This year I decided to make infused liquors for Holiday gifts, it is easy and always goes over well. A much better decision than a Forever Lazy, or whatever other dumb shit people buy each other. I was going to wait for Christmas to post this, but it is a great last-minute idea if you need one, and also good to bring to a holiday party in general. Here’s how you can too.

I made several different things. Cranberry Basil Vodka, Strawberry Jalapeno Vodka, and Ginger Bourbon. (So far) Basically you just need to gather some bottles, some fruits and things to flavor, and some booze! And good booze, please. There’s no point in infusing crap. At the same time, you are creating flavor, so don’t use a $100 bottle.

For my bourbon,(top photo) I used Maker’s Mark and infused it with fresh grated ginger. Just peel and shave your ginger and stuff in to a bottle, and fill. I bought pretty flask shaped ones at Brooklyn Kitchen and they are also on Amazon, and included with it the Hungover Cookbook, which pleases me to no end.

For the vodka, I used my all-time favorite vodka, Tito’s, which is hand made and awesome. Their site has a bunch of infusion ideas on it as well, but i wanted mine to be Christmas colors.

I chopped strawberries and jalapenos for batch #1, one of my fave combinations, and then I made some labels and printed them on sticker paper to decorate them.

Then for batch #2 for my more savory, less spicy version, I scored some cranberries (as in, cut a tiny slit in them) and trimmed some basil and stuffed it in to wine bottles. I used chalkboard stickers for the labels, which was a horrible idea if you are wrapping, but if not, works very well. And they are washable so then after you drink it, you can relabel your next batch easily!

After you fill all your bottles, they need to be shaken 3-5 times a day for 5 days, and then they are ready to drink. Obviously, the longer you wait, the stronger they get. When I was a teenager I used to do this with cherries and Everclear and let them sit for 2 weeks and then serve the bowls of cherries at parties. I once got drunk on 5 of said cherries. : )

HAPPY HOLLYDAZE FROM UGLY FOOD TASTES BETTER!!!!!!!!!