How to make Infused Liquors (5 Ways)

Published: Dec 16, 2019 · Modified: Aug 12, 2020 by Lexi

DIY Infused Liquors make for a fantastic holiday gift for a host/hostess, friend, family member or really any other adult in your life. In this post, we'll teach you how to make a few different infused liquors. We're also sharing some of our favorite flavor infusions for vodka, tequila, rum & more.

side view of homemade fruit infused liquors in front of a christmas tree

Over the last few years, we've gotten really into mixology and craft cocktails. We love experimenting with different liquors, simple syrups, fruits, bitters, etc.

If you know our family IRL, we pretty much always have company. My parents have hosted countless full-blown, 60+ person parties, smaller dinner parties, holidays, and hundreds of weekend get-togethers. After hosting so many events, we've gotten pretty good at throwing together cocktails with whatever we have on hand.

side view of homemade fruit infused liquors

In more recent years, we've gotten extra ~fancy~ and started experimenting with infusing various liquors and simple syrups. For my wedding last year, we made huge batches of homemade infused vodka and tequila for my signature cocktails. They were a huge hit - some of my friends were even taking straight-up shots of the jalapeño infused tequila! (Yes, it was a very fun wedding.)

In addition to majorly improving just about any cocktail, homemade infused liquors also make for a great DIY holiday gift. Any host/hostess, family member, friend or coworker will surely appreciate the originality and effort!

The flavor combinations are really endless, but we do have a few favorites we're sharing in this post. They include Strawberry Vanilla Bean Vodka, Pineapple Infused Rum, Cinnamon Cranberry Orange Whiskey, Jalapeño Infused Tequila and Ginger Lemon Cardamom Gin.

The whiskey is a particular favorite for Christmas - it's so festive! We also recently made this apple pear infused vodka. It's perfect for fall cocktails!

side view of cranberry orange infused whiskey

How to Infuse Liquor

Infused liquor may sound complicated, but it really couldn't be easier. In fact, it only requires about 20 minutes of hands-on time, including the gift wrapping!

Step 1: Choose your Liquor and Flavorings

The first and most obvious step is to choose your infusion. Most common liquors, like vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey and gin, are all great choices. More complex liquors, like mezcal, aren't as easy to work with.

Vodka is my favorite option - it's essentially a blank canvas that can take on any flavor combination. If you're not a fan of vodka, tequila and rum are easy to start with, too.

When it comes to choosing flavors to infuse, think about your favorite cocktails involving that liquor. Rum, for example, is often used with tropical flavors like pineapple, mango, guava, etc. Whiskey, on the other hand, often calls for warmer flavors like cinnamon, anise, orange and vanilla.

You can infuse liquor with just about anything - fresh fruit, herbs, spices, dried fruit, and anything else your heart desires. It's best to stick with just a few complementary flavors - don't overdo it with too many ingredients. Here's a breakdown of the ingredients we used in these infusions:

Vodka + Fresh strawberries + Vanilla Bean
Tequila + Jalapeño + Lime
Gin + Fresh Ginger + Lemon + Cardamom
Rum + Fresh Pineapple
Whiskey + Cranberries + Orange + Cinnamon

It doesn't have to be complicated. The pineapple infused rum (just 1 ingredient!) is actually my favorite - it's SO good in tropical cocktails!

Step 2: Start your infusion

All you need to get started is a bottle of liquor, your flavorings of choice, and a clean glass jar with an airtight lid. Since most bottles of alcohol have small spouts, you'll have to infuse in a separate jar.

We find that quart-sized mason jars work really well. They have an easy-to-seal lid, and they're cheap and easy to find online or in stores.

If you're using fresh fruits, wash and dry them before adding to the jars. The amount depends on the infusion. If you're infusing liquor with fruit, you can add a lot, but go easy on the spices and herbs, which tend to impart stronger flavor. Of course, if that's what you're going for - that's perfectly fine! But too much ginger or cinnamon can be pretty overwhelming.

pouring tequila into jar with limes and jalapeños

Unless you're totally confident about how much to add, I'd suggest consulting a recipe first. A quick google search should answer most of your questions!

Add the ingredients to the jar, then fill the jar with your liquor of choice. Seal the jar with an airtight lid and store in a dark, cool place until it's ready to strain.

How long should I infuse liquor?

Again, this really depends on the ingredients/type of liquor.

For something like strawberry infused vodka, you can leave it to infuse for up to a week. In fact, the longer you infuse it, the better it will taste! Last year when we made it for the wedding, we ended up leaving it for about a week and it smelled more like syrup than vodka. So good!

pouring vodka into jar with strawberries and vanilla

For something like jalapeño infused tequila, however, less than 24 hours will do the trick. In fact, if you're heat-sensitive, 10-12 hours is plenty. We use this same rule of thumb for infusions made with lots of herbs or spices.

If you're not sure, open the jar after 24-48 hours and give it a smell. If it's very fragrant from the infusion, it's probably good to go. If not, let it infuse for another day or two and check again. As a general rule of thumb, 3-5 days is the perfect amount for most infusions.

And don't worry - even if you're using fresh fruit, you don't have to worry about anything going bad. The alcohol prevents any mold from growing on the fruit, so even after you strain it, you can keep it for years.

Step 3: Strain and store your infused liquor

To strain your infusion, pour the liquor through a fine mesh sieve into a wide-mouth jar, measuring cup or glass bowl. If the infusion contains fruit with seeds/pulp (like strawberries), line the sieve with a cheesecloth to remove as much sediment as possible.

Discard the fruit/infusion ingredients. Clean the glass jar you used for the infusion and return the infused liquor to the jar. Seal and store in a dark, cool place. It will last indefinitely, but we're willing to bet you'll get through it pretty quickly!

side view of colorful fruit infused liquors

How to use infused liquors

There are really no rules when it comes to using your DIY infusions. Add them to any cocktail for more flavor. You may even find you can use less sugar than usual, especially if it's a fruit-infused liquor.

Here are a few quick ideas using our infusions:

Use jalapeño-infused tequila in these Frozen Watermelon Margaritas or these Pineapple Jalapeño Margaritas
Use strawberry vanilla bean infused vodka in a Moscow Mule or Strawberry Peach Sangria
Use cranberry orange cinnamon whiskey in this Cranberry Orange Whiskey Cocktail or this Hot Apple Cider Cocktail
Use pineapple-infused rum in this Pineapple Coconut Rum Punch or this Long Island Iced Tea
Spike homemade lemonade with lemon ginger infused gin

The possibilities are endless - we'd love to hear how you're using your infusions in the comments below!

Gift wrapping ideas

If you're gifting these DIY infusions, pick up a few cute glass jars, ribbons and gift tags for wrapping.

overhead view of labels for infused liquor gifts

You don't have to gift an entire huge bottle. If you're packaging smaller gifts for hosts/hostesses, coworkers or other acquaintances, use a smaller jelly jar.

Tie festive ribbon or burlap around the jar and attach a gift tag. Be sure to write the ingredients on the gift tag, and even a few different ideas on how to use it. If you want to get extra fancy, you can even write out a full recipe - it's up to you!

side view of strawberry vanilla infused vodka

That's it - your infusion is ready to go. The perfect gift!

For a larger gift, pair a bottle or two of your infused liquor with more cocktail-oriented gifts. Pair with your a few cocktail glasses, a cocktail shaker/other bar equipment, mixology cookbooks, unique ice cube trays or ingredients like bitters and shrubs.

overhead view of 5 different types of infused liquors

Questions? Anything we missed? Leave your response below! We'd really love to hear about your favorite infusions. We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been making.

How to make Infused Liquors (5 Ways)

How to Infuse Liquor