How to Infuse Vodka and Other Spirits with Fruit

Did you know that infusing vodka, gin, whiskey, or other spirits with fruit is incredibly easy, quick, and rewarding? Today we're demystifying the process of adding fresh fruit flavors to your favorite liquor and I'm sharing my top tips on how to get the best flavor fast.

Why infuse your liquor?

Because it's fun! Adding your own creative twist to your homemade cocktails or just customizing your favorite spirit to drink on the rocks is fun, quite tasty, and not difficult to do.

About fifteen years ago, I made my first liquor infusions for a July 4th party. I wanted to make a lemonade bar where guests could create their own mixed drink by choosing a fruit-flavored spirit to mix with some fresh lemonade.

I infused a bottle of tequila with pineapple, white rum with blueberries, and bottles of vodka and gin with strawberries. The results were incredibly delicious and started me on the drink crafting journey that would eventually become this blog.

Getting creative with DIY cocktail ingredients

Adding a new layer of flavor can elevate even the simplest mixed drink (like my spiked lemonade). Creating your own syrups, infusing liquor with botanicals, and making your own liqueurs like blue curacao or creme de cassis are all really fun ways to make your own custom cocktails at home.

Botanical infusions

You can infuse liquors with just about any flavor you like. Basic botanical infusions can be made with:

• Fruits and vegetables (berries, cherries, citrus, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, etc.)
• Herbs and edible flowers (mint, basil, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, bay leaf, lavender, rose)
• Spices (vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom, etc.)
• Teas (chai, earl grey, jasmine green tea, hibiscus, etc)

And once you've mastered simple infusions, you might enjoy playing around with fat-washing and milk-clarifying.

Fat washing

Fat washing is a type of infusion that gives spirits the flavors and texture of a fat or oil. The liquor and fat are mixed together, then frozen so that the fat becomes solid. The solid fat is then scraped off the top and the liquor is strained through a coffee filter.

The best known type of fat washing is probably bacon fat-washed bourbon, made famous in 2007 by Don Lee at the NYC bar PDT. Lee's legendary Benton's Old Fashioned started the fat-washing craze and introduced the idea of fat washing to a curious generation of creative bartenders.

Today, mad scientist mixologists have washed spirits with everything from coconut oil to duck fat (and probably many stranger things, honestly). My favorite fat wash? Cocoa butter! It adds a chocolate aroma and a wonderful rich texture to whiskey or aged rum.

How to infuse vodka with fruit

While you can infuse any liquor or even liqueurs with fruit (such as strawberry-infused Campari), vodka is a very common choice for infusions because of its neutral flavor. Because it doesn't have much of its own flavor, it pairs well with any fruit. Here I've infused Absolut vodka with sweet black cherries to make my own cherry vodka. But no matter your spirit of choice, the basic process below will be the same.

To begin, we'll gather our supplies and ingredients. To make a fruit-infused liquor, you'll need the following:

• Liquor
• Fruit
• Mason jar
• Fine mesh strainer

Choose your liquor

Like I mentioned above, you can use any type of liquor you'd like. The higher the alcohol by volume, the more quickly it will infuse and the longer it is likely to stay fresh-tasting.

Vodka, whiskey and gin have an average ABV of 40%. Liqueurs, which are sweetened and generally contain less alcohol, are typically in the 15-25% ABV range. If infusing a bottle that's 20% ABV or less, I recommend storing the finished infusion in the refrigerator just to be safe.

Here are some ideas for pairing fruits with spirits:

• Whiskey infused with cherries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or apples
• Rum infused with pineapple, coconut, watermelon or lime
• Tequila infused with mango, tropical fruits, jalapeno or habanero peppers
• Gin infused with berries, cucumber, apple, grapes, tomato, grapefruit, or lemon
• Vodka infused with citrus, berries, melon, stone fruit, tropical fruit - anything!
• Pisco infused with cherries, berries, pineapple, grapefruit or tangerine
• Absinthe infused with green apple, coconut, pineapple, or figs
• Shochu infused with citrus, apple, or passion fruit
• Aquavit infused with cucumber, melon, or citrus
• Brandy infused with berries, oranges, peaches or plums

These are just a few ideas to get your started, but the possibilities are endless. For example, if you like savory summer cocktails, try a Martini with tomato-infused gin or vodka. Take it a step further by infusing the vermouth with basil. If you love tropical flavors, try infusing rum with pineapple and coconut. If you like it spicy, try infusing tequila or mezcal with mango and habanero peppers.

Don't forget to try combining fruit with fresh herbs for even more unique infusions. Try berries with basil or mint, grapefruit with rosemary, tangerine and tarragon, pineapple and bay leaf - there are so many delicious combinations to try!

Choose your fruit

You can infuse spirits with fresh or frozen fruit. You can even use dehydrated or freeze-dried fruits if you like, although the results may be a little harder to predict. Once you've selected your fruit, it's time to prep it.

If using fresh fruit

Fresh fruit should be fully ripe and washed. Roughly chop the fruit so that it will easily fit into your mason jar. Berries like blueberries or raspberries don't need to be cut up. Strawberries are typically hulled and can be halved. Larger fruits like pineapple, melon, or mango can be cut into chunks.

For citrus fruits, you can decide if you want to infuse your liquor with the whole fruit including the flesh (and all that juice), or just the peels, which contain very flavorful oils. If using the whole fruit, you can just slice it into wheels and add those to your jar. If using only the peels, there will be less water in your finished infusion (meaning that it will be more concentrated). Limoncello is made by infusing liquor with lemon peels and then sweetening the infused liquor to create a liqueur.

If using frozen fruit

If using frozen fruit, you'll skip the washing and cutting and just add the fruit to your mason jar. There are a couple of benefits to using frozen fruit. The first is that the prep work has already been done for you.

Second, frozen fruits are picked when ripe so they can be more consistent no matter the time of year. And most importantly, frozen fruit breaks down rapidly when it thaws, producing a flavorful infusion more quickly than fresh fruit.

How long does it take to infuse vodka with fruit?

If using fresh fruit, you should let your infusion steep for at least 48 hours. Two days tends to be enough time for the flavors to really start to emerge. However, many infusions will improve greatly from allowing them to steep for longer. 4-5 days is the sweet spot for many fruit and liquor combinations with 7 days usually being the longest you'd need to let it sit.

Although I recommend infusing for longer, frozen fruit infusions can become flavorful in as little as a hour! Small frozen fruits like blueberries will rupture and infuse especially fast. In general, I recommend you leave frozen fruits to infuse for at least 3-4 hours, and ideally for 24 hours.

Why does frozen fruit infuse faster?

Have you ever noticed how frozen berries turn to mush when they thaw? The reason is because when the fruit freezes, the juices turn to ice. When the fruit begins to thaw, the tiny ice shards puncture the cells of the fruit from the inside out, rapidly releasing all their flavorful juices.

Which fruits infuse the fastest?

Fruits that have thin skin or are juicy tend to infuse the fastest. This includes fruit like berries and watermelon, or passion fruit. Fruit that has less moisture tends to take a little longer, like apples.

How to infuse step by step

Now that we've covered all the basics, let's jump into the easy step-by-step process. It's just four simple steps and you can tweak each one along the way to suit your own needs or tastes. The best part of creating infusions is that there is no exact recipe to follow, just some simple guidelines.

The amount of fruit and liquor you use is up to you. You can measure it out or just eyeball it (my personal preference). In general, the rule of thumb is to fill your container halfway to three quarters with fruit, then fill with liquor, leaving a small space at the top so you can easily shake the contents.

If you want to infuse an entire bottle of liquor, choose a mason jar that's large enough. The average liquor bottle is 750ml (~25 fl oz).

I'm always experimenting, so I typically make small batches in pint size (16 fl oz) jars. Quart sized jars (32 fl oz) are great for larger batches and will usually accommodate a full bottle, although it does depend on how much fruit is used.

Step 1: prepare fruit and fill the jar

Prep you fruit by washing and roughly chopping it, if necessary. Once your fruit is prepared, add it to a mason jar until the jar is halfway to three quarters full. A small batch would use about 1 cup of fruit.

Step 2: add liquor

Next, pour in your liquor, filling the jar nearly all the way. Leave about a half inch at the top of the jar so that you can give it a good shake periodically. A small batch would use about 2 cups of liquor.

Step 3: let it infuse

Close the lid securely and give the contents a gentle shake. Set the jar in a cool area that's out of direct light and allow it to infuse for at least 3-4 hours (for frozen fruits) or 48 hours (for fresh fruit) and up to 7 days. Periodically give the jar a shake (once or twice a day).

Step 4: strain and bottle

Once your infusion is complete, strain the liquor through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. A coffee filter can be used if your infusion has very small particles or an excessive amount of pulp, sediment or other cloudy solids.

You can reserve the liquor-infused fruit for a garnish, boozy snack, or a lovely ice cream topper. The boozy fruit is also an excellent ingredient for a custom frozen cocktail, just add ice, simple syrup, lemon or lime juice, and blend it up.

Store your finished infusion in a glass jar or bottle in a cool area away from direct sunlight. I store most of my small batch infusions in bottles in the refrigerator so that they're already chilled when I'm ready to make a drink. This can also help preserve the fresh flavor and color for longer.

How long will the infusion stay fresh?

This is hard to say, because it depends on a lot of variables. In general, I recommend using an infused liquor within three months and I wouldn't keep one that's over a year old. Alcohol does act as a preservative, but the flavors and colors will degrade naturally over time and just not taste as fresh.

Simple cocktail ideas for fruit-infused vodka

There are so many great ways to use fruit-infused vodka or other spirits. Sometimes the simplest recipes are perfect for enjoying the fruit flavor.

I made a cherry-infused vodka here and used it in refreshing cherry lime vodka sodas. This simple recipes mixes two ounces of infused vodka with a half ounce of lime and four to six ounces of club soda or other sparkling water. Simply build the drink in a highball glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh fruit and mint for an extra fresh aroma and flavor.

Vodka Soda

A Vodka Soda is a mix of vodka and club soda, typically with a splash of lemon or lime. This simple drink is made much more exciting by using a fruit-infused vodka. In fact, this is my top tip in my 4 Ways to Upgrade Your Vodka Soda.

• 2 oz vodka
• ½ oz lemon or lime juice
• 4-6 oz club soda or other sparkling water

Fill a highball glass with ice. Add all ingredients, stir gently, and garnish with citrus, fresh fruit, or a sprig of mint.

Vodka Collins

A Collins combines liquor with lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda. it's a delicious classic that's essentially spiked bubbly lemonade. Lemon goes well with just about any fruit and any spirit so this is a good cocktail template to use your fruit-infused vodka in.

• 2 oz fruit-infused vodka or other liquor
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 4-6 oz club soda

Build in a highball glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and fresh fruit.

Vodka Gimlet

A Gimlet is traditionally a mix of gin or vodka with lime cordial (sweetened lime juice). Today we make much more fresh-tasting Gimlets by mixing our spirits with fresh lime juice and simple syrup, rather than bottled sweetened lime juice. This is a great drink template to use if your infused liquor pairs well with lime.

• 2 oz fruit-infused vodka or other liquor
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ¾ oz simple syrup

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill it three quarters with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe or other cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Vodka Sour

The classic sour is made with liquor, citrus, simple syrup and egg white. Everything is shaken thoroughly to create a rich egg white froth on top of the drink. The egg white is optional but makes a big difference in the texture of the drink.

• 2 oz fruit-infused vodka or other liquor
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake hard, without ice, for at least 30 seconds to build the foam. Next, add ice and shake until chilled, about 10 more seconds. Strain the drink into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist or fresh fruit.

If you enjoy simple vodka cocktails, check out my very popular Guide to Easy Vodka Cocktails!