Flavouring vodka has been around nearly as long as Vodka itself.
Eastern Europeans have been using fruits and herbs and spices to flavour vodka since the fifteenth century.
Usually known as infusion, this process is also known as maceration, or percolation.

The flavour combinations are endless. Vodka, a neutral spirit, invites lots of experimentation.
Create your own vodka fusion following the simple steps below. It's easy!

Create a Vodka <in> Fusion!

Pick a good-quality vodka to ensure a good base.

Select ingredients to generate the flavour sensation you are hoping to capture.
Choose a combination of fresh fruit, spices and herbs. (see suggestions below)

Use a clean, fully sealable glass bottle large enough to contain the vodka and fruit.
The bottle must be clean and have a tight seal.
The size and nature of the ingredients being infused will dictate the size of the container needed.
You can also use the original vodka bottle itself if the ingredients are small enough to fit (i.e. pepper, cinnamon sticks).

Insert cut-up pieces of the ingredient (fruit etc) into the glass bottle.

Add secondary flavours (spices, etc) if desired.

Reseal the bottle tightly and lay it on its side. Plan to "steep" the bottle between twenty-four and
forty eight hours for most ingredients. Some ingredients may take a week or longer.
Ideally the bottle or container is kept in a dark place and should be turned every few hours during this process.
The timelines are different for every ingredient and depend on how much of the taste transfer you hope to achieve.
Be cautious of spices or strong ingredients as a prolonged steeping period could leave
you with too much of your desired flavour (i.e. peppers, garlic).

After you have removed the flavouring ingredients, the bottle should be sealed and stored in either the fridge or freezer.
Depending on the ingredients you may need to use a strainer to properly remove the entire ingredient.
Note: This process, best known as infusion, is really " maceration".
Infusion traditionally involves the use of heat to help transfer the taste but over
time the term infusion has become the all-encompassing reference.

Some Suggested Flavours
orange slices and melon cubes
cinnamon sticks
vanilla pod
red currants
lemon slices and peel
coffee beans
peppercorns
cranberries, mashed

Hints:
If the infusion process has left you with too strong a taste one of the advantages of infusion is that you can simply
add more vodka to dilute the taste. Feel free to experiment with smaller amounts by pouring the vodka from the
bottle into another airtight container. Ensure that the new bottle or container is clean and free of any residual flavours or smells.
Some ingredients can be left in the infused bottle to add a little colour and decoration to the vodka.
Examples could include thin fruit slices. If adding numerous ingredients take note of the quantities of each so you can
capture the same flavour in the future. Infusion as a process is not limited to vodka but is the recommended spirit of choice as it is neutral.
Experiment with Gin or even Tequila!

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