Need recipes for DIY Christmas gifts? This homemade infused vodka is great for a holiday gift or to make fun boozy beverages. Cranberry Orange Vodka recipe is great for a festive holiday drink or as a signature party drink idea
Two weeks until Christmas!!
Have you already finished your shopping & gift making or are you thinking "eek, how is it already here?!"
I'm usually in the latter group, but this year I have been planning some homemade gift ideas for presents.
Do you make homemade gifts for Christmas? I love giving homemade gifts because I think they are more thoughtful than a store bought gift often is, but some homemade gifts have to be eaten immediately or they involve things that don't make you feel your best.
Don't get me wrong, I love cookies as much as the next girl, but I after 16 batches of cookies, I'm just about cookie-ed out. Ya know?
So I am sharing gift ideas {both homemade and store-bought} that you'd be happy to give and receive - gifts that won't rot in the fridge amidst all the other goodies of the season.
The first gift is one that any over-21-year-old friend will love.
The other day when I was making cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, I couldn't stop eating spoonfuls of it. So when I was thinking of what kind of flavored vodka I would make as a gift, I decided that a cranberry orange would be a delightful version to try, especially during the holiday season.
I love that this is a reasonably priced gift. Cranberries are on sale this time of year, and oranges are free from the tree in my backyard. But make sure that you use a vodka that you'd actually want to drink, so this doesn't taste like rubbing alcohol.
You need to give this a few days to infuse. I did it for a week and thought it was perfect. I kept a few jars with the orange peels and cranberries in them but that's because I like that kind of stuff and want it to keep on infusing {and I plan on eating the cranberries later because I love a little drunk fruit}.
It's pretty easy to make this stuff. First, you boil the cranberries with water and some sugar. Then let it cool and add orange peels. Stir together with some vodka and let it work its magic. In a week or so, you'll have delicious flavored vodka that costs much less than store bought.
Feel free to pour the infused & strained vodka into cute jars or bottles, but I felt lazy and think it's perfectly nice in a regular old mason jar. Totally up to you though.
You also might just want to make this Cranberry Orange Vodka to have in case people stop by your house over the holidays. It's much more festive and fun than regular vodka. I like it best served with some club soda and an orange slice. {I think I did about 1 oz. Cranberry Orange Vodka to 6 oz. club soda}
Enjoy {responsibly}!
Cranberry Orange Vodka
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 12 ounce cranberries fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 orange peels from 2 oranges
- 750 mL bottle vodka
Instructions
- Bring water, cranberries, and granulated sugar to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the cranberries have popped {takes about 5-7 minutes}. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Meanwhile, put orange peels from two oranges into a glass jar {or a few glass jars}. Pour vodka over orange peels and the stir in cooled cranberry mixture. Tightly cover and refrigerate for at least 4 days, preferably one week or more.
- Strain mixture {if desired}, and transfer to glass containers. Keep refrigerated {it should last at least 4 weeks}.
- To serve: stir together 1-2 ounces Cranberry Orange Vodka and 6-8 ounces of club soda. Serve over ice with an orange, lemon, or lime slice. Enjoy!
Notes
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