Grapefruit Infused Vodka with Oranges
Salty Dog. Screw Driver. Cosmopolitan. Lemon Drop. Harvey Wallbanger. Kamikaze.
What do all of these things have in common?
Vodka and Citrus.
Flavored vodka is really popular right now. You can find just about any flavor you want on the shelves at the liquor store these days. The average price (depending on where you live) of one of these favored bottles is about $15-$25. You can infuse your own citrus vodka for under $15, and the recipe is really easy, consisting of about 3 steps: 1. Preparing the fruit; 2. Adding the vodka; and 3. Letting it sit. I will even venture to say that the taste will be better than the store-bought counterpart, especially if you are lucky to find some really flavorful citrus. Citrus happens to be in season at the moment, so that shouldn’t be hard to do. The serving size is one ounce, so it’s pretty reasonable on your waistline as long as you drink in moderation.
Grapefruit Infused Vodka with Oranges
Ingredients:
1 liter of cheap Vodka (You are adding flavor to the vodka, so you don’t need to buy a top shelf product. Any cheap bottle will do.)
2 large grapefruits
2 large oranges
1. Supreme the grapefruits and add to a large pitcher. Make sure to reserve the juice in a jar or other container. Make sure to squeeze the juice from all parts of the citrus before discarding. We also poured excess juice from the pitcher to the container. You want to infuse the vodka with the grapefruit and orange taste, not make a grapefruit and vodka cocktail.
Supreme: First cut off the tops of the citrus. Next, cut the sides by running a knife from the top to the bottom, cutting off the rind. Then hold the citrus in your palm, and cut each section at the membrane to release the sections. See pictures below.
2. Zest the oranges and add to the pitcher.
3. Supreme the oranges using the same method as the grapefruits, and add to the pitcher.
4. Pour the vodka into the pitcher.
5. The vodka will be ready to drink in 2-3 days, but will continue to get better for about a week. You may want to save the empty vodka bottle and pour the vodka back into the bottle when you are done infusing with the citrus. Save the juice for salty dogs and screw drivers. Jeff likes to eat the citrus after it’s been sitting in the vodka for about a week.
There are about 34 ounces in a liter of vodka. Serving size is one ounce. 75 Calories, 0 fat, 2.9g carbohydrates, 0.2g protein, 0g sodium.
Once you get the hang of infusing the vodka, you can use other fruits if you like. Citrus works really well to infuse vodka because it breaks down easier than other fruits and lends it’s juices easier.
What’s your favorite flavor of Vodka?
Crystal is the founder of Simply Playful Fare. She has been in the kitchen for as long as she can remember. She has a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing.