Make Your Own Infusion

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Make Your Own Infusion

Historically it’s hard to say how far back alcohol infusions go, but we do know that in the 1800’s bartenders in saloons were making something called “Rock and Rye”, which was an infusion of high proof, or “hot”, rye whiskey. These barkeepers would add orange peels, rock candy, and bitter herbs like horehound into the whiskey to mellow it out and make it more palatable. Now, in the modern mixology world, we make infusions to enhance flavors and let our creative juices flow.

You have probably seen a large glass vessel behind your favorite bar with some sort of fruit and liquor concoction in it. Vodka is probably the most common spirit to infuse, because it is mostly neutral and whatever you are using in it becomes the prevalent flavor.

There is no “rule” when it comes to infusing spirits and I always treat it like an experiment. When I teach about this subject I always tell people to be as creative as they wish- - let your mind and taste buds take over and have fun with it. I have seen just about everything you can imagine added to alcohol…...pineapples, berries, herbs, spices, teas, and even CANDY. The real fun begins, though, when you use a spirit that already has intense flavors, such as whiskey, gin, or of course RUM.

On the bartending side of things, infusing a spirit can also be a method to saving steps when

making a cocktail with many ingredients. Let’s take a Blueberry Mojito for instance. You can do it the old school way, which would require the muddling of the blueberries and mint, adding lime, simple syrup and rum, and then straining out the fruit and mint to serve over ice. In a high volume bar set ting however that may be too much work so one way to save time is to infuse the rum with the blueberries. I have done this with an unaged silver rum like Mt. Gay Silver and it makes for a beautiful color and fantastic flavor.

I am often asked, “how long do I leave the fruit/herb/spice in there?” Again, there is no rule here and extracting flavors depends on many factors. The higher the proof of the spirit, the quicker it will extract flavors. Some fruits/herbs/spices take days, some take hours. I did an infusion once with coffee beans and it reached the perfect flavor at 6 hours, but after 8 it became too bitter. I have also infused tequila with jalapeños and after 24 hours it was so spicy it was undrinkable. This is where culinary creativity and patience comes in. Remember, too, that it doesn’t have to be just one item! You can mix and match and use as many things as you wish based on flavor combinations you like.

If you want to try this at home, this is my suggestion:

Choose your spirit and infusion items and put them into a mason jar. Remember what time and day you did this and every 6-12 hours take a little taste. Once the flavors have mingled to the level you are happy with, strain out all of the “stuff” and then you can use your infusion to make cocktails. It is very important to strain out what you used to infuse with …...the longer it stays in there the more it will infuse.

One of my favorite fall-winter infusions to make is Spiced Rum. I encourage you to buy your favorite mid-range priced aged rum (no need to purchase the most expensive or the oldest rum) and add baking spices. This is a fabulous base for a winter rum punch, and I have also purchased small jars and given this as Christmas gifts!

SPICED RUM INFUSION

750ml Appleton Estate V/X

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Star Anise

4 Whole Cloves

¼ teaspoon freshly Ground Nutmeg

¼ teaspoon Allspice

Place all ingredients in a sealed jar and store in a cool dark place. Turn the jar over twice per day for 3 days. At the end of the 3rd day, use a fine mesh strainer to pour into a clean jar and remove all of the spices. You can leave your newly spiced rum in the mason jar or funnel it back into its original bottle. The shelf life is indefinite.

-Article written by Cris Dehlavi, The Muse of Mixology-

My name is Cris Dehlavi and I am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for the past 13 years with my daughter, Desi. I have been running the bar program at “M”, of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant group since 2005. I am currently the President of Columbus USBG as well as a consultant for bars and restaurants nationally. In 2013, I attended the rigorous B.A.R. 5 Day Spirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the U.S.A. I am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bar tenders around Ohio. My contribution to Got Rum ? magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry.