Skip to main content

3 Infusions Worth Trying to Upgrade Your Spirits at Home

At the liquor store, there are only so many ingredients to choose from. When you want to add a flavor to a cocktail that doesn’t exist as a pre-packaged product, sometimes you’re left to your own devices and need to put your DIY skills to the test. While these components can sometimes be included in the form of a syrup, an infused spirit is another way enhance the texture and flavor of a cocktail. Whether you favor using a fruit, herb, spice, or fat (i.e milk, nuts, meat fat, and so on), infusions are a way to customize your drinking experience.

Aquavit-infusions
Aska

They are fairly simple to make, and you can use any spirit as the base. When it comes to choosing a base spirit for the infusion, make sure it is something that you enjoy on its own. You’ll never be able to cover-up a lack of quality with other infused flavors. Another thing to keep in mind has to do with safety and making sure the infusion is potable. Alcohol is a solvent. It extracts high concentrations of the characteristics of whatever it is mixed with, which can be hazardous in some cases. For example, the pits of peaches, and other stone fruit, contain a compound called amygdalin which breaks down into hydrogen cyanide when ingested. If this ingredient were to find its way into a spirit, the consequences could be lethal. Refer to cocktailsafe.org before you go infusing away with various ingredients, and make sure to do your homework.

Related Videos

Related Cocktail Guides

With a little bit of time, patience, research, and a knack for pairing flavors, you’re on your way to creating bespoke infused spirits to add to your home bar. At first, it may entail a bit of trial and error. There are many variables to keep track of including temperature, pressure, time, ratio of spirit to infusion element, the intensity of the ingredient and whether it’s fresh or dry, the ABV of the spirit (the higher the ABV, the quicker the infusion and the more concentrated the flavors are), and so on. Keep track as you go and you’ll eventually lock-in a recipe that you’re happiest with. To get started, we have gathered three recipes worth trying at home, with classic cocktails that work excellently with the infusion.

Brown butter-infused bourbon

old-fashioned
Mathew Macquarrie/Unsplash

Ingredients:

  • 750ml bourbon
  • 6 tbsp of unsalted butter
Method:
  1. Melt butter in saucepan on low-med heat, stirring frequently until the butter starts to brown and smell nutty. Then remove from heat and let the mixture cool before adding it to a large ziplock bag, or a rectangular container.
  2. Add the bourbon and give a light shake to integrate the ingredients. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 4 hours, then place in the freezer for 24 hours to separate the fat from the alcohol.
  3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and a cheesecloth as many times as it takes to remove any excess fats, then store in an old liquor bottle and keep for up to 2 weeks.
Try in an: Old-Fashioned

Grilled pineapple-infused Tequila

Ingredients:

  • 750ml Tequila
  • 1 pineapple (cored and sliced into rings)
Method:
  1. To grill the pineapple: heat up your grill to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and add the sliced pineapple rings to the grill until charred on each side; then set aside for infusion. (Note: If you don’t have a grill, a stove-top griddle will also suffice.)
  2. Once the pineapple is grilled, cut the sliced pineapple rings into quarters, and add the tequila and pineapple to a container to infuse. Leave the mix for 2 days, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth and store in an old liquor bottle for up to 1 month.
Try in a: Margarita

Banana-Infused Rum

Ingredients:

  • 750ml Appleton Estate 12yr
  • 3 very ripe bananas
Method:
  1. Mash the bananas in a large container, then pour over the rum. Allow the mix infuse for 1 day in a cool, dark space, then let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 day.
  2. After 2 days, strain the rum through a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth and store in an old liquor bottle for 2 weeks.
Try in a: Daiquiri

Editors' Recommendations

Feeling adventurous? 5 of the weirdest cocktails from around the globe
Would you order a cocktail with a pickled human toe? You can in Canada, apparently
unusual and unique cocktails sourtoe cocktail

We all love a good cocktail, but it's easy to tire of the classics. There's nothing wrong with a perfectly frosty, salted-rimmed margarita, or a warm-to-your-bones, cherry-topped old-fashioned, but sometimes, you just want something new. Something that makes you think. Something that, perhaps, gives you a chuckle. These are those cocktails.
Pig's Blood Piña Colada (USA)

Back in 2014, bartender Jason Brown of Chicago's Kinmont restaurant and bar, concocted this cocktail after listening to a Werewolves of London lyric about a werewolf drinking a pina colada. His creativity sparked, and the "Werewolves of London" cocktail was born.

Read more
The 8 best protein shakes that are ready-to-go
These shakes come with all the good stuff, and none of the crap
Svelte

With as busy as we have become as a society, we always seem to be on the go. This can make life challenging, especially when it comes to wellness goals. In a perfect world, you could hit the gym hard, crush a workout, then immediately refuel with a balanced, home-cooked meal. But, since life happens and we are always on the go, it’s not always feasible to take the time to actually cook up a muscle-building meal right after your workout. Whether you’re on the go and short on time, or just can't stomach a full meal after exercising, having a quick and easy, protein-packed option that doesn’t require kitchen time, is a helpful alternative to refuel your body and maximize your results.

This is where protein shakes come in handy. Numerous ready-to-drink shakes are available that provide muscle-building protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories to fortify your body after a workout. They offer the benefits of protein powders with the convenience of eliminating the need for a shaker bottle, or high-speed blender, let alone making a mess with powders. Simply give the bottle a quick shake, pop the top, and you’re good to go.

Read more
The 7 best CBD-infused drinks we tried in 2023
These tasty CBD-infused drinks will have you feeling calmer in no time
Cans o RisEau cbd drinks.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, has been hot for a while now, making its way into everything from CBD teas to a variety of CBD coffee brands. If you're wondering "what is CBD?" — it's a naturally occurring compound present in cannabis plants. According to the World Health Organization, it's not addictive, has a solid safety profile, and won't get you high. In clinical trials, it's been effective in the treatment of epilepsy and shows promise in treating a number of other conditions.

In addition to CBD-infused water, tea, soda, and seltzer, another growing trend is CBD-infused nonalcoholic spirits and cocktails. The adult beverage market is flooded with CBD products promising to help you relax, sleep, destress, and mellow out, all without the hangover you'd get from booze (CBD is considered a controlled substance and can't be legally added to booze, at least not yet). We've rounded up a few of our favorite CBD-infused drinks below, from CBD cocktails to CBD water, so you can work your relaxation into your daily routine no matter where you are.

Read more