Flavored Vodka
Properly flavored vodkas are a
treat either alone or to complement part of a meal: A cool vanilla vodka to
accompany an after-dinner coffee ... apricot vodka with a fruit trifle ...
cherry vodka with a piece of chocolate cake ... the opportunities are endless!
The following flavored vodkas are simple to prepare at home. After infusing, keep them in the freezer for best results. [These recipes are taken from A Taste of Russia, published by Russian Life.
Anise Vodka/Anisovaya: Place 2 teaspoons whole anise
seed in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.
Strain. [Note: Peter the Great's favorite drink was triple-filtered vodka,
diluted with anise water, then redistilled.]
Apricot Vodka/Abrikosovaya: Place one dozen apricot
kernels in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.
Strain.
Black-Currant-Bud Vodka/Smorodinovka: Pick the buds
of black currants when they are still sticky. Place a handful in 1 pint of plain
vodka and infuse at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain. An alternative method
is to make a very strong infusion in only 1/4 pint of vodka and then add 10 to
12 drops of the essence to a bottle of plain vodka.
Cherry Vodka/Vishnyovka: Crush 36 cherry pits and
place them in 1 pint of plain vodka. Infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.
Strain.
Coriander Vodka/Koriandrovaya: Place 2 teaspoons of
coriander seed, slightly crushed, in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room
temperature for 24 hours. Strain.
Garlic-and-Dill Vodka/Chesnochnaya: Place 1 clove of
garlic, slightly crushed, 1 sprig of fresh dill and 3 white peppercorns in 1
pint of plain vodka. Infuse at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain. A small
bit of dill may be left in the vodka, if desired.
Herb Vodka/Travnik: Place a few sprigs of a favorite
herb, such as tarragon or basil, in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room
temperature for 24 hours. Strain. A small bit of the herb may be left in the
vodka.
Lemon or OrangeVodka/Limonovka or Oranzhevaya:
Remove the rind from 1/2 large lemon or from 1 orange in a single strip, taking
care to avoid the bitter white pith. Infuse in 1 pint of plain vodka at room
temperature for 24 hours. (Do not leave the peel in longer, or the vodka will
turn bitter.)
Pepper Vodka/Pertsovka: Place 30 black peppercorns
and 30 white peppercorns in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room temperature
for 24 hours. Strain.
Saffron Vodka/Shafrannaya: Place 1/4 teaspoon
saffron threads in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room temperature for 24
hours. Strain.
Tea Vodka/Chainaya: Place 4 teaspoons black tea
leaves, preferably fruit-scented, in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room
temperature for 24 hours. Strain.
Buffalo Grass Vodka/Zubrovka: Place 8 blades of
buffalo grass in 1 pint of plain vodka and infuse at room temperature for 24
hours. One blade of grass may be left in the vodka after straining.
© 1999, RIS Publications. All rights reserved. To order a copy of A Taste of Russia, from which this section was excerpted, simply go here.
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