5 Hacks That Totally Transform a Bottle of Vodka

Stock your bar with just two liters of 100-proof vodka and you can transform this one spirit into six with some clever infusions using easily found pantry items. We’ve made refreshing limoncello, chocolate liqueur, herbal gin, orange liqueur, a sort-of successful smoky mezcal and a valiant attempt at a sour apple liqueur. For this experiment, herbs, spices and even bacon came into play in flavoring these infusions. High-proof vodka was selected because the high alcohol content is best for extracting the essence of each ingredient. Note that 100 proof is as strong as it sounds; once you strain each flavor, you can adjust the alcohol concentration by adding roughly a quarter cup of water for the taste of a standard 80-proof spirit.

Photography by Heather Ramsdell and Karen Cohen

We mimicked the flavor of this classic after-dinner drink by infusing high-proof vodka with bitter cocoa nibs and semisweet chocolate chips. Most chocolate liqueurs tend to run on the sweet side, so we added granulated sugar to increase the sugar content too.

Combine 1/3 liter of 100-proof vodka with 1/4 cup cocoa nibs, 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate (coarsely chopped) and 2 tablespoons sugar in a clean 16-ounce Mason jar. Seal the jar tightly, and shake once a day for 5 days before straining the infusion into a separate container.

Juniper berry is usually the first thing you taste when sipping distilled gin. Here we used the expected juniper berries, and because we were infusing the flavors instead of distilling them, some coriander, fresh ginger root, citrus zest and other aromatics were added to create a fresh, herbal tasting gin with just the right amount of kick.