Lemon vodka adds a bright, citrusy flavor to cocktails that is perfect for all seasons, but most cocktail enthusiasts associate its bright, zesty flavor with the taste of summer. That makes now a fantastic time to perfect the art of making home-made, lemon-infused vodka. It’s not as hard as the uninitiated may think, and it’s well worth the effort. Read on to find out everything home bartenders need to know about infusing vodka to create a delicious summer treat.
What Is an Infusion?
An infusion can be made by combining flavored ingredients with any type of liquor and allowing them to soak to infuse the flavor into the alcohol. Vodka is one of the best spirits for making infusions since it tends to have a neutral taste and scent profile, making it better able to absorb the flavors of infused ingredients. Readers can find cocktail recipes that use infused vodka and other advanced methods for mixing drinks at the Alcohol Professor and, if they’re curious, find more about this specific type of homemade spirit below or cut to the chase by checking out the recipe at the bottom of this article.
What Type of Vodka Works Best?
Any grade of liquor can be used to create lemon-infused vodka. It will impact the final quality of the product, though, so most people choose to buy mid-range or high-grade vodka. It’s all about context. Those who want to try their hand at infusions for the first time without risking wasting money on creating a poor product can start with cheaper vodkas then switch to better brands after proving to themselves that they can do it.
Beyond the brand, the most important thing is flavor. Buy a neutral, unflavored vodka to make infusions. Otherwise, the flavors already present in the liquor may detract from the desired lemon flavor.
Prepare in Advance
The active process of making an infusion takes just a few minutes, but making lemon-infused vodka requires some advanced preparation because it will have to sit for a minimum of one week after being mixed. The longer the infusion sits, the more flavor will be imparted, though, so most infused liquor enthusiasts opt to mix their infusions at least three weeks before they intend to drink them. It’s also fine to try the vodka periodically as the infusion process occurs. Just don’t pull out the lemons until it has reached the desired strength.
Ingredients and Supplies
Lemon infused vodka requires just two fairly obvious ingredients: lemons and vodka. Home infusion makers will also need a quart jar with a lid to mix the two ingredients, some cheesecloth to strain any pieces of lemon, and a container to hold the finished product, so collect those three things before getting started.
It’s important to use jars with sealable lids. Those who want to get serious about making vodka infusions can purchase specialized infusion jars, but mason jars designed for canning will also do the trick just fine. Those who plan to make a large amount of infused vodka can simply use multiple jars and either experiment with proportions and keep them separate or mix them all at the end of the process.
The Recipe
The process of making lemon vodka is simple, straightforward, and takes very little time. Note, however, that it does have to be mixed in advance, so plan to make it at least a week ahead of any party or special event.
- Wash and quarter three lemons for each jar of vodka.
- Add the lemons and two cups of unflavored vodka to a clean, airtight quart jar.
- Seal the jar and shake it a few times.
- Let sit in a cool, dark location for a week.
- Taste the vodka for flavor. Leave it to sit for an additional few days to a week if it’s still weak, but if the lemon flavor is strong enough, discard the lemons and keep the vodka.
- When removing the lemons from the vodka, place some cheesecloth between the quart jar and the vodka bottle to strain out any pieces of lemon, seeds, and other organic debris. Leaving it in there won’t ruin the infusion, but it could add unwanted texture or intense flavor to the final product.
- Store the finished lemon vodka indefinitely by placing it back in its original bottle and storing it in a cool, dark place, or share it with friends immediately. It is sure to be a hit.
Experimenting with Other Flavors
Once consumers have gotten the basic idea of what it takes to make lemon-infused vodka, they can start experimenting with other flavors if they want. Don’t be afraid to get creative. It’s perfectly fine to add other fruits to the mix, or even put in herbs, spices, or vegetables like hot peppers for extra flavor. The most popular infusions are fruit-based, but there are plenty of fun possibilities to experiment with.
For the best results, it’s important to buy only fresh ingredients. Using dried herbs and spices for vodka infusions is fine, but all fruits and vegetables should be as fresh as possible so they will provide a strong flavor. Just keep in mind that different ingredients have different infusion times. Hot peppers should only be infused for one to two hours, and intensely flavored spices should be left in for no more than four days. Milder flavors require longer infusion times, so fruit-based infusions should always be left to sit for at least a week.
The Bottom Line
Making lemon vodka at home is one of the easiest ways to get into home-made infusions. This entry point can serve as an inspiration to start trying new drink mixes or even more complex infusions, allowing consumers to learn the basics then up their game from there. With summer almost over, there’s no better way to preserve a touch of zesty sunshine than to start a lemon vodka infusion now and save it for the cooler nights to come as a reminder that summer will eventually be back and, no matter the season, there’s always a good time to be had when drinking with friends.