We may have encountered the saying, “variety is the spice of life”. This certainly applies to the grand whiskey experience.
Are you a whiskey drinker looking for an easy way to spruce up your favorite whiskeys? Welcome to the world of whiskey infusions. Amusingly enough, whiskey itself is an infusion as it initially starts as a clear spirit, and then it is infused with wood in the barrel. Hereon, we go above and beyond the fundamentals.
What Is Whiskey Infusion?
If you already know about whiskey, you know that a good bourbon is challenging to enhance. So why is there a need to mess with perfection? Infusions may change your mind.
Whether you want to try cherry-infused whiskey or orange-infused rye scotch, know that you can infuse almost anything in your whiskey. The most prevalent ingredients you can use to infuse your whiskey are fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
How to Infuse Flavor Into Your Whiskey
Start with your favorite whiskey, and preferably a higher-quality one. A quality whiskey helps draw out more flavors as infusion lowers the content of alcohol, so it is always better to have higher-proof whiskey. Choose whiskey that has 45% ABV. An already peated or flavored whiskey would work best. Before you start infusing your whiskey, read the following tips.
Infusion of Fruits
Adding fruits in the alcohol can capture the ripeness. Get fruits and vegetables, cut them into pieces, and remember that you must not over-mash the ingredients. Cherries and blueberries would work best. The infusion takes 3-5 days for all fruits.
Whole Nuts and Spices
Whichever spice you want to infuse with must be in a complete form. Add whole nuts like almonds, pistachios, pecans after crushing them into fine cracked nuts.
Mint and Other Herbs
If you want to add herbs, make sure you add fresh herbs. Herbs like mint leaves, basil, or more should be frozen first, then dried up before you use them for infusion.
No Expensive Accessories
There is no need to spend more on infusion vessels; instead, you can just get a mason jar for efficient and easy whiskey infusion.
Taste Test
The best part about infusion whiskey is that there is no fast and hard rule about the ingredients you must add. Many drinkers prefer a 1:1 ratio, but it is recommended to do a taste test.
Place a jar away from sunlight, and make sure you shake the jar once or twice a day. After 24 hours, taste the whiskey; if you like it, pour it into your glass; if you want more flavor, keep it for another day. Usually, infusion of whiskey takes around 3 to 6 days for a full taste.
Infuse Ingredients Separately
It is advisable to add one ingredient at a time because flavor gets muddied quickly. If you wish to add two ingredients, make sure you get two jars first; put one component in one pot and another in the second jar. Once they have reached the desired taste, then you can blend the two slowly. If it goes well, have it; otherwise, leave it for infusion.
How to Infuse Whiskey – Bourbon
Some of the cocktails give a fantastic taste to the old flavor, so here I will tell you how you can infuse Bourbon in an easy and fast way.
In recent times, infused or flavored whiskey has gained popularity, and the best part is you can easily and quickly create your cocktail at home with readily available ingredients.
The process of infusion of whiskey is simple.
Get Some Good Bourbon
Quality whiskey is essential, so it is necessary to buy quality bourbon for infusion. Generally, the average price of good Bourbon is $30, and it is recommended to purchase Bourbon that comes in glass bottles; never buy a plastic bottle of Bourbon.
If you are not sure where to start, Jim Beam and Wild Turkey are great staples for infusions.
Select a Flavoring Agent
Finding a flavor for your infusion should not be complicated; here are some tips that you must follow.
- First, taste the Bourbon you are selecting for infusion to know how it tastes and what flavor will be best for it.
- Use typical infusion ingredients like fruits, nuts, or herbs.
- Keep it simple and pick something easy to prepare.
- If you are wondering how to infuse coffee with whiskey, there is no big secret. You can select different flavors like vanilla, coffee, or beans.
Get a Container
You need a glass container to infuse your Whiskey, so look around your house for a container. It should have a wider mouth so that it becomes easy for you to add or remove ingredients. It is never a bad idea to use mason jars that are readily available in everyone’s home. They are not expensive, easy to use, and attractive too. The mason jar does need to be large enough for your infusions though.
Prepare the Infusion
While you add spirit to the container, you need to prepare your ingredients for infusion. The quantity of the components must be according to the size of the container and your taste.
A more significant surface area for elements means a faster transfer of flavor. Preparing ingredients means if you want fruits to be added, slice them into thin pieces for better flavor and easier mixing. For nuts, crack them in half before you add them into the jar.
Wait and Taste
If you are experimenting with a new ingredient, you would not know how exactly long the infusion will take until you try. So you need to keep tasting it with a straw after every 24 hours. If you want a lighter taste, then 2 to 3 days of infusion is ideal, but in case of a more spicy taste, it would take up to 6 days.
Bottle Your Infusion
Once you get the flavor you want, it is time to bottle up your infusion. Strain the infusion whiskey into an attractive and transparent jar. Of course, you can always pour it into flip-flop glass bottles or mason jars.
Parting Words
Infusion whiskey is a drink experiment that is simple and can be tremendously delicious. Hopefully, with the above content, you will know how you can easily make a cocktail at home whenever you have a dinner party or want to enjoy a fresh new style of cocktail. It is essential to follow the tips mentioned above to prepare your infusion properly so that you extract the flavors you want.
