This time of year we’re all looking for unique holiday gifts for our friends and relatives. If there’s someone on your list who loves unique cocktails, you may want to make an infused vodka. They’re easy to prepare and fun to do. However, I wouldn’t say making infused vodkas are super cheap homemade gift since you shouldn’t use crappy vodka. However, you don’t have to make vats and vats of the stuff. A few good sized bottles of good vodka should suffice.

There are two ways of doing this infused vodka recipe. I’ve shown the “decant and repeat” process below, where you soak the key limes for two weeks. Then you sample the vodka to make sure the taste is sufficiently limey. Once the limes peter out, toss them. Or you can prepare smaller mason jars with the ginger, lime and vodka and give that as a gift. People can refresh the vodka on their own. (If you can’t find key limes, you can also use regular limes. Just cut them up into smaller pieces so they fit inside the jars.) You can also do the second method last minute since you don’t have to wait two weeks to decant.

I’ve had my Ginger & Lime Infused Vodka in the refrigerator for several months. (I like keeping it in the refrigerator so it’s ready to serve!) I’m not decanting it all that often, so the flavor’s really strong. Also, I’m not worried about the key limes going bad since they’re refrigerated in alcohol. However, over time the limes have gone from a light yellow green to dull yellow. They’re not as pretty but they’re still very strong tasting.

Gifting wrapping ideas

For decanting bottles, you can go hillbilly and bottle your Ginger & Lime Infused Vodka “moonshine” in a Mason jar. Or you can decant it into glass bottles with corks or stoppers. Craft stores like Michael’s have terrific selections of inexpensive glass bottles to choose from as does Cost Plus World Market.

Add the infused vodka to a basket filled with a couple of cocktail glasses, some stirrers, cocktail napkins, and a card with a cocktail recipe featuring the Ginger & Lime Infused Vodka and you have a nice homemade gift for your favorite cocktail aficionado!

If you’re looking for labels, check out the free printable labels and tags from WorldLabel on Pinterest. They have some amazing choices that will fit all your holiday DIY gifting needs. On your serving label, you can suggest that people to mix the Ginger & Lime Infused Vodka with another flavored vodka like marshmallow vodka (wow!), another liquor (rum would be fun), or a sugar syrup. I like to sweeten mine with a couple of packets of Monk Fruit In The Raw to keep the calories low, and I serve it over a lot of crushed ice. It’s sort of like a Skinny Key Lime Pie Cocktail!

Ginger & Lime Infused Vodka

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large Mason jar
• 1 4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices
• 1 bag key limes
• 1 liter bottle quality vodka

Directions

1. Add the sliced ginger to the Mason jar.
2. Wash and cut the key limes in half and loosely fill the jar nearly to the top.
3. Pour in the vodka. Place lid on jar.
4. Place the Mason jar in the refrigerator for two weeks. Sample the vodka. If the vodka is pleasingly limey, decant the vodka into the gift jars.
5. Refill with vodka, place lid on jar and place back in the refrigerator. Wait two weeks and repeat process. Again, sample the vodka. You can repeat the process until the limes are no longer giving out enough flavor.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Servings: varies

• Serving size: varies

Do you make any homemade gifts during the holidays?