Sure, an alcohol advent calendar would be a sweet party gift, but showing up with your own homemade flavored vodka would be even more impressive. Infusing vodka with cranberries is a festive, and pretty simple, take on hard liquor.
This method calls for combining the fruit with orange peel and vanilla bean and letting it infuse for about a week, give or take a few days. Once you strain the mixture, don’t toss those candied cranberries! They can be used as a garnish for any festive cocktail. I’m planning to muddle them up in just about every drink I can.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split
2 oranges, peels cut into 2-inch strips
1 (750 mL) bottle of vodka
Directions
- Place cranberries, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium heat, and stir. Simmer cranberry mixture until the berries burst, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Place orange peels in a large glass container with an airtight lid, or large mason jars with lids. Pour vodka over the orange peels.
- Allow the cranberry mixture to cool. Pour the cooled mixture into the glass container(s). Cover tightly, and set aside for 1 week.
- After 1 week, strain out the cranberries and orange peels, and pour mixture into a clean bottle, using a funnel. Place cranberries in a separate 16-ounce, wide-mouth mason jar. Store both in the refrigerator.
Information
- Category
- Drinks, Cocktails
- Cuisine
- North American
- Yield
- 1 (750 mL) bottle of vodka and 1 (16-ounce) jar candied cranberries
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts
