Infusions, etc.

Infusions, like syrups, are some of the most enjoyable and easily accessible ways to bring your own spin on drinks at home. At its simplest, it’s nothing more than adding an ingredient to your alcohol of choice and waiting. Getting the most out of your infusions is often a bit more nuanced, depending on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go.

There are a wide variety of techniques available for infusions, as you will see below. The main variables to guide your approach are: temperature, time, pressure, and ingredients. Temperature affects which compounds will be released— for example, you can get noticeably different results between the countertop, stovetop, or controlled temperature (i.e. sous vide), even using the same ingredients/time. Using high pressure (e.g. iSi whipper) can give rapid infusions with very different flavor profiles. And the ingredients matter, of course. Alcohol is a great flavor absorber, so the higher the alcohol content, the faster/stronger the flavors infuse. Certain ingredients more easily impart their flavors as well.

How do you how fast sometime will infuse, or decide how long to infuse something? Just like with cooking (and with syrups), taste along the way! Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about your infusions, or you may end up with a jalapeño infusion that is too spicy to use.

This section is the most diverse and will include fat-washing, tinctures, ice cream washing, etc. As always, please contact me with questions or to share what you made!