Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Mixology 101: Radish Infused Vodka

There's a stretch of holidays between Mother's Day and Labor Day when a Bloody Mary perfectly completes the breakfast, brunch, lunch, or BBQ you are hosting. It's one of my favorite drinks to make and one that I take a lot of pride in. But sometimes you have to freshen things up a little...yes, even the old favorites.

A few months ago I was craving a bit more of a bite in my Bloody Mary recipe and adding a radish infused vodka seemed like a great solution. I'd never planted my own radishes before and definitely haven't seen an organic radish vodka in the store (yet).

Apparently these little veggies don't need much maintenance; just a small amount of soil, a few hours of sunlight, and some water. The stalks were towering above the ground just weeks after I nestled those little the seeds into the earth, giving me a huge amount of satisfaction. If only I had that much success with everything in our garden!

I peeked into the dirt a little to gage the size of the radishes and after about 5 weeks determined they were ready for plucking. They came right up out of the ground with no effort and gleamed a deep pink once hosed off.

After a more thorough clean in the kitchen, I chopped off the roots and stem, cut them into thin slices, and dropped them into a jar full of vodka. Patiently, I waited as they "marinated" overnight.

The wait was worth it because the spoonful of vodka that I sampled the next day was exactly what I was looking for. It had a zing to it without being overwhelming.

In my freezer I now have a full jar of radish vodka ready for some Bloody Marys and a slew of weekend gatherings. Now I need to figure out all the other ways I can use it!

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3 comments:

  1. Been doing a lot of infusions lately, mostly with fresh summer fruit. Never thought about using veggies. Let us know the other ways you use this vodka!

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  2. What kind of vodka did you use?

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    1. Ryan-I used Tito's Vodka for this recipe, but I'm sure you'll have the same results with your favorite vodka. Just remember that this infused vodka doesn't keep too long. Infuse it, and use it. -Jordan

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