Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Flavorful Spirits

A couple of years ago a friend of mine told me to come and check out the bar he was managing in my neighborhood. I went on a weekday so we could catch up and talk about the bar business, especially him becoming a manager at such a young age {he was 23!}.


He poured me a drink made with a vodka he had sort of created himself, as he turned an inexpensive bottle and added kafir lime, lemon grass, and basil to it. The drink was delicious as he prepared it with a little bit of sparkling water, pineapple juice and a bit of simple syrup.


Since then I have experimented a little with infused spirits to make some recipes more fun. Unlike infused oils, you can put almost anything into the spirit of your choice without worrying that it will go bad because the high percentage of alcohol will preserve the infusing agent {not a technical term but you get the idea}.


The best spirits to use are the clear ones like vodka, gin and tequila {never used the last one but heard it turns out good}. If you want to experiment with different flavors  prepare small batches at a time using a spirit that is not too expensive and if you like the result then you can splurge.


For the last days of summer try flavors that are in season like pineapple or strawberries to prepare a refreshing cocktail to spend the summer nights outside. Or if you are somewhere where it's cold, how about some herbs or winter berries and make a cocktail to enjoy the rain with.

Have a great day!

23 comments:

  1. Mmmm, it looks absolutely yammy! I shall definitely try to make it;)

    Xx

    Alexandra

    www.fashion-bridge.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have a bottle of tequila that I have infused lime into - or I dumped a bunch of lime peel in for a while :). It's very good! I like the idea of strawberry too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Delicious! Am a big fan of strawberry and could use one right now! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi sweety, thanks for stopping by and commenting today. I don't drink but these fresh combinations sound lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. now those are some fun experiments for summer! great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice! There's a bar around my area that specializes in infused tequilas so I may have to check it out. With caution though, always with caution around tequila :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your friend is quite talented- his infused vodka sounds delicious!

    I have a friend that infuses vodka with Skittles (no kidding)- the result is sooo good; mix with a little soda and chunks of fresh fruit!

    -Ashley
    http://lerougestylo.blog.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh I love these. It is so wonderful. Especially the strawberry. Chucks of fruit. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gotta try this;)
    xx
    B.
    http://www.beeswonderland.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mmm–I especially love figgy bourbon!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an interesting idea! I love it :) The photos are beautiful as well.

    ReplyDelete
  12. YUM! My favourite summery drink is gin/elderflower press/ pellegrino/ mint leaves. It is magic.

    x The Pretty Secrets

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wao! sounds so refreshing! Great idea and with this heat of 104 it sounds ideal!

    ReplyDelete
  14. these drinks look perfectly refreshing and so summer! i had watermelon and vodka recently, which was so good :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, I love this idea, a drink with a kick! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. this drink look so refreshing ! perfect for summer :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. love this! the infusions are all the rage now. i like using herbs or fruits.. so fun for the summer!

    thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Crazy I never thought of this, such a brilliant idea!
    xo Jac
    thesunshinedistrict.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. very interesting!
    xo
    MOSAMUSE

    www.MOSAMUSE.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. very interesting! make your own spirits!
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh my gosh infused spirits are so much fun -- I really want to get into doing some myself. Great tips!

    ReplyDelete