Fun with Booze!!!

So I've actually been turned on to the world of infused vodkas. You know how Absolut and other brands have all those "blackberry" and "vanilla" vodkas? Well you can make them at home much more tasty and much less expensive... plus you can have some fun flavors.



Ginger... for example.

I simply took a hunk of fresh ginger, peeled it, sliced it, and put it in a 750 ml bottle of vodka. Clearly, exactness was not what I was aiming for; flavor, on the other hand, was. Why ginger infused vodka? This delightful little local place, Casa Nueva, has a delicious drink called the Crystal made with half ginger vodka, house infused, and half ginger ale. I'm crazy about ginger, or anything sweet and spicy for that matter, so I figured I'd give it a try. With ginger, it seems like timing might be something to mull over. I mean, one can certainly have too much ginger. So far, it's been infusing for about 5 days, and currently tastes slightly sweet, very gingery, and very refreshing. I'll have to update after a couple weeks, when the vodka will likely be much stronger in gingery goodness. Really though, after this little experiment, I feel like the sky's the limit.



Now on to a more tried and true booze recipe: Crema di Limoncello.

I'm guessing most people are familiar with the Italian lemon liquor, Limoncello. If not, you two should get acquainted; I'll set you up, in fact. This is a take on that, made from a recipe given to me by the very first Italian family I ever stayed with in my adventures teaching English abroad (who knew I had an exciting life?!). For ease, I've converted the amounts and instructions, but it's not an exact science; I've had sweeter and more bitter versions, just based on how much sugar is used.

Crema Di Limoncello

8 organic lemons
750 ml bottle grain alcohol
2 liters, or about a half gallon of whole milk
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 whole vanilla beans (if you're skimping I've totally used about 1/4 cup vanilla to substitute)

First, rinse the lemons in a bath made of water and about a teaspoon of baking soda. This will actually remove any odors left on the skin. Next, peel the lemons, being careful only to remove the yellow zest. Place the zest in the grain alcohol and let it set for at least a week.

Once the week is over, the alcohol should be a pleasant yellow, the sunrise-y kind. Heat the milk, sugar, and vanilla bean over medium heat, careful to not let it boil. Once the milk heats up, reduce the heat slightly and keep it going for 45 to 55 minutes. Again, don't let it boil.

When the milk is finished set it to the side and let it cool completely. Then, add the lemon-infused grain alcohol. Finally, you're ready to funnel this into some wine bottles and chill for about another week; this let's the flavors meld together, although taking a sip or two now is perfectly fine ;) Oh, I should note, this recipe makes about three and a half wine bottles. Either way, make sure it's cold, and stays cold. This allows for the milk to last longer and in general, it's a drink best served well chilled.

I'll update later, when I have a better picture.

Still to come, a delicious grilled veggie salad.