Stephen Witherden’s Website :: Photos :: Drink Infusions

I’m always on the lookout for a new cocktail recipe. New tastes come up in the most unlikely contexts. For example, after choir on Monday evenings I usually go to a bar called “The Grange” in Ponsonby for a drink with the other choir members. This bar has a drink I’m really fond of called a “Coco Spice”. It involves Chilli infused Vodka and Creme de Cacao.

I have to admit that after trying Chilly Vodka, I have become kind of obsessed with this idea of infusing alcohol with all sorts of interesting flavours. This picture shows three of my recent experiments (from left to right): Vanilla Vodka, Fruit Whiskey and Cinnamon Vodka.

Vanilla Vodka

I got this idea after trying some of the commercial Absolut Vanilla Vodka. It’s sweet and smooth. So smooth you can even drink it straight. My attempt was 250ml (1 cup) of Vodka and one vanilla pod. You have to make sure you cut the pod lengthways so that the flavour can soak through. After just a few hours the colour started seeping out and settling at the bottom. Don’t put more than 1 pod per cup of vodka or you’ll be making a very large bottle of vanilla essence.

Ok, I’ll admit you still get the breath-taking Vodka aftertaste, but is smells beautiful. It also works well in coke   

Fruit Whiskey

I got this idea from a place called “Whiskey Bar” in Ponsonby. They have a large vat of whiskey filled to the brim with dried fruit. To my unsophisticated palate: the nicest tasting whiskey in the world.

To replicate the experience, I stuffed all the dried fruit I could find into an old Vodka bottle filled with whiskey. The layers you see on the right are Mango (bottom), Prunes (middle) and Apricot (top).

Ok, I’ll admit, you still get the throat-constricting after-burn taste of whiskey. It still needs a little work, but it is extremely fruity

As I mentioned before I have also made Cinnamon Vodka which tastes very similar to “aftershock” or “fire water”. I’m going to need to figure out how to sweeten my creations, though, because currently the Cinnamon Vodka will rip your insides out :p