Crafting Your Own Flavored Vodka for a Home Cocktail Night

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A good spirit can make or break a cocktail, especially if it’s an alcohol-forward one like a dry martini or a vodka gimlet. To really take your homemade bartending skills to the next level, we’ve put together an easy guide for you to follow on how to make your own flavored vodka for a cocktail night at home.

As a long-time food and drink recipe developer, writer and photographer, and now a non-alcoholic drinks creator at My Mocktail Forest, I used to obsess about infusing my own spirits and even flavoring non-alcoholic bases for drinks. At one point, I had no fewer than 10 infusion variations on vodka, bourbon and rum going on in my kitchen cupboards, some steeping for over a year. Luckily, I’ve discovered that flavoring vodka requires much less time and effort.

With just a few easy steps and some creativity, you can make your own flavored vodka at home. We suggest a citrus recipe to start, for a citrus-flavored vodka, but you can go with any other flavors you like. From there, the road to creative cocktails is filled of fun twists and turns.

To make your own citrus-flavored vodka, you’re going to need a few basic tools and ingredients.

You’ll need two quart-sized glass jars with airtight lids — preferably wide-mouthed — two 33-ounce bottles with a good stopped or cap, a fine-mesh strainer, a cheesecloth, funnel, and zester. 

For the flavored vodka itself, you’ll need a bottle of vodka, and it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Two organic oranges, two organic lemons, and one organic grapefruit — all zested and sliced. A vanilla bean, split lengthwise, will complete the flavoring.

To start, you must sterilize your jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. This can help you avoid some of the dangers of canning your own food, and it can be done either in a hot water pot with plenty of water or in the dishwasher.

With your jars sterilized, evenly divide all the zest, sliced citrus and split vanilla bean between the jars. Stuff them as much as possible to get as much flavor in there.

Using a funnel, pour vodka over the ingredients, ensuring complete submersion.

When fully filled, seal the jars tightly with the lids and store in a cool, dark location like a kitchen cupboard or a basement.

Agitate the jars daily for 5-7 days by shaking them gently.

After about a week, your flavored vodka is almost ready to drink. Double-strain the liquid from the jars into prepared sterilized bottles through a fine-mesh strainer, coffee filter or cheesecloth. 

Return them to the cupboard for another 48-hour rest period, just to let all the flavors settle. 

Serve the citrus flavored vodka on ice with a citrus twist, or use it in your favorite cocktail.

You can then store any leftover flavored vodka at room temperature up to six months.

Not sure what cocktails are best to make with infused vodka? We’ve got you covered with some ideas.

Make a classic Citrus Martini by combining 2 ounces of citrus vodka with ½ ounce of dry vermouth and a splash of fresh lemon juice, and then garnish with a lemon twist or olive. For something more refreshing, make a Citrus Moscow Mule by mixing 2 ounces of citrus vodka with ½ ounce lime juice and 4 ounces ginger beer, or even a ginger ale for a sweeter drink. Serve it over ice in a copper mug, garnished with mint and lime. 

During summer months, a Citrus Vodka Collins is the perfect refresher, combining the infused vodka with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda for a thirst-quenching cocktail. Use it in a Screwdriver or Greyhound recipe, or add a splash of it as the base in a citrus variation on the World War One themed French 75 variation with a bit of simple syrup and champagne or brut sparkling wine.