty hose...minimal pulp, seeds and residue in your vodka.

From the "little ole winemaker", me.

[Mr.BT]

Looks tasty. I might offer two tips.
1. Freeze the vodka and strawberries. This works with most anything that you'd like to infuse. The cellular contents are released as ice crystals form and perforate the membranes. This will speed the process up to just the time it takes to bring the whole bottle thoroughly to freezing. I'd still advise 24 hours but it will help with . This is essentially the same process for a laboratory chlorophyll extraction except that you would use acetone.
2. Cheese cloth works well for straining the contents after your incubation. Several layers will remove the leftover sediment nicely.

I've done several infusions this way. Cayenne peppers, blueberries, peaches, have all worked well.

[caarntedd]

I love strawberries. I love vodka. I love this idea. I'd eat the strawberries afterwards though, and the strained pulp, and drink the rest of the bottle of vodka.