Summer Bliss - Cucumber Vodka

This vodka was a request of Miss Erin Ball's, and is also a tribute to a lovely evening with my fabulous co-workers - Lucy, Erin, Carrie, and Dave - and a bottle of cucumber vodka.

This is one of those really simple and fairly quick infusions. And it is delicious!

Ingredients
1 bottle (750 ml) vodka - don't go too cheap here...the cucumber is such a soft flavor that a really astringent, cheap, Russian vodka will ruin it. You don't need to go to the Grey Goose level, but a good mid-range one is a better choice. I think I used Platinum vodka for mine
3 cucumbers - peeled and sliced (I kept the seeds in mine, but I've read other recipes that took the seeds out. I was happy with how mine turned out, so will probably continue to keep the seeds in the next batch)


What To Do
This one is really simple. Just mix the peeled and sliced cucumbers with the vodka and let sit for three weeks. Then strain out the cucumbers using a mesh strainer.

Put in a bottle and keep chilled for a hot summer day!

I premiered this vodka on the 4th of July out on our newly built patio. It was a huge hit!


Drink Ideas

Cucumber Vodka Spritzer
This is how I enjoy this vodka the most because you can really taste the cucumber without interference of other strong flavors.

Mix one jigger of the cucumber vodka with some ice and muddled mint leaves. Then add in a half a can of club soda. Simple and delicious!


Cucumber Vodka Collins
This one is good, but the lemon flavor masks the flavor of the cucumber a bit. Some people at the patio party preferred this one, and others preferred the spritzer.

Mix one jigger of cucumber vodka with a pony of lemon juice and a squirt of agave nectar in a shaker with ice. Serve over ice and add half a can of club soda.

When life gives you lemons (or limes), make limecello!

This is actually my second batch of limecello, but I'm obviously not good at posting on my blog. I have several other infusions that need to be posted too. Since I hurt my foot hiking, guess I have the time to catch up!

So, I'm starting a batch of limecello for summer 2011. Yes, it's mid-July and therefore really late to start this batch. But it's been one of the coldest springs/summers on record, so my fun, summer drink motivation has been minimal.

But, the sun is out, so here we go!

Ingredients
25 limes (the thicker the skin, the better because it's easier to get the rind and not the pith)
1 jug (1.5 liters) vodka (no need to buy the really nice stuff, but I try to get a cheap to medium quality vodka)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water


What to do

1. Peel all of the limes with a vegetable peeler. Try really hard to get just the rind (the green part) and not the pith (the white part). The pith is bitter, so you want to minimize the amount of pith. Also, I juice all of the limes when I'm done peeling off the rind and use the juice for other drinks/recipes. Don't waste good lime juice!

2. Pour jug of vodka over your lime rinds.

3. Let vodka and lime rinds sit for 6 weeks. Stir once a week. I know 6 weeks can be a painful wait, but it really makes a better limecello if you let it infuse that long.

4. After six weeks, strain the lime rinds out of the vodka. I use a mesh strainer with cheese cloth on it. This helps ensure the minimal amount of little bits getting through, and therefore a clearer liquid.

5. Make a simple syrup by dissolving the 2 cups of sugar in the 2 cups of water. Just bring the water to a boil, stir in the sugar until it dissolves, and then let it cool. Some people like their lime/limoncello sweeter so if that's you just increase to 3 or 4 cups suger and 3 or 4 cups water. But I like mine with a little tartness, so I keep it down at 2/2.

6. Pour the cooled simple syrup into the lime infused vodka.

7. Let the limecello mixture sit for another 10-14 days.

8. Chill and drink! I keep mine in the freezer. It can be sipped straight, or mixed with club soda and mint, or some other fun concoction. Enjoy!