Garden-Fresh Vodka Infusions That Will Step Up Your Summer Cocktail Game

If you're the type who likes a weekend project—or even if you're the type who hates a weekend project but loves a delicious cocktail—we've got just the thing for you.

With just a few days of steeping time and minimal effort, vodka infusions are a super-easy way to make use of summer produce while taking your go-to vodka sodas to the next level. Plus, you get to feel a bit like a flavor scientist while you're at it.

With the farmers market practically bursting at the seams this time of year, there's no better time to try out making a few infusions than right now. If experimenting sounds fun to you, check out our general guidelines for how to play around below.

1. Pick a flavor—or a flavor combo—that sounds good to you. Keep it to two flavors per infusion, unless you're feeling really confident. Any fruit you like will work great solo; strawberry-basil, pineapple-jalapeno, cucumber-mint, blackberry-rosemary, and ginger-turmeric are all winning duos.

2. Make a small batch first to make sure you like it. Try 1-cup batches in Mason jars as testers before committing to infusing a whole 750-mL bottle. A bottle that size contains just over 3 cups of vodka, so when it's time to make a full-serve version, just multiply your infusion ingredients by three. 

3. Gather everything you need. Fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs are best for infusions, and pick a vodka that's smooth and neutral—we like to use Tito's Handmade Vodka for its quality and reasonable price point.

4. Prep your ingredients. Wash well, then slice or chop your ingredients and add them to your jar. You can leave small fruits like blueberries whole, but quarter figs or strawberries, and slice or roughly chop anything bigger. Fresh herbs can be left whole on their stems. Ginger and turmeric should be peeled and sliced (hot tip: Wear gloves when prepping the turmeric, unless you want yellow-orange fingers). For more specific guidelines on other ingredients, this list is helpful.

Makes one 750-mL bottle

When it's time to serve, you get to play flavor scientist all over again. Certain infusions are awesome in specific cocktails—the turmeric-ginger-infused vodka below is killer with ginger beer or in the pineapple and lime cocktail included below—but in general, you can't go wrong sipping your infusion over ice, or topped with soda water and a big squeeze of lemon or lime. 

Serves 6