When there is not enough money to buy Grey Goose vodka, I sigh and buy something not so yummy. With my sour attitude toward my upcoming cocktail, I decided to infuse it with chili peppers. I wouldn’t consider infusing good vodka because, um, why ruin good vodka. But not-so-good vodka? Perfect excuse to throw something in there to make it more interesting.
The first time I had jalapeño vodka was at Santa Barbara’s Palace Grill in 1994. Wow, that was good! I infused a bottle back then and although I enjoyed it, I preferred high-end Grey Goose that I wouldn’t dream of mixing with anything in except vermouth.
But with economic shortfalls and the forced use of a lesser grade vodka, I went down the infusion path again. At least I used the organic chilis from my CSA.
The martinis from this batch of vodka has been very good. I decided to mix the chili infusion with elderflower syrup. OMG. Hot and sweet! A perfect blend on my tongue. I even tried the infusion with pomegranate molasses left over from a Plenty recipe with moderate success. If I have to drink something other than Grey Goose, this is the way to do it. Yumm.
