We spent this past weekend at a viking-themed festival that friends of ours throw every year, and we were encouraged to bring infused spirits. Obviously inclined to oblige, I decided to make a recipe my friend David shared in the comments section of a vodka infusion post I did a few years back. His recipe for “Polish Fire Vodka” sounded like the perfect viking libation to sip around a campfire. And it was. Though the flavors of cinnamon and clove remind me of fall and holiday seasons, it worked well for a late summer drink, too.
Krupnik (Polish Fire Vodka)
- Up to 1 1/2 cups quality honey (I tend to use less)
- 2/3 cups water
- Cinnamon sticks – 1 or 2
- Cloves – 2-3
- Black peppercorn – 4-5
- 1/4 tsp (or so) nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
- 2-3 strips lemon peel (not too much pith- use your vegetable peeler and be gentle)
- 1-2 dried red chiles (Thai hot peppers are nice)
Bring just to the boil. Remove from heat. Cover and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool.
Add one bottle Schmirnoff vodka. Stick it in the fridge and forget about it for a couple of weeks. Strain out the solids, if desired.
For more recipes like this one, check out the domesticity page.
That sounds AMAZING!