Let me tell you about something awesome.
It’s called “fruit-infused-vodka.” At least, that’s what I call it. I was first introduced to the idea of flavoring my own vodka while at a happy hour with my mom before a movie one day. They had a drink on the menu with “house-infused-vodka.” And my brain was all…”WHAT?!” Because that sounded SO SUPER COOL.
And you know what? Mom and I promptly went out to buy berries and vodka. And we infused some of our very own. And it was SO SUPER COOL.
When I have fresh berries and vodka in my kitchen at the same time, I try to remember to fruit-ify some of the liquor for fancy drinks, because A) then you can tell people you infuse your own vodka (which makes you = super duper neat-o) and B) you can make drinks with fruit-infused vodka that tastes SO MUCH BETTER than that super-sugary flavored stuff you can get at the store (and I’m sorry, okay, but things like Swedish Fish or Pumpkin Pie Vodka? You have to be kidding me. And yes, I’ve tried them both. Worst mistakes of my life).
You can let the berries and vodka do their thaaaang in any shape of container, but I prefer to use a tall salad dressing shaker deali-o with a little spout on top. It makes it a lot easier when you strain the berries out of the liquor and start pouring it into drinks. Yum yum yum.
Blackberry Lemon Drops & How to Infuse Your Own Vodka
- Yield: Makes 1 and ½ cups blackberry vodka, 2 Blackberry Lemon Drops 1x
Ingredients
For the Vodka:
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 and ½ cups vodka
For the Blackberry Lemon Drops:
- 2 oz. triple sec
- 1.5 oz. blackberry-infused vodka
- 1.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
- dash of lime juice (about ¼ tsp)
- lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
For the Vodka:
- Place blackberries in a medium-sized container (I like to use a dressing shaker so it’s easy to pour) and pour vodka over berries. Shake well and place in the fridge.
- Shake vodka-berry mix twice a day for three days. Strain the berries and berry pulp out and store vodka in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to use the berries, puree them in a blender and add a dash of berry puree to cocktails for an extra zing of blackberry flavor. Use in Jolly Pops or make a blackberry lemon drop! (Recipe below)
For the Lemon Drops:
- Combine tripe sec, vodka, lemon and lime juice in a shaker. Add ice and shake well. Pour into two chilled glasses (sugar rim optional, but highly recommended – see a how-to here) and serve immediately.
Jessie,
Can you put the blackberry vodka in the freezer if you want to keep it longer?
Sure! Just make sure to strain out all of the fruit first.
Thanks, Jessie. I can’t wait to try it.