It sounds difficult if you've never tried it before, but really, maceration (or if you prefer a 10-cent word to a 50-cent word, "infusion") is actually a fairly simple process. Wired's how-to wiki has a simple step-by-step that should have you kicking the proverbial it in relative style this summer with very little outlay in cash, time or space.
Vodka is the tofu of libations; it tastes like whatever you have with it, and by itself, the best & purest stuff is virtually tasteless. So think of this process as having a home-cooked meal versus ordering out. You're in control of the final product, you have a great story you can share about how resourceful you are, it frees you up to try things that aren't pre-set and available (never mind apples and currants, what about zucchini? Or jerky? Or licorice mixed with chili peppers?), and you have the satisfaction of creation. (And getting rid of the mistakes will be such a burden.)
Citrus infusions apparently take a couple of days at most; lighter tastes like cucumber or lavender might take up to two weeks. (I wonder what potato-infused vodka would taste like.)
In my experience, actually, cucumber doesn't take nearly that long. I started doing a cucumber infusion after having the cucumber gimlet at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco, and it's pretty brilliant. They put the recipe on their blog:
Cucumber “Gimlet”
1 3⁄4 oz. Cucumber-infused vodka
3⁄4 oz. Lime Juice
1⁄4 oz. Elderflower syrup
1 dash Orange bitters
Float of Champagne
Shake everything but the champagne with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Add float of Champagne. Garnish: Three cucumber slices.
*Cucumber Vodka
1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 750-ml. bottle unflavored vodka
Combine the cucumber, zest and vodka in sterile glass jar; let stand for 48 hours before serving.
Really subtle, really clean, basically superior to straight vodka in every way...
Posted by: AK | April 02, 2008 at 11:45 PM