“Wash in really hot water to sterilize it, and make sure that the lid doesn’t have a paper or metallic lining that could disintegrate, or it will get kind of gross when you shake it up,” Filian says. The ProcessAny impurities can affect the taste of your infusion, so wash all ingredients and tools thoroughly. So many people are surprised because they think they’re a Grey Goose person but they find they’re a Smirnoff person.” “Have everybody bring a bottle, put in bags, taste them neat and see what you like for yourself. “Demarketize yourself have a tasting party,” Magarian says. Don’t know which vodka or whiskey is your favorite? Conduct a blind tasting. There are plenty of good vodkas between $15 and $20 (for a 750-milliliter bottle).” He recommends SKYY or Frïs vodka, but he stresses that home mixologists should stick with brands they like. “The vodka should be a clean and unwrinkled canvas,” Magarian says. Since you’re altering the flavor of the liquor, top-shelf varieties aren’t necessary mid-range products work just as well. “For all practical purposes, Bacardi is a sugar-cane vodka. “They’re pretty much blank palettes,” he says. “Spices are great with dark rums.” Light rums and vodkas are more versatile because they tend to take the flavor of even mild fruits and herbs. “If you’re using a dark rum or whiskey, you want bold, rich to stand up to that,” Magarian says. “I’ll go to the farmers market and say, ‘OK, what do they have today? What can we play with?’” When deciding on ingredients, also think about what your medium will be. “There are so many great fruits and herbs that come out throughout the year,” says sake sommelier Chris Johnson of New York City’s Bao 111, where he punches up sakes with flavors like lemon grass, elderflower, cucumber and rose. (While you’re at it, try adding celery root to that infusion as a nod to the cocktail’s classic garnish.)Īlso, look at what’s in season. If your favorite food is pizza, a basil-tomato-oregano vodka blend might be just the thing to revive a tired bloody mary recipe. Magarian’s affinity for Greek food led him to combine dates, dried apricots, dried golden figs, anise seed and lemon in vodka. If you love to eat chocolate-covered brandied cherries, you might think about stewing cherries and vanilla beans in brandy, then combining the blend with a chocolate liqueur for a dessert cocktail. It’s really a culinary endeavor it’s like cooking.” Think about adding spices to simple fruit or berry infusions. They’re all about balance and layers of flavors-I love doing infusions that have three, four or five ingredients. “I look at infusions like I look at cocktails. “Some people get stuck doing one kind of infusion-one fruit or one vegetable,” Magarian says. If you’re pretty confident about your culinary chops, you can try layering flavors for more complex blends. I love apples and Cathie loves raspberries, so we decided to those. “Doing the testing of it all is a lot of fun,” he says. Her co-host Steve Piacenza discovered his favorites-ginger tequila and pineapple rum-through experimentation. Crafty TV personality Cathie Filian, co-host of the DIY Network’s Creative Juice, grew up watching her mom infuse vodkas with melon and strawberries from her garden, so she’s partial to fruity blends. For your first few goes at it, you might be most comfortable mimicking an infusion you’ve tasted before and liked. When deciding what to infuse, start with flavor combinations you know you like. In that spirit, let your tastebuds-not your brain-be your guide. “There’s so much enjoyment in the flavor.” “I want people to stop looking at cocktails as an alcohol-delivery vehicle and start looking at them as a flavor experience,” Magarian says. Cocktail consultant Ryan Magarian likes to think of the uninfused spirit as an empty canvas the ingredients you’ll add are the paint. Once you set your heart on making the perfect chile- and lime-infused tequila, you can forget about strict recipes and exact measurements. Think Like a ChefInfusions are more about culinary creativity than science. And you don’t have to stick to vodka whiskey, gin, sake and everything in between can be gussied up with fruits, veggies, herbs, spices, teas, even coffee beans. Truth is, while there is such a thing as a bad infusion, with a little experimentation and patience, you can make your own at home. When lined up on a back bar, the glass jars filled with inspired, colorful combinations of stewing ingredients look very Chemistry 101-chic and, as such, there’s a perceived magic behind them. Bartenders favor the showy concoctions for their versatility, depth of flavor and-let’s be honest-their wow factor. Once crowd-pleasing novelties that graced only the trendiest bar shelves, infused spirits have become cocktail-menu staples.
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