Guide To Vodka Infusion And House Made Liqueurs
Green Mountain Distillers Sunshine Vodka Infusion Program
Vodka infusion is a great way to offer custom favored vodka and personalized signature martini’s to your drink menu. The process is easy and the results are spectacular in both taste and color. The decorative infusion vessel used in production is a beautiful accent to any bar, and with a little time your costumers will be enjoying colorful, flavored vodka created in your establishment that has a taste all to its own.
Step 1: The essentials
Infusion Jar
Sunshine Vodka
Ingredients
Step 2: Choosing a flavor
The choice is infinite and stretches as far as your imagination. You can choose between fresh fruit, or more alternative ingredients. Mellow flavors include cantaloupe, strawberry, cherry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, pineapple, mango and vanilla beans. Lemon, lime or grapefruit flavors offer a sharper bite to the palate.
Step 3: Time to infuse
Fresh fruit and produce should be washed thoroughly to ensure they are free from pesticides. Berry-like fruit, such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, should be left whole. Fibrous fruits like pineapple or mango should be chopped into small chunks and strawberries or citrus fruit cut into thin slices. Vanilla beans should be cut length-ways and herbs left on their stems. Chili peppers can be left whole, or cut in half to increase the rate of infusion.
The infusion vessel should be filled full with infusion ingredients and the remained with Sunshine Vodka. Tighten the lid securely over the vessel and place away from direct sunlight.
Infusion times:
Approx. 3-4 days
Vanilla beans, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes, mint, garlic, tarragon, basil, oregano, dill and thyme
Approx. 1 week
Cantaloupes, strawberries, peaches, mangoes, pitted cherries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
Approx. 2 weeks
Whole chili peppers, pineapple, fresh ginger and lemon grass
These are only guidelines. Just remember that stronger flavored fruit and herbs/spices take less time to infuse, whereas softer flavor and fibrous fruit take longer. The most accurate method is to continually taste them, adding more or diluting, until the flavor reaches your preferred intensity. Just remember to have fun and use your imagination!
It is unlawful to make liqueurs and call them by their trade names. It is also impossible to duplicate specific brands as they are made under highly guarded secret recipes and conditions. But it is entirely possible to simulate flavors in the liqueurs you make and use for drinking and cooking. You might discover that your facsimiles are as good as, perhaps better than, the commercial varieties and will certainly cost you less.
Liqueur Reference Guide
The following list will help you to identify basic flavorings of the various liqueurs
| Liqueur |
Flavoring |
| Amaretto |
Apricot pits and almond |
| Anisette |
Anise seed |
| Aquavit |
Caraway seed |
| Bitters |
Herbs and fruits |
| Calvados |
Fermented apple cider |
| Cherry Marnier |
Cherry |
| Cointreau |
Oranges |
| Curacao |
Green orange peels |
| Drambuie |
Herbs, Honey |
| Galliano |
Herbs and Spices |
| Grand Marnier |
Orange |
| Kahlua |
Coffee |
| Ouzo |
Anise |
| Sambuco |
Licorice and herbs |
| Sloe Gin |
Sloe berries |
| |
|
Advanced Infusion
And
Liqueur Production
For centuries, people have enjoyed the smooth, rich flavors of liqueurs, yet the exotic aura around liqueurs belies the ease with witch they can be made in your own establishment. The basic process is very inexpensive and involves nothing more than steeping a flavoring in a alcohol base and adding a sweetener; from there, endless experimentation and combinations are possible.
Recipe Guide
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Recipe Guide 1. Pour two cups sugar syrup (made by boiling two cups sugar and one cup water) into a clean, empty infusion vessel. Adjustment of the sweetness will be done by reducing or increasing the amount of syrup that you add
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Add infused vodka (stir until syrup is dissolved)
Whole Orange infusion
3 whole sweet oranges, cut into wedges 1/2 lemon
2 whole cloves
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Orange peel infusion
Peels from 4 medium size oranges,scraped and cut into chunks
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Lemon-Lime infusion
Scraped and sliced peels of 4 lemons and 4 limes
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Tangerine infusion
4-5 tangerines cut into wedges4 whole cloves(optional)
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Grapefruit infusion
Scraped outer peel of 2 grapefruits cut into pieces
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Fruit Infusion
Tart apple infusion
4-average size tart eating apples
2 cloves(optional)
pinch of nutmeg(optional)
1 750ml bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Sweet apple infusion
4 average size Red Delicious apples
2 cloves(optional)
pinch of cinnamon(optional)
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Fresh apricot infusion
1 pound fresh apricots
1 750 ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Dried apricot infusion
1/2 pound dried pitted apricots
1 cup boiled water(soak fruit prior to addition)
5 whole almonds
1 750 ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Banana infusion
2 medium-size bananas, peeled
2” length of vanilla bean
1 750 ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka Sugar syrup to taste
Berry Infusion
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Cranberry infusion
1 pound fresh cranberries
Sliced and scraped peel of 1/4 orange
Sliced and scraped peel of 1/2 lemon
1 750 ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Raspberry infusion
1 1/2 cups ripe raspberries
Sliced and scraped peel of 1/2 lemon
1750 ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Blueberry infusion
1 pound fresh blueberries
Sliced and scraped peel of 1/2 lemon
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Blackberry infusion
1 pound fresh blackberries
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Strawberry infusion
3 cups fresh strawberries cut into thirds
3 tablespoons powder sugar(sprinkle on strawberries let dissolve)
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Spice Infusion
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Allspice
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Anise seed
2/3 tablespoon anise seed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Licorice root
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped licorice root
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Star anise
2/3 tablespoon star anise broken and crushed
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Place a whole star in Bottle prior to filling for visual effect
Cinnamon coriander
2” cinnamon stick (1 1/2 tablespoons ground)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
2 cloves
1 750 ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Beans and Nuts
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Coffee
1/2 cup cracked fresh coffee beans(do not grind)
1/2 chopped vanilla bean
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Vanilla bean
2 fresh whole vanilla beans about 5” long
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Chocolate
2 teaspoons pure chocolate extract used for baking
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Almond
3 ounces chopped unsalted almonds
Pinch of cinnamon
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste
Coconut
12 ounces of fresh coconut (white meaty portion)
3 coriander seeds
1’ piece of vanilla bean
1 750ml. Bottle of SUNSHINE Vodka
Sugar syrup to taste |
