Ingredients
- ½ cup peeled ginger, sliced or cubed
- 750mL vodka
- Two large clean bottles or jars
- Cheesecloth or other fine strainer
- Funnel
Instructions
- Peel fresh ginger, then slice into medium thickness or cube.
- In a large clean bottle or jar, add prepared ginger and vodka.
- After capping, swirl container gently.
- Store in a cool, dark place for approximately 3 to 4 days, swirling the container gently each day.
- Sample by pouring into a glass. If you want more flavor, allow to steep longer.
- Carefully remove ginger and discard.
- Pour the infused vodka into the second clean bottle, filtering with the cheesecloth.
- Carefully seal.
You can use the infused vodka right away. You can also store unused vodka tightly sealed in a cool, dark place for approximately one to two years without flavor being affected. Discard when the flavor starts to fade or tastes "off."
Variations of Ginger-Infused Vodka
Ginger gives the vodka a snappy, almost spicy flavor. If that's perfect for you, you can enjoy that simply on its own, but if you want to push the envelope, consider a few flavor pairings.
- Add an extra layer of complexity by adding nuts. Include a quarter to half cup of roughly chopped almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts.
- Include a teaspoon or two of sugar to give your ginger vodka a sweeter flavor.
- If you want your ginger vodka to have fruity notes, add a whole clean and sliced apple, peach, or pear. Add a peeled and sliced mango or pineapple for a tropical fruit pairing.
- Berries add a juicy, naturally sweet balance to spicy ginger. Consider sliced cranberries, raspberries, or hulled strawberries.
- Stay on the sweeter side by adding approximately twelve unwrapped, soft caramel candies for a softer ginger vodka. You can use honey by first making a honey syrup and adding a half cup.
- Make your ginger vodka extra spiced by dropping in three whole cinnamon sticks, a half tablespoon of cloves, star anise, or a whole vanilla bean.
- Explore a citrus avenue by adding two or three clean, unpeeled, sliced lemons or limes. Likewise, you can add a whole, sliced grapefruit or orange.
Ginger-Infused Vodka Cocktails
Wow yourself, your friends, and your IG feed with some stunning ginger vodka cocktails.
OTC Penicillin
You can control just how smokey you want this classic cocktail riff to be by using ginger vodka.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces ginger-infused vodka
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce honey liqueur
- ½ ounce scotch
- Ice
- Candied ginger for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, ginger vodka, lemon juice, honey liqueur, and scotch.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with candied ginger.
Lemon Ginger Gimlet
The name is a mouthful, just like the sip is a mouthful of bursting flavors. That's fine because your gimlet was in need of an upgrade anyway.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces ginger-infused vodka
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Lemon wheel and lavender sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, ginger vodka, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon wheel and lavender sprig.
Ginger Pineapple Crush
Dabble in some tropical ginger flavors by tossing in some pineapple juice and just a hint of rum.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces ginger-infused vodka
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- ½ ounce spiced rum
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Lemon wheel, pineapple wedge, and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ginger vodka, pineapple juice, spiced rum, and lemon juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon wheel, pineapple wedge, and mint sprig.
Ginger Smash
Put ginger front and center in this spicy yet balanced smash.
Ingredients
- 2 pineapple chunks
- 2 lemon wedges
- 2 ginger slices
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces ginger-infused vodka
- 2 dashes cinnamon bitters
- Crushed ice
- Sliced ginger and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle pineapple, ginger, and lemon with simple syrup.
- Add ice, ginger vodka, and bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over crushed ice.
- Garnish with ginger slices and mint sprig.
Mixers for Ginger Vodka Drinks
Keep it simple, go big, or find a nice middle ground when you're selecting a mixer for your ginger vodka.
- Lemonade
- Limeade
- Cranberry juice
- Pineapple juice
- Plain club soda
- Flavored club soda, such as orange, coconut, grapefruit, guava, passion fruit, mango, pineapple, berry, or vanilla
- Vanilla soda
- Cola
- Ginger beer
- Ginger ale
- Cardamom tea
- Hot chocolate
- Coconut water
- Honey liqueur
- Lychee nectar (Also used in some lychee cocktails)
- Rum
- Tequila
- Margarita mix
- Bourbon
- Amaretto
Spice Up Your Life With Ginger-Infused Vodka
Ginger has a naturally savory and spiced flavor. It's a versatile kitchen staple that pairs well with a multitude of other fruits and ingredients. Don't be skeptical about the doors ginger-infused vodka can open for one more second. As a bonus, don't forget ginger helps many ailments, meaning it's pretty much almost medicine-- or at least could maybe help that hangover.
