Flavored vodkas add a great taste to all your favorite cocktails! They can be expensive, though, and it's sometimes tough to find the exact flavor you're looking for. This guide to How to Make Flavored Vodka will teach you the basics of making this great drink staple at home!

(Creative Commons photo by dbking)

• Vodka
  • Use good quality vodka. There's no need to buy a top shelf brand, but don't use the cheapest one either, as inexpensive vodka may not give the best tasting results.WikiHow: How to Infuse Vodka With Flavor

• Flavoring
  • Spices, herbs, fruit or other desired flavoring.
  • The amount you need depends on how flavorful the ingredients are and how quickly you'd like the infusion to be completed. Most recipes call for 1/2 cup to 2 cups of fruit, but smaller quantities of highly flavored ingredients like chili peppers or ginger.

• Wide Mouth Jar with tight fitting lid, large enough to hold the vodka and flavoringEgg and Soldier: Five-Berry Cosmopolitan (November 25, 2006)

• Funnel

• Knife

• Cutting Board

• Strainer

(Creative Commons photo by Betsy Fletcher)

1. Make sure the jar is clean, with no odors from previous contents.
   • For example, if you recycle a large pickle jar, you'll want to make sure that there's no trace of pickle odor—unless you're aiming for pickle vodka!
2. Some recipes advise you to berries: Leave Citrus Fruits: Slice, or leave whole and poke holes in the rind so the juices from the fruit and the vodka can mingle. You can also make citrus vodka using just the peel. Recipezaar: Pink Grapefruit Vodka InfusionRecipezaar: Chili Infused VodkaCHOW: Grapefruit-Infused Vodka (July 27, 2006)
3. Vanilla beans: Split the pod lengthwise with a knifeRecipezaar: Vanilla Vodka
4. Fresh herbs: Wash and dry, then bruise the leaves to release their oils.Recipezaar: Basil VodkaRecipezaar: Lavender Flavored Vodka
5. Chili peppers: Wash and leave whole.Food Network: Chile Flavored VodkaMartha Stewart: Chile-Pepper-Flavored Vodka
6. Melons: Peel, seed and cut into small pieces.Food & Wine: Cucumber-Honeydew Vodka
7. Dried Fruit: Rehydrate by bringing to a boil and soaking for 15 minutes.Recipezaar: Apricot Vanilla Vodka
8. Peaches: Slice.Recipezaar: A Peach Infused Vodka
9. Cranberries: Crush.Recipezaar: Wisconsin's Finest Cranberry Vodka
10. Place the ingredients in the jar.
11. Add vodka. Reserve the original bottle and top.
12. Close the jar tightly.
13. Set aside in a cool dark place.
14. Most infusions take from 7-10 days;some are ready overnight, and others take up to 3 months. It depends on the potency of the ingredients and how strong you want the flavor. The only way to know if the infusion is ready is to taste it periodically.
15. When the vodka is to your liking, you'll want to remove the flavoring residue.
16. Using a funnel lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, transfer the infusion from the jar back into the original vodka bottle.Food & Wine: Fig Vodka
17. Store in a cool dark place.

(Creative Commons photo by Kalina Wilson)

• There are about as many variations on flavored vodka as there are vodka drinkers, but here a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

1. Egg and Soldier staged their own infusion festival and tried out the following flavor combinations: vanilla-coconut, sun-dried tomato and cilantro, five-berry, fig, and pumpkin spice.Egg and Soldier: Infused Vodka (November 21, 2006)
2. Grated or diced ginger can be used to produce an interesting infusion that adds zest to a Bloody Mary or a martini.CHOW:Ginger-Infused Vodka (May 11, 2007)Recipezaar: Ginger Infused Vodka
3. Citrus Fruits, such as grapefruit, lemon and orange, are traditional flavors.CHOW: Grapefruit-Infused Vodka (July 27, 2006)Martha Stewart: Lemon-Flavored VodkaRecipezaar: Orange Vodka
4. Chai flavored vodka only needs to steep for 45 minutes!Food & Wine: Chai Vodka Recipe
5. Threading citrus peels on skewers, then inserting them into the bottle, makes for an attractive presentation and flavors the vodka as well.Epicurious.com: Citrus Vodka
6. Slashfood suggests using Skittles to color and flavor vodka.Slashfood: Are You Ready for Skittles vodka?
7. You can substitute dried chiles for fresh in Chile Pepper Vodka.Recipezaar: Chile Pepper Vodka
8. Combining several varieties of fresh chili peppers, horseradish, dried chili peppers and lime, this Chili Infused Vodka packs alot of heat!Recipezaar: Chili Infused Vodka
9. Garlic and basil combine to make an infusion that makes a great marinade.Recipezaar: Garlic Basil Vodka
10. Fried bacon is paired with peppercorns in an infusion for the adventurous drinker!Recipezaar: Bacon Vodka
11. Candy Canes make a mint-flavored vodka.Recipezaar: Mint Candy Infused Vodka

• Now that you've mastered the technique, you'll want to share the results with your friends! Invite them over for an infusion party, and experiment with using the infusions in your favorite cocktail recipes.