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{"id":5504,"date":"2016-04-24T21:42:36","date_gmt":"2016-04-24T21:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/?p=5504"},"modified":"2016-04-24T21:42:36","modified_gmt":"2016-04-24T21:42:36","slug":"infuse-your-booze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/food-drink\/infuse-your-booze\/","title":{"rendered":"Infuse Your Booze"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words by Lauren Kassien<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want an easy — and cheap — way to amp up the liquor cabinet? Look no further than the pantry. Infusing spirits with everyday kitchen ingredients and those available at the local farmers\u2019 market is a great way to add flavor, color and a personal touch to cocktails. Here\u2019s how to get mixing.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pick your poison. <\/b>Mid-priced liquors are best for infusions. (No matter how many herbs are added, it won\u2019t be enough to cover the furniture-polish flavor of bottom-shelf booze.) Vodka works as a great base because it lacks a strong taste of its own. Blake Brown, a bartender at Table 128<\/a> in Clive, Iowa, suggests pairing it with classic ingredients. \u201cFor the beginning bartender, start with herbs like mint, basil and thyme. They are safe and flavorful,\u201d he says. Other spirits can be a bit riskier. Gin already packs a hardy punch, so it\u2019s best mixed with light and crisp ingredients like basil, fennel, cucumber and citrus. When working with whiskey, play off the alcohol\u2019s natural sweet-and-smoky taste. Add similar flavors such as vanilla bean, cocoa, cinnamon and coffee, or fresh fruits like apple or cherry.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Prep the mix-ins. <\/b>There\u2019s no recipe for how much of an ingredient to put in the liquor, but Brown recommends starting small. \u201cUse just a few leaves of herb at a time,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can always add but [you] can\u2019t take away.\u201d The general guideline is for every three cups of alcohol, choose to stir in two cups of fruit, four sprigs of fresh herbs, or three tablespoons of dried spice. When using herbs, Brown suggests giving them a light smack with your hand before adding to the infusion. \u201cThis releases the <\/span>essential oils<\/span><\/a>, which is important for imparting flavor,\u201d he says. Fruit and vegetable mix-ins should be coarsely chopped with the skins left on. Spices can be included as-is, but if they\u2019ve been hanging out in the back of a cabinet for a while, it\u2019s easy to wake up their flavor by toasting them in a frying pan over medium heat until fragrant. If you aren\u2019t sure whether a combo works, do a test: Muddle a little of your chosen ingredients in a glass, add a splash of alcohol, then taste it. \u201cYou must always trust your own palate when working with drinks,\u201d Brown says. \u201cThe bottom line is: Does this taste good to you?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Mix it all together. <\/b>Put the chosen ingredients in a wide-mouthed, resealable glass container, such as a mason jar, then top with alcohol until the container is two-thirds full. Seal tightly and refrigerate the mixture. To help the flavors meld, give the jar a hardy shake at least once a day. There\u2019s no right amount of time to let the ingredients sit — some mix-ins, like fresh herbs and vanilla beans, release their flavors right away, while dried spices can take several weeks. Brown says he tastes his infusions by the hour, but daily works, too. \u201cOnce it tastes right, strain the plant immediately to keep the flavor where you want it,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        So, you\u2019re officially the proud owner of a bottle of homemade infused booze. Now what?<\/b><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Mix it into a favorite cocktail. Vodkas spiced with peppers work well in bloody marys. Fruity combos brighten up simple drinks like screwdrivers. Infused gins add a unique twist to the classic dirty martini.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Add a splash of soda water for a sparkling beverage that\u2019s refreshing and easy to sip.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Brown recommends using the leftover mix-ins to create a simple syrup, which can be used to make other creative cocktails. \u201cUsually one cup of sugar to one cup of water brought to a boil with a handful of herbs makes a tasty syrup,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Enjoy it straight. (You know you want to.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Seasonal ingredients jazz up plain spirits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nInfuse Your Booze | Urban Plains<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/food-drink\/infuse-your-booze\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Infuse Your Booze | Urban Plains\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Seasonal ingredients jazz up plain spirits.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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