Vodka Flavors

Infusing spirits with flavor is a common way to customize a liquor; to add flavor to otherwise flavorless vodka or to create a personalized tequila or rum. Homemade infusions with fresh ingredients can take several weeks and require the occasional shake and diligent straining to get just right. But David Andrews, creator and Chief Infusionist of Vodka Flavors, developed a product that takes all the hassle out of the infusion process. Inside the infusion jars are bags filled with dried herbs, fruits and spices, which are great for a quickly adding flavor to your favorite spirit.

When I first read about Vodka Flavors I thought it another gimmick for the home drinker, a way to cheat at infusions that wouldn’t be anything spectacular. Wrong! After the first round of jars came out of my freezer two days later I began to see the beauty. The flavors are as true to the raw ingredients as they can be considering that they're dried (the difference is almost unnoticeable), but because they’re dried the flavor is concentrated and the full-flavored infusion takes less time than with fresh ingredients.

The Flavors:
I was able to try a few of the Vodka Flavors, but the company offers a variety far beyond the commercially infused vodkas available. This is nice because some of the flavors will likely never be available on the liquor store shelf. Can you imagine Grey Goose Garlic or Absolut Mustard Seed? The flavor list includes 12 fruit, 5 vegetable, 5 herb, and 6 spice infusions along with a chocolate and an espresso. Ginger, mango and lavender were the three I tasted that were very enjoyable. The horseradish is much more of an acquired taste for brave souls but does add a nice touch to a Bloody Mary (I used 1/2 part each flavored and unflavored vodkas). There are also 11 cocktail base flavors such as as Cosmo, Mojito and Salty Dog. Although I have not tasted them, they seem like nice flavor combinations worthy of creating interesting cocktails, but not necessarily a replacement for those drinks made from scratch.

The Technique:
This is a very simple infusion process: Add vodka (or other spirit) to the jar with the flavor pack inside, shake and freeze. After 24 hours the flavor is light and pleasant and after 2 days it is more intense and reaches its full flavor potential. Be sure to remove the infusion pack or you'll basically "burn" the liquor with flavor.