Chili Infused Vodka

When I first moved back to the Baltimore area I was introduced to The Rumor Mill in Historic Old Ellicott City, MD. After trying out a few of the small plates and more than a few drinks, I went home raving about how amazing it was to Adam. A few weeks ago he finally had a chance to try them out for himself. Much like my trip, he raved about the food but was most of all blown away by a drink we tried out from the gigantic blackboard of housemade fusion vodkas.

If you ever get a chance to go (and I cannot recommend it highly enough) you really need to try their Thai Chili infused vodka. It is spicy and crisp and packs the perfect punch. Ever since we had it we have been tossing around the idea of making our own but hadn't been able to work up the nerve... until now.

Chili Infused Vodka

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 Liters of vodka 

8-10 peppers 

A pitcher with spout

We took a trip to our local Asian supermarket to get the peppers we were looking for. We tend to lean towards the spicy so we used a mixture of Jamaican hot peppers, red jalapenos, and long green hot peppers*. If you want to tone down the heat using a milder pepper that is just fine, its really up to you. We found an absolutely perfect glass pitcher at Target though any sun tea style pitcher would do in a pinch. Finally, the vodka brand is a personal preference. We chose Finlandia vodka mainly based on price as this was our first attempt.

To start, cut the tops off of all of the peppers and slice them in half.

(Note* I am not wearing gloves...this was a huge mistake which we will revisit later.) We removed the seeds as we didn't want the added step of having to strain the vodka later but you can leave them in for added heat it you don't mind straining.

Once all of your peppers have been sliced, layer them in the bottom or your pitcher.

Now it is time for the vodka! Pour over your peppers:

And now you play the waiting game. It can take anywhere from two days to two weeks for the vodka to fully absorb all of the flavors. The taste test is the best indicator, which I am not even going to pretend I minded. There you have it: Chili Infused Vodka.

If I had know how easy it was to make I would have been doing it all along. Don't feel limited by my flavor choice either. You can infuse your vodka with anything you like really. Fruits, veggies, candy flavorings, etc. 

*NOTE

Working with hot peppers can be dangerous and not to mention extremely uncomfortable if not done correctly. Never ever ever touch your face or eyes after handling them and always wash your hands after. Honestly if you can just wear gloves. Trust me on this lest you end up like me with your head over the sink, snot running out of your nose, sobbing, while your husband pours milk all over your face.

Lesson of the day: 

Learn from my mistakes or end up looking like Rudolph because you maced yourself in the face like I did.

-Bee