My last blog post shared a cocktail in the spirit of Chinese New Year called a ‘Happy Dragon cocktail’ made with homemade Ginger-Infused Vodka. It’s a cinch and I’ll provide the instructions so you may do the same.
Ginger is a coveted culinary and medicinal root. I have addicted friends who eat it like a beaver chomps through trees. It has a nice warming effect and is great for ailments of the stomach. (You may have heard of the motion sick remedy of Ginger Pills). I for one make a tea from it during the winter with a few 1/8 inch slices of unpeeled ginger, a slice of lemon and a bit of honey in teacup filled with boiling water. It’s light, flavorful and I’m sure good for me!
Ginger is a root and when mature it bears spiciness (like arugula is spicy, not like chilies). It is a distinct flavor you’ll identify in most Asian cuisine though it’s present in international cuisine. When infused in the vodka the vodka has a clear ginger flavor but it’s not strong in the way something like crystallized ginger is. Makes for a unique twist in vodka cocktails.
Homemade Ginger Infused Vodka
I suggest using very light flavored Vodka for this infusion desiring the ginger to be the flavor to shine through.
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Servings: 2 cups ginger vodka
Calories: 573kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unpeeled ginger sliced (about 1/8th inch thick)
- 2 cups quality Vodka
Instructions
- Place ginger and vodka in a sealable glass jar. Set in a dark location.
- Check flavor after 7 days. If it is strong enough for your taste you can begin to use it. If you’d like a stronger flavor allow it to sit 3-4 additional days, taste and either use or allow to sit longer. NOTE: I did not remove the ginger from my Vodka once it was done though you can.
Nutrition
Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
GINGERTINI
A ginger spin on a classic cocktail. I garnished with sliced kumquats on a skewer.
· 2 ounces Ginger-Infused Vodka
· 1 ounce Martini and Rossi Rosso Vermouth
· Splash Lemon Bitters
POMEGRANATE GINGER SPARKLER
I use organic, unfiltered pomegranate juice so it has a darker reddish-brown color to it that I love.
Ingredients:
· 1 ½ ounces Ginger-Infused Vodka
· ½ ounce Lemon Vodka
· ½ ounce Simple Syrup
· 2 ounces unsweetened Pomegranate juice
· Ginger ale
Combine vodkas, simple syrup and pomegranate juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a highball glass filled with ice. Pour in Ginger ale to fill glass. I garnished with a slice of an Asian pear.
A few straight forward options; one a redo of a classic Vodka Tonic….
GINGER-VODKA TONIC
· 1 ½ -2 ounces Ginger-Infused Vodka
· Tonic
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add vodka and fill with a quality tonic.
GINGER-VODKA AND GINGER ALE
· 1 ½ -2 ounces Ginger-Infused Vodka
· Ginger ale
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in vodka and fill with Ginger ale.
In case you missed this…..
HAPPY DRAGON COCKTAIL
This drink is very fresh tasting with the tangerine juice and ginger. You could easily make it non-alcoholic by omitting the ginger-infused vodka.
Makes: I cocktail
· 1 to 1 ½ ounce Ginger-Infused Vodka
· Juice of 2 tangerines, freshly squeezed
· Splash lychee fruit syrup (most easily found from a can of lychees)
· Ginger ale to fill
Fill an 8 ounce flute with ice. In a separate glass add the ginger-infused vodka, tangerine juice and lychee syrup. Stir and pour into the flute. Fill glass with ginger ale. Garnish with a lychee fruit on a skewer.
Marian says
I love this idea and wouuld really like to make it but am a bit bewildered by the ‘cups’ ….. what would a cup of ginger weigh …. I could put it in a cup but don’t want to pack it too firmly and end up with too much? And what size cup would you use for the vodka … 7oz or smaller. I’d really appreciate your help.
Toni Dash says
Hi Marian. My guess is you might be in the UK? These measurements are taken with each a dry (for the ginger) and liquid (for the vodka) measuring cup in the U.S. 1 fluid cup is equal to 8 ounces of liquid. The dry measuring cup measures volume. With my husband’s help and some of our cookbooks we feel for the ginger it would be equivalent to roughly 120 ml for you. Using a metric converter I found on Google, 2 cups liquid equals 473 ml which is the amount of vodka the recipe takes. Hopefully this helps!
Charles says
Just came across your site Toni as I am just getting into infusion myself. Your recipes look great and will have to give them a try, especially the Happy Dragon.
Just wanted to share the method I use in the event you would like to speed up your wait times. Not too long ago I started cooking via Sous-Vide using an immersion circulator and recently realized that I could also use this method for infusions. I made a great vodka ginger infusion using crystallized ginger that I usually drink straight (from the freezer that is). It took about 3hrs @ 135 degrees F. Another great thing about this method is that I can try several different versions at the same time. In my first attempt I had three different mason jars with each having different amounts (grams) in it.
I’ve also made a honey pepper vodka in the attempt to replicate Nemiroff’s version that I cannot find anywhere around me. I simply used whole black peppercorns and honey. This is still in the process of perfecting.
I’m currently attempting recipes that I can drink straight or with a little sparkling water. My next effort is a ginger pineapple vodka infusion using crystallized ginger and natural dried pineapple (no sugar). Hopefully it will turn out as good as I am imagining it.
Toni Dash says
Charles I love getting your comment! Ironically I received a sous-vide device last Christmas and haven’t used it yet! Ug, I feel horrible saying that but it’s a time thing. I have not been infusing as much recently but ironically just pulled out a new infusion that I’ll be sharing in the next week. I love all your flavor combinations and sharing how you approached your process. It’s always fun to try and learn new ideas. Please promise you’ll keep in touch with your efforts and let me know what you are up to! And check back in a about a week for my latest infusion!