If you've never made your own flavored vodka, I highly recommend you do it this holiday season. The method is simple: you combine vodka with fruit, herbs, or seasonings and let it infuse for about a week. Then you strain the mixture, and the liquid you are left with is homemade flavored vodka. My favorite kind to make is cranberry vodka. The cranberries turn the vodka the most brilliant shade of pink, and the taste of the vodka is far superior to any store-bought version. Since it's 100 percent natural, it has none of the cough syrup flavor that is sometimes associated with berry vodkas. Use the cranberry vodka in a martini recipe or put it in a fun bottle and give as an edible gift. Want the easy recipe?

Cranberry Vodka
From Michael ChiarelloCranberry Vodka

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split
2 oranges, peels cut into 2-inch strips
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka

Directions

  1. Place cranberries, sugar and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium heat and stir. Simmer cranberry mixture until the berries burst, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  2. Place orange peels in a large glass container with an airtight lid, or large mason jars with lids. Pour vodka over the orange peels.
  3. Allow the cranberry mixture to cool. Pour the cooled mixture into the glass container(s). Cover tightly and set aside for 1 week.
  4. After 1 week, strain out the cranberries and orange peels and pour mixture into a clean bottle, using a funnel. Store vodka in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 (750 ml) bottle of vodka.

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