Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Peanut-Infused Vodka

I've gone through yet another laborious process of infusing vodka. If you're a first time reader of this site with no knowledge of this process, then you should know that statement is 100% serious...ly sarcastic. I'm fairly certain that apes could infuse vodka. All you need to do is pick whatever it is you want to infuse your vodka with and stick a bunch of it in a water tight container of vodka.

For this infusion, I used peanuts (unsalted). Keep in mind that if you do this and you want a strong peanut flavor, you'll need to add a good 2 or more cups of peanuts to your vodka. Also, in doing so, the peanuts seem to absorb a lot of the vodka so use a large container and overcompensate with the vodka if you want a sizable batch (and I didn't try it, but I definitely don't suggest you eat the peanuts afterward). I kept mine in the vodka for a few days, strained it and that's all it took. That said, peanuts are fantastic for infusing because the vodka really takes on a strong peanut odor and taste. I'm surprised big manufacturers have not distributed peanut vodka yet, especially considering the possibilities it has in cocktails.

After taking many sniffs and a small sip of the peanut-infused vodka alone, I decided I wanted to try a PB&J flavored concoction. You could go a number of ways with this, using other raspberry/strawberry/grape flavored vodkas or other liqueuers but I decided to use a non-alcoholic (sugar-free) Torani Raspberry flavored syrup. The peanut flavor was actually a bit dominant but I definitely achieved that great PB&J taste that we all remember as kids, except with a kick of booze to it. With the dark red color of the raspberry syrup, the cocktail takes on a bit of a pink color so I wouldn't suggest dishing out a batch of these at your next poker night with the guys, but if you did, I wouldn't judge you.

I made a small batch of this peanut vodka so with only enough for another drink, I think I'll make a chocolate peanut butter mixture with some Godiva liqueur. I'm thinking I may have to make some more and whip up a tribute cocktail to Elvis with some banana and bacon.
Posted by at 7:21 PM
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4 comments:

  1. Kudos Kevin! I can't wait to try this one out at my next party with the Ladies who Lunch Bunch! (lol) -- Keep them coming. xoxo -Angie
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  2. Kevin, try it with 99 Apples. It sounds odd, but it's a great combination.

    You may also want to check out NutLiquor peanut butter vodka. It's more of a peanut butter cup taste than a peanut taste, but it works very well with all of the ideas you have in your post.
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  3. Rich,

    Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely try it with 99 apples. I heard about the Nutliquor but haven't seen it in stores yet.
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  4. The first production run is at the end of the month, so it should start showing up on shelves in early October. We're launching in 9 states (so far)...RI, MA, TN, MI, IN, IL, NV, ND, and NM...with more on the way.
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