Berry Vodka Soda

I like this drink, because it reminds me of the canned hard seltzer drinks, except it tastes much better! It’s refreshing, not too sweet and low calorie. Note: It does take 3 – 7 days to infuse your vodka so you need to plan ahead. However, once the vodka is infused it lasts indefinitely; so I would suggest making up a jar of berry vodka whenever you have a cup of extra berries.

Step 1: Make the berry vodka

1 cup of berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, etc.)

1 cup of vodka

Place your berries into a glass jar with a lid and pour in 1 cup of vodka.

If you want to get creative, add citrus zest, fresh herbs or a split vanilla bean to add additional flavors. Just make sure the vodka completely covers all of your add-ins.

Put the lid on your jar, give it a shake and place on a counter out of direct sunlight for 3 days. Give the jar a shake once a day to help the infusing process along.

Taste the vodka after 3 days and continue infusing for up to a week if you want more flavor or color. Once the vodka has the color and taste you like, strain the infused vodka through a fine mesh strainer and place in a clean jar with a tight lid. (Discard the remaining fruit pulp, citrus peels, etc.) This infused vodka will last indefinitely.

Step 2: Make your cocktail

2 oz infused vodka

5 oz club soda

Lemon or lime wedge

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add your flavored vodka and club soda. Stir gently. Garnish with a wedge of citrus and fresh berries, if desired.

Note: If you’d like more than 1 cup of flavored vodka, just grab a bigger jar and more berries.

Consider infusing your own vodka for other cocktails or martinis using the flavors you want in the cocktail. Some fun combinations: Lemon Zest and Lavender, Cranberries and Lime Zest, Watermelon and Mint or Cucumber and Thyme. If you’re trying a new combination of flavors, I would experiment with just one cup of vodka.

If you have a great infused vodka flavor combination, please share in the comments.