Flavored Vodka Update
When we last left our intrepid hero in his experimental vodka laboratory, he was attempting to create three flavored vodkas. For the first round, he was trying both ends of the spectrum. Fresh watermelon, cut and infused with vodka... then fresh cherries from Chile, pitted and infused with vodka. These two attempts were left for a week before removing the fruit. But the unusual trial was smoky bacon vodka. About 150 grams of good ol' US sliced bacon, fried until crispy and then added to an infusion jar filled with vodka. Imagine the horror of the vegetarians and AA.
So what's happened since then? In short, the cherry vodka is wonderful. The vodka turned a deep red color and retained much of the fresh cherry taste. Shaken in a cocktail shaker filled with ice with a little Cointreau makes for a wonderful Cherry Martini (sorry to the purists out there). The watermelon vodka, on the other hand, was a disappointment. It turned a faint pink color and retained some noticeable watermelon taste and aroma but I couldn't find a suitable use for it. It's one for the summertime, methinks. Especially when watermelon is a lot cheaper.
Today I started Phase 2 of the Smoky Bacon Vodka. I strained and double filtered the vodka using paper coffee filters. It'll head to the freezer next to remove any unwelcome fats left over. It should be ready for Bloody Mary's by next week.
And finally, when one door closes, another one opens. I decided to continue to explore the fringes of taste infusions. Today I started two new vodka infusions: Red Twizzlers (licorice) and Juicy Fruit (the chewing gum). Isn't this fun?
