I know you want one!
I am on vacation! I have lofty goals for this week including napping in our hammock, light garden work, beach days and blogging. So far I have napped and look at me blogging! Woo-hoo! I am on a roll. As soon as the weather cooperates, I will hit the beach.
A few years ago we let a friend plant a few hops rhizomes around our house. I innocently didn’t think we would have enough for the beer making projects we had planned. So, I planted some more. Silly me. We way more than we can use! Last summer, Evan and I harvested 8 pounds of the suckers! We made a few batches of beer, and a failed attempt at hops infused caramel (too floral), and some hops infused vodka. We gave a lot of the hops away.
The infused vodka was delightful. The hops added a refreshing citrusy bitterness that I enjoyed in my late summer vodka tonics. The medicinal quality of hops is calming and slightly sedative, so this recipe is not for your party cocktail. This vodka and hops infusion is the libation of long warm afternoons spent sitting in the shade dozing with your dog. Sounds like vacation aspirations to me!
It is hop harvest time again. Since I am on vacation and I plan on spending some more solid hammock time reading and napping, a few thirst- quenching hops infused vodka tonics this week will set me right up.
Making the infused vodka takes only a few minutes of active time and 24 hours of steeping. I used fresh hops. If you do not have your own hops plants, put out a call on social media. Now is the time of year when folks with hops plants are overwhelmed. I am sure you have a few friends who would share. You could then invite them over for infused vodka tonics! Win!
This is not the recipe to break out your top shelf vodka. Buy something that you would use as a mixer and not drink straight on its own. I used a bottle of Skyy because it was on sale and I know it to be a solid mid-shelf choice.
*This is important* Be very careful with hops around your dog and your neighbor’s dog. Some dogs can’t resist hops and ingestion is toxic and can be fatal. My dog can’t be bothered with any vegetation, but I still do not put spent hops of any kind in our compost pile just to be safe. Do not let your dog drink your hops infused vodka and do not let your dog eat the hops flowers in any part of this process.
Vacation goals. Check!
- 1 750ml bottle vodka
- 2 oz fresh hops
- 1 quart mason jar with lid
- Fine mesh strainer
- Tonic water
- One lime - sliced
- Add all of the hops to the mason jar
- Pour contents of the vodka over the hops
- Place in a cool dark place for 24 hours- shake the jar occasionally if you think of it
- Strain the hops using a fine mesh strainer into another container. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press the liquid from the hops.
- Measure 2 ounces of the hops infused vodka into a glass filled with ice. Top with tonic water and lime slices.
- Relax in a hammock or lawn chair and savor the day.
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