It turns out that infusions aren't as fancy as they sound, and for the most part they're incredibly easy to do. A booze infusion is simply adding another element of flavor to a base alcohol by letting it steep in whatever flavor you are infusing, giving that flavor a more pronounced role in the party. Meaning, instead of just adding a bit of fruit juice, candy or spice to drink, the flavors marinate with the alcohol for anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
I started thinking about infusions recently when I realized blood oranges were in season. Blood oranges add great color to an infusion, have a flavor profile that goes well with a lot of drinks, and they seem to have that same "oooooo" factor that infusions have. So, I grabbed a few of those, bought some tequila and used some Four Roses Yellow Label I had on hand and infused them.
All that took was grabbing a couple of airtight containers, slicing up some blood oranges, grating in some zest and letting them sit in the containers for a few days. I just gave them a little swirl (just picking up the bottle and giving it a few spins) everyday, just to keep things milling around. After a few days, I strained the oranges and zest out and was left with a delicious blood orange infused tequila and bourbon. Now, what to do with them?
For the bourbon, I decided to do a play on the traditional negroni. A negroni is a classic cocktail consisting of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in equal parts (usually) and a hit of bitters. I figured the natural sweetness of the bourbon now infused with the citrus of the blood orange could easily replace the gin for an equally delicious drink. I also played with the proportions adding a little more bourbon and less Campari to let the bourbon shine through.
Blood Orange Infused Bourbon "Negroni":
35ml Blood Orange infused Four Roses Yellow Label
35ml sweet vermouth
25ml Campari
dash Angostura bitters
Just give all of that a good shake and pour over ice into a rocks glass.
Yum! And great color, too!
Now, for the tequila. I have to admit tequila confuses me, even before I open the bottle. Obviously, margaritas work, but other cocktails with tequila never quite seem to work out the way I want them to. So, I went a pretty traditional route with an on the rocks margarita. It may seem a little dainty when poured, but there's a good bit of booze in this, so a little dab will do you. Of course, depending on the day's requirements, a double could poured.
I was worried the addition of an orange liqueur and the sour mix might overwhelm the blood orange tequila, but it didn't. It seemed to draw the flavor out a little more, actually. Also, the color is pretty fantastic.
Blood Orange Margarita
1 oz Blood Orange infused silver tequila
1 oz orange liqueur
3/4 oz sour mix
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Stir that together, then pour into a small rocks glass with ice.
Obviously, these are just two quick infusions that can be done with pretty minimal effort. One thing that's worth pointing out is that there is a tipping point with fruit infusions where the fruit will start to soak up so much of the alcohol the initial flavor and some of the alcohol content of the base will be lost. I usually strain out the fruit after no longer than two weeks.
Also, it often seems like a good idea to use the fruit in your infusion as a garnish for your drinks. But, give that a quick taste before serving it to guests. I've learned the hard way that the fruit can sometimes absorb so much of the alcohol that instead of boozy, tasty goodness, what's left is more like bits of tasteless, palette killing fire.
With spring just around the corner, loads more fresh fruits and herbs will be available and they're just waiting to give your first patio drinks a little boost. And, it's always satisfying as a host for your guests to get wide eyed and say "oooooo, it's infyoooosed!!".
Happy infusing! (And as always, drink and infuse responsibly. And leave the drinking for those over 21).
