Top 3 Easy-to-Make End of Summer Infusions
By Monique Farah
As the weather continues to change, we hope to be gathering outside for just a little while longer this summer.
Here are a few easy-to-make infusions with an accompanying cocktail to help us extend the season far into the coming months ahead.
Arnold’s Fun Cousin
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. of lemon tea infused vodka*
- 4 oz. lemonade
Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over ice into a highball glass. Garnish with sugar rim and lemon slice.
*Lemon Tea Vodka
Ingredients:
- 1 750ml bottle of vodka
- 12 lemons
- 7 black tea bags
Preparation: Pour the vodka into another container (pitcher with a top or large jar). Put teabags into the vodka, making sure to carefully cut off any strings and tags. Peel the lemons into strips with as little of the white part as possible and put the peels into the vodka. Store for a week before removing the teabags and let the lemon peels sit for another week. Strain the vodka into another container (the original bottle is great) and store in the freezer.
Iced Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of cold coffee
- 1 1/2 oz. coffee infused whiskey*
- 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (or 1 oz. Irish cream liqueur)
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon
Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over ice into a highball glass. Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.
*Coffee Infused Whiskey
Ingredients:
- 1.75ml bottle of Whiskey
- 1 1/4 cup of coffee beans (medium to dark roast)
Preparation: Pour the Whiskey into a separate container (large jar) and add coffee beans. Store and let sit for 2 weeks minimum. The longer it sits the richer the flavor. Strain the whiskey back into a glass bottle and serve.
Mango-Jalapeño Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. of mango-jalapeño infused tequila*
- 1 1/2 oz. lime juice
- 1/2 oz. agave nectar
- 1/2 oz. Triple Sec or Cointreau
- 1/4 cup of chopped mango
Preparation: Pour the tequila into a shaker and muddle mango. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice. Pour over ice in salt rimmed glass and garnish with a mango slice.
*Mango-Jalapeño Tequila
Ingredients:
- 1.75ml bottle of tequila
- 2 cups of dried mangos
- 2 jalapeños
Preparation: Pour the tequila into a separate container (pitcher or large jar suggested). Cut the jalapeños into fourths, clean out the seeds and put the jalapeños into the tequila. Slice the dried mangos into fourths and put them in. Let sit for 5 days and then remove the jalapeños. If you want a stronger jalapeño taste leave in a few days longer. Let the mangos sit for at least two weeks before you strain and serve.