Having fun with Gin and Vodka

[vixnpips]

ahh the blackcurrent liquorice are of the boiled type LOL..

Jelly babies!!! LOL

[ina]

Made rather nice blackcurrant rum last year. I think it was 200g black currants plus 100g sugar per bottle of (dark) rum. Leave for 2 months or so. I found the fruit too bitter to eat after that; chucked them on the compost and waited to see if there were any birds flying in circles around the heap! But I think I missed them.

[Debbydo]

With regard to your recipe an easier method is to fill a large,wide-necked bottle/jar with fruit then add the acohol. leave about 1-1 1/2 inches at the top add sugar till the liquid reaches the top of the jar. shake every day and add more sugar when possible until no more sugar will dissolve, leave a few more days then strain and drink. This will keep indefinately and the friut makes a nice topping for icecream!

[Milims]

Looks like we are the first to try kiwi fruit vodka!!
We've decided that today is experiment day - we are going to buy bottle of vodka and with the aid of a selection of jam jars add it to various things - has anyone tried it with chocolate yet?

[hmk]

we are going to buy bottle of vodka and with the aid of a selection of jam jars add it to various things - has anyone tried it with chocolate yet?

I used to have a recipe for Dime Bar Vodka, but never actually tried it. Was very popular in a trendy London bar at the time, I think. I do have a friend who would appreciate that or Christmas Pudding Vodka though, so she may get it for Christmas yet...

Hazel

[Milims]

I just found this on the net!! Never thought of doing that in my dishwasher!!

Yield: 1 servings

1 Bottle vodka
1 Empty vodka bottle
Mars bars; the number
-- depends
-- on taste

Chop the Mars bars into thin strips, so that they fit through the neck of the vodka bottle. Fill the empty bottle with the strips of Mars bar and then pour in the vodka, fill to the top.

Screw the top on tightly and place in a dishwasher for 1-1 1/2 hours. Afterwards place in a fridge until chilled.

I also found this link :http://www.vodkaphiles.com/flavor.cfm

Think I'll be doing some interesting things in the kitchen this afternoon!!

[Thomzo]

I presume you actually have to put the dishwasher on?

Zoe

[Milims]

Yes the dishwasher has to be on! lol! We've been doing some more experiments - we put some choc in vodka and put it in the dishwasher - it worked remarkably well!! We also but some of those satin cushion boiled sweets in vodka (sans dishwasher) it went a lovely shade of navy and tastes rather good and has been named "squid ink drink" by Chris !! Luckilly we have a couple of bottles of cheap vodka, lots of jam jars, a dishwasher and lots of things to experiment with - we'll keep you posted- presuming that after taste tests we can still type!! Don't you just love making christmas presents!!!

[the.fee.fairy]

It all sounds great!!

How do you make Christmas Pudding Vodka?

When i was at Uni, we experimented with boiled sweet (and jelly babies...) and vodka and rum.

The jelly babies got dissolved in a bottle of cheap white rum. I thought it was disgusting, but i had a friend who came round and wouldn't let us take the bottle off of him! (mind you, i only used black, red and pink jelly babies - i like the orange, yellow and green ones!!).

The most successful were pear drop, and cherry drop - any single flavour, single colour boiled sweet wors really well.

Campinos/werthers original/anythign else creamy createds a settled drink with a layer of the flavour, and then a layer of the cream.

Pineapple and kola cube vodkas were possible the second best (pear drop was the overall winner).

Pear Drop Tequila is also good - i don't like tequila, but someone gave me a double shot sample, so i poured it into a bowl, crushed a few pear drops and dissolved them in it, and filled up my hipflask. It was good good tequila after that!!

I've always wondered what you could dissolve in whisky - i think it'd have to be liquoricey flavours, or things that aren't too sweet - you've got to stay with similar flavours. Werthers original might work, there are caramel flavours in whisky (i used to work as a spirits taster...), but things like pear drops definitely won't - that'd be a clash.

Lime and citrus in bourbon would be good too. I would give that a go, but in my house, Jack Daniels is sacred....

[chadspad]

Spirits taster - how cool a job is that

[red]

well, i have made pear liqueur, strawberry liqueur and have started a cassis. I already have enough sloe gin and blackberry brandy lurking in the cupboard and i dont drink them fast (I'm more a beer and wine woman..) but a tot of something nice when in the bath or on a cold winter's night can be a good thing...