How to Make Citrus Infused Cocktails

This post comes to us courtesy of Samantha Hobbs Chulick, blogger at Cashmere Fog.

 

Lately I’ve been hearing quite a bit about infused liquors. So this past weekend, I thought I’d give it a whirl — and surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as I had previously thought! Because it’s still winter, I went seasonal with citrus fruits like grapefruits, kumquats, tangerines and oranges.

 

Check out my simple step-by-step guide for infusing your own vodka and a couple of cocktail recipes too. Cheers!

 

Gather all the ingredients

What you’ll need: glass jars or bottles with tight closures, fruit (I used citrus but you can go with spices or even peppers), and a bottle or two of good quality vodka.

 

Wash and cut fruit

Put the fruit in a jar or bottle. The container should be filled but not totally full with fruit. Then pour in vodka. Tighten the lid securely over the jar and let sit in a dark place at room temperature.

 

Let the fruit infuse

Infusion time varies but with citrus fruit generally takes approximately three to four days for the concoction to reach the desired flavor intensity. Of course, the best way to check if it’s infused fully is to continually taste the mixture. Also, if you want to shorten the time, add sugar or, in my case, an orange flavored liquor to deepen the flavor.

 

Strain the infused mixture and mix up a cocktail!

Here are two suggestions:

 

Citrus Vodka Tonic

 

2 oz. citrus-infused vodka (my pick: Kumquat & Grapefruit Infused Vodka)

4 oz. tonic water

1 wedge grapefruit, for garnish

 

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour vodka in glass. Top with tonic water. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge. Serves 1.

 

Screwdriver

 

3 oz. citrus-infused vodka (my pick: Orange Infused Vodka)

1 oz. orange flavored liquor

1 wedge orange for garnish

 

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour vodka in glass. Garnish with an orange wedge. Serves 1.

 

About the author: Samantha is a graduate student studying food & wine writing in the Midwest. Originally from California, her work has appeared in Santa Barbara Magazine, Vox Magazine, The Columbia Missourian, and Farm Journal. She has also been featured on her local NPR station as a wine expert. She believes that every girl should always have a bottle of bubbly in her fridge – in case of emergencies and impromptu celebrations.