Adventures in Infusion

I like making things. When I was little, I would try to make my own perfume by putting handfuls of flowers in bottles of water and leaving them on my windowsill for weeks.

Needless to say, it always turned out GROSS.

Not to be dissuaded by the acrid stench of moldy blossoms, albeit with a better grasp on chemistry and cookery, I've been trying my hand at infusing liquors lately. I'd like to try home brewing or distilling some day, but I just don't have the equipment or space at present. So tossing bits of fruits and herbs into bottles of booze has had to suffice.

I've had some successes and some failures. I've had a small sample batch of ginger-infused gin going in my fridge for maybe 6 weeks now, and it's finally acquired a subtly spicy ginger flavor. After tasting it today, I think I need to make a full bottle of the stuff - I'm a sucker for ginger(s). I think keeping it in the fridge might have been hindering the process, but it was apparently just the right thing for a batch of jasmine green-tea gin I decided to start yesterday. After just 12 hours, it packed a powerful herbal punch, and infusing it at room temperature would likely have made it downright overpowering (using gin as a base for a tea infusion might not have been the best idea, anyway).

My coffee-infused whiskey (Equal Exchange and Jameson!) turned out devastatingly strong as well, at room temperature for one week. It would probably be a nice addition to a bit of Baileys or steamed milk, but drinking it straight is not an option - even the drop I tried was downright aggressive; bitter and sharp. I'm going to try for a lighter batch that can be mixed with more versatility. I also want to do something with whiskey that will pair well with ginger ale, because my penchant for gingers also extends to Big Gingers (as The Local calls them), or J&Gs - Jameson and ginger ale.

So, some hits and some misses, but mostly a fun and interesting learning experience.

Here's the catch: I'm not much of a drinker. I hate the taste of beer, and don't really like the taste of most alcohols much better, at least on their own (with the exception of hard cider). So I have all this flavored liquor and I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do with it. I'm sure it will be nice to have some around for guests, but I've got more than I need and I'm likely to have more as I brainstorm more things to infuse.

I hesitate to give it as gifts, since it's kind of tricky determining who will be appreciative and who will be offended, or who would enjoy ginger-flavored gin for exotic gimlets as opposed to spicy basil vodka for bloody marys.

Here's where my younger, would-be perfumer self comes to the rescue. I remember childhood parties where my friends got to make things to take home as being the most successful. So I may, in the near future, host an infusing party. Folks can try their hand at making an infused liquor that suits their tastes from a variety of base liquors and fruits/herb/spices, and maybe everyone pitches in a bit for whatever they take home with them to cover the costs of some half-decent booze. That way, I (and everyone else) can try a few different things without having a lot of leftover and largely useless spirits and not a lot of leftover cash.

If you'd be interested in attending such a party, you should definitely shoot me a line and let me know. If you'd be interested in taking some of my excess infusions off my hands in the future, you should let me know that too. I might start a batch of the aforementioned basil-pepper vodka with serrano, cilantro, and/or habanero if anyone was interested in adopting the finished product.