DIY Infused Liquors

Salted caramel vodka.  Need I say more?  Well, there's also strawberry jalapeno tequila and cinnamon apple bourbon coming at you in this post as well, just in case you weren't sold.  I was having lunch with my mom, my aunts, and my grandmother down in San Diego a few weeks ago when the meal took a boozy turn and we ended up with a table full of delicious cocktails that had been shaken up with house-infused liquors.  I was inspired by how easy it would be to make these and give them as gifts, so I tried it last week and turns out they're awesome!  Whatever you were planning to take to that white elephant exchange or gift to neighbors, I promise this will be better!

What You'll Need:

• glass containers with lids for storage (I did smaller batches since I was experimenting, but large mason jars work great!)
• glass containers with lids for gifting (size depends on just how generous you would like to be!)
• 375 ml vodka (this recipe is based on this quantity, but feel free to double, triple, and so forth.)
• 375 ml tequila
• 375 ml bourbon
• 15 soft individually wrapped caramels
• ⅛ tsp. kosher salt
• 10 strawberries, cut into small pieces
• ⅓ jalapeno, sliced into small pieces and seeds removed
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• ½ granny smith apple, cut into small pieces

Directions:

• Place caramels into bottom of jar and then pour vodka over them.  Place strawberries and jalepeno into separate jar and top with tequila.  Place cinnamon sticks and apples into third jar and top with bourbon.
• Let sit at room temperature for 48-72 hours.
• After allowing to sit for 2-3 days, simply strain the tequila and bourbon.  The vodka is a little bit trickier.  It needs to be poured through a coffee filter to strain out the caramel byproduct.  This takes forever, so I tried skimming the by product off and using that, but it doesn't work.  Over time it will continue to separate  in the infusion and not looks so great.  I recommend setting up three or four different coffee filter/cup situations and separating it so that it goes faster.  Allow at least an hour for this process, depending on how much you are making.
• We topped our infusions with small pieces of fabric, twine, small oak tags, and a little ornament.  Decorate yours however you like!  These infusions will keep for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Photography by Melissa Valladares