Hot Cider W/ Apple & Cinnamon Spice Infused Vodka

With the cold winter weather here to stay, we needed a hot, spiced drink to help us keep warm. For us, warm cider is nice, but we thought it could use a little extra boozy boost from our home-infused vodka. It was super easy to make and makes for a fun project; kind of like that time back in school where you had to take care of an egg for a week, except this time, it gets you drunk!

Apple & Cinnamon Spice Infused Vodka

(makes 1 750ml bottle)

(prep time 30 mins)

(takes 1 week)

1 750ml bottle of Cutspike vodka
1 Jazz or Honeycrisp apple
1/2 of a Bartlett pear
4-6 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp of allspice (whole)

We started with two mason jars to which we added our spices and vodka. Be sure to fill no more than 3/4 full to leave space for the fruit.

We're using an incredible vodka that's made no more than 20 minutes away from our house by a local brewery and distillery. We've even toured their facility and we can safely say that these guys make some seriously quality product!

Of course, it might not be easy to use the exact liquor we did, but quality matters here. It pays to spring for something that doesn't come in a plastic bottle.

Lastly, cut your apple and pear into cubes and toss them in before popping the lids on your jars.

Now for the hard part, the week-long wait. Put your jars in your refrigerator and let them sit for one week. Once a day, take them out and give them a little shake before returning to the fridge.

After the week is up, you'll be ready to strain and filter. Grab yourself a strainer and a funnel and pour the vodka into another jar to catch any large pieces of cinnamon or fruit, we don't want that.

We then ran our strained vodka through a coffee filter to keep out any smaller bits that may have gotten past the strainer.

Only thing left to do is pour the whole thing back into your bottle and close it back up.

Now you've got wonderful vodka infused with juicy fruits and spicy flavor perfect for your holiday punch or for us, hot cider!!

With it's subtle spice and smooth taste, this infused vodka is the perfect easy-drinking (if not, a little too easy to drink) addition to your favorite seasonal drink!