With just a couple days left before the holidays, your friends at Belle Isle Moonshine are here to help get you through this time filled with stressful shopping, visits with the family, fruitcake overload and It’s A Wonderful Life on endless replay. With our to-do lists all sorted out and presents wrapped, we figured it was time to have some fun with a few of our favorite DIY infusions that are sure to please everyone at your holiday gatherings.
Belle Isle's own Director of Production and R&D, Gregg Brooks, is here to show you how it's done. These infusions will not only taste delicious, they’ll look beautiful sitting on your kitchen counter or bar. These are all super easy, one-bottle infusions that anyone will be able to pull off from the cozy confines of your home, much to the delight of your guests. It doesn’t get much easier, and it doesn’t get much better.
Lemon Infusion
Ingredients:
- 3 lemons (The harder, the better for peeling)
- 4 oz. simple syrup
- 1 (750ml) bottle Belle Isle 100 Proof
Preparation:
- Measure and pour out 6 ounces of Belle Isle 100 Proof. Use that spirit to make three cocktails, one for yourself and two for your friends. Flying solo, make one drink and save the rest for later.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemon in long strips. Try to get just the outer skin and avoid as much of the white pith as possible. Save the peeled lemons for other later uses. Using a small sharp knife, remove as much pith from the peels as you can.
- Carefully place by the peels into the bottle by pushing them through the neck with a bar spoon or straw. Place top back on the bottle and store in a dark place at room temperature for a minimum of 5 days, though the longer the better.
- When ready, take the bottle out and remove the top. Slowly and carefully pour 4 ounces of simple syrup into the bottle, place the top back on and gently shake the bottle to mix ingredients. Place the bottle in the refrigerator overnight.
- It’s ready to drink at this point, either straight or in a cocktail. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 30 days, though we hope this won’t last more than one night at a holiday party.
- *Want a sweeter finished product? Mix all ingredients in a larger container other than the bottle and follow the same steps, but double the simple syrup. You can always pour the finished product back into our bottle. The infusion should have a beautiful bright yellow-green tint to it.
Orange-Cranberry Infusion
Ingredients:
2 oranges (the firmer, the better)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1½ cups sugar
1 (750ml) bottle Belle Isle 100 Proof
Preparation:
- As with the lemon infusion, measure and pour out 6 ounces of Belle Isle 100 Proof, and use in a cocktail or set aside.
- Place cranberries, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stirring frequently, let the mixture simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until the berries begin to burst. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the oranges in long strips. Try to get just the outer skin and avoid as much of the white pith as possible. Save the peeled oranges for other later uses. Using a small sharp knife, remove as much pith from the peels as you can.
- Carefully place by the peels into the bottle by pushing them through the neck with a bar spoon or straw. Once cranberry mixture has cooled, carefully and slowly pour that mixture into the bottle using a funnel. You may have to push some of the cranberries through using that bar spoon or straw. The neck of the bottle will look crystallized, and I think it adds to the appearance of the finished product.
- Gently shake the bottle to mix the ingredients and place in a dark place at room temperature for at least 5 days. Once ready, refrigerate overnight. There will be some sediment in the bottle, so feel free to strain the spirit before using. You can drink this infusion straight or in a cocktail.
Caramelized Apple Infusion
Ingredients:
- 1 large apple (we like Gala apples for this infusion)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 (750ml) bottle Belle Isle 100 Proof (Belle Isle Black Label will also work in this infusion)
Want to get fancy? Add any of the following with the apples for a new flavor.
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Cloves
- Anise
- Allspice
Preparation:
- Measure and pour out 4 ounces of Belle Isle 100 Proof. Use that spirit to make two cocktails, one for now and one for later.
- Cut the apple into thin slices, making sure they’ll easily fit through the neck of the bottle.
- Place the apple slices into a medium saucepan with the sugar and two tablespoons of water and cook over medium heat. Stirring frequently, let the mixture simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Enjoy the “later” cocktail at this point.
- Once the mixture has cooled, carefully and slowly pour the mixture into the bottle, pushing the apples through the neck with that bar spoon or straw.
- Place cap back on and very gently shake the bottle to mix ingredients. Place the bottle in a dark place at room temperature and let sit for 3-4 days.
- When ready, refrigerate overnight. There will be sediment in the bottle, so feel free to strain while pouring into a glass or jigger. This infusion is great straight or in a cocktail.
