Ginger has a fragrant peppery taste that is in some ways superior to common hot pepper when making an infused vodka drink. Adding other suitable ingredients such as honey or lemon greatly improves the taste of your homemade ginger drink. The two following recipes for ginger infused vodka and ginger liqueur will let you make this delicious drink at home. These recipes rely on a proven methodology, which gained recognition among the set of homemade alcohol connoisseurs.
Fresh ginger should be smooth and thick but have a thin peel. Wrinkles, spots, and visible fibers are a sign that the root has been lying for quite some time. You can check if it’s old or not by gently picking the peel with your fingernail. If you sense the characteristic smell, you’re all set. Long roots contain more essential oils.
Both of these recipes use store-bought vodka, ethanol diluted to 40-45% or distilled moonshine for the base alcohol.
Classic Ginger Infused Vodka
This recipe employs the traditional preparation technique. The final infused vodka has no ethanol flavor, only a pronounced ginger aftertaste and fragrance. This drink features impressive warming and appetizing properties.
Ingredients:
- Ginger root (fresh) – 40-50 grams
- Vodka (ethanol 40-45%, moonshine) – 1 liter
- Honey – 100 grams (optional)
Connoisseurs of concentrated tinctures can add more ginger—75 grams. Honey softens the burning sensation. Sugar is not as effective.
Rinse the ginger root with tap water and peel it. Grate the peeled root or grind it using a meat grinder and then put it in a fermentation vessel. Add vodka or honey (optional) and stir. Cap the vessel and move to a dark place with room temperature for 10-14 days. Shake the vessel once every 2-3 days.
Strain the obtained ginger vodka through cheesecloth. To clarify your homemade drink, strain it once again using a cotton wool and bottle it. Ginger infused vodka can be stored for up to 2 years. It has 36-38% ABV.
Simple Ginger Liqueur Recipe (with Honey and Lemon)
You’ll only need 15-20 minutes to make a delicious ginger liqueur, which has refreshing hints of lemon in addition to burning ginger aftertaste.
Ingredients:
- Vodka (moonshine, ethanol 40-45%) – 0.5 liters
- 1 average-sized lemon
- Honey – 1 tsp
- Fresh ginger root (peeled) – 20 grams
- Salt – 1 pinch
Rinse the lemon with hot water and wipe dry to remove any preserving chemical substances on its surface. Peel the lemon (the yellow part without touching the bitter white pulp) and keep the zest.
Grate the ginger on a small grater. Then put the zest and grated ginger in a jar, add salt and mix the contents. Squeeze the juice out of the half of the lemon into the jar and stir once again.
Infuse the mixture for 5 minutes, add vodka and honey. Cap it and give it a good shake. Infuse for another 5 minutes. Strain your homemade ginger liqueur through 3-4 layers of cheesecloth and squeeze the pulp well.
The resulting ginger liqueur has a lemon flavor with honey mildness and pronounced ginger aftertaste. It can be stored for up to 1 year and has 34-36% ABV.