Cranberry Lime Infused Vodka

Having leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving, Jim and I made two bottles of Cranberry Lime Infused Vodka to become Christmas gifts for our siblings, along with the bottles of Raspberry Lime Infused Vodka we also made.  Jim asked “what would someone use Cranberry Lime Infused Vodka for?” – Ummmmm… COSMOS!!!

In my last entry for the Raspberry Lime Infused Vodka I said I loved martinis.  Why do I love martinis?  I blame my old friend Sherrill.  We had worked together for years, and back in the day, we had a team off-site in Armonk, New York, where we would get together after a day’s worth of meetings at the bar for some drinks.  I had never had a cosmopolitan before, until Sherrill suggested I have one.  By the end of the night, I had had three, not to mention having polished off Sherrill’s last one.  So I blame her for making me love them (I blame her for a lot more, but that’s a whole other story)!  I MISS YOU SHERRILL!

January 2013 Update:  So cranberries seem to be out of season now and no one has them, yet I want this for myself!  Just made a batch using one whole bag of Dole frozen cranberries that I bought at Wegmans (still hard to find), the rind from 3 limes, and 2 Tbsp. of sugar.  I'll be back in two weeks to let you know how it turned out.

• Cranberries
• Shaved rinds of lime, about 1-3 limes 
• 1 ½-2 Tbsp. sugar 
• Vodka
  (I used Three Olives)

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash cranberries and strain dry. 
2. Poke small wholes or make a couple slits with a knife in each cranberry.
   (This is time consuming, but it'll help infuse the flavor of the cranberry into the vodka.  I used a lobster pick, and despite accidentally pricking my finger a few times, seeing the vodka turn a cranberry color after only a day makes me think this was well worth it)
3. Place a layer of cranberries, 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) 
4. Using a funnel, add about 1 ½ Tbsp. of sugar.
   (The original recipe called for “less than 2 Tbsp. of sugar).  Since we won’t get to taste this for 2 weeks to 2 months, I can’t say just yet if we used the right amount… stay tuned!) 
5. Repeat cranberries and lime rinds until you reach the neck of the bottle. 
6. Using the funnel again, pour enough vodka to reach the neck of the bottle, ensuring that all of the fruit is covered. 
7. Close container and shake. 
8. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use – 2 weeks to 2 months (the longer you leave it, the sweeter the end result will be). 
9. Shake every day or two until the sugar is dissolved.

Adapted from Fancy Napkin blog