Raspberry Lime Infused Vodka

Martinis are my thing – I love ‘em.  I had been thinking of trying to infuse vodka and went surfing around on Pinterest; at the same time, my friend Lora had mentioned making a fabulous raspberry martini.  I thought it would be cool to try to make Raspberry Lime Infused Vodka, kind of along the lines of a Raspberry Lime Rickey, but with vodka.  Sounded scrumptious.  Jim and I made two bottles to give as gifts to our siblings for Christmas.  I think in about 1 to 3 months time, we are going to have to go visit whichever brother or sister gets this and have a drink!

• 1 large container of fresh raspberries
• Shaved rinds of lime, about 1-2 limes
• ½ cup sugar
• Vodka
  (I used Three Olives)

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash raspberries and pat dry.
2. Place a layer of raspberries, a couple inches tall, in a non-reactive container, followed by a thin layer of the shaved rinds of lime.
   (I used a clear glass bottle with a stopper that I found at Ikea)
3. Using a funnel, add about ½ cup of sugar.
   (The original recipe called for 1 ¾ cups of sugar, which seemed like an extreme amount of sugar.  Since we won’t get to taste this for 1-3 months, I can’t say just yet if we made the right decision to cut the amount of sugar)
4. Repeat raspberries and lime rinds until you reach the neck of the bottle.
5. Using the funnel again, pour enough vodka to reach the neck of the bottle, ensuring that all of the fruit is covered.
6. Close container and shake.
7. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use – 1-3 months.
8. Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved. 

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Weddings website