Cranberry Cardamom Infused Vodka
This is a recipe that’s perfect for holiday cocktails, as well as bottling up and gifting to friends.
As with most recipes, it has been passed along. In one of my updates on Patreon, I had mentioned being on the lookout for interesting cranberry recipes. My friend Susan Turner (who I met through Curio Spice Co, a fantastic spice shop) immediately emailed me with the subject line “Cranberry Hooch,” which is of course a zinger.
She had gotten the recipe from a Russian friend Marianna Rashkovetsky (who is also a talented pianist) who in turn had gotten it from an old friend of her mother’s.
I love this process of recipes. We receive one, we make it, maybe tweak it, and pass it along again. It’s how we have been sharing recipes for centuries.
In my version, I wanted to added a little kick of spice. Cardamom was it. But of course, you could always make it without the cardamom if you want the classic version.
Cranberry Cardamom Infused Vodka
2 cups (7 ounces/200 grams) fresh cranberries, slightly crushed or roughly chopped
7 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 cups (960 milliliters) vodka
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces, 150 grams) organic cane sugar
3/4 cup (180 milliliters) water
Place the cranberries and cardamom in a large jar and add the vodka. Cover the jar and place it in a cool dark place (for example: your cupboard) and let it infuse for 7 to 10 days. Taste along the way so you can determine when you want to stop the infusion.
When your infusion is finished, make a simple syrup with the sugar and water. Heat water in a saucepan, then stir in the sugar until it has dissolved. Let cool.
Strain the cranberries and cardamom pods out and pour the infused vodka into a bottle. Add the syrup, as little or much as you want according to taste.
This all ends up like a liqueur or cordial and there are a few ways you can serve this.
On its own - serve at room temperature with a little citrus twist.
Spritzer - mix with sparkling water.
Sparkling cocktail -pour a little of liqueur into a champagne flute and top with prosecco or other sparkling wine.
Papercut Illustration by Anna Brones
