Author Notes: A while back an acquaintance of mine had a vodka infusing party. One of the vodkas he made was a chanterelle infused vodka. Chanterelles have a lovely fruity, earthy fragrance often equated with apricot or pumpkin. The have a lovely complex flavor – a little fruity, a little peppery, a little earhty. They are a great beginner mushroom for hunting in Oregon – easy enough to find, fairly easy to identify, and not prone to maggots like some mushrooms (boletes I’m talking about you!) For my version of chanterelle infused vodka I’ve added a few aromatics to enhance some of the chanterelles characteristics – some vanilla and star anise to accentuate the fruitiness and add a subtle sweetness, and some black peppercorns to add to the natural pepperiness. I’ve used dried chanterelles because fresh are out of season, and because they produce a clear vodka. (Fresh ones can be used, but the resulting vodka will be cloudy, and you will need to add about 4 oz.) I confess I’ve not come up with a cocktail to use this in, but I think vodka lovers will enjoy sipping it straight. It has a fruity & earthy nose. The forward taste is slightly sweet chanterelles, and it finishes with a little peppery bite. —hardlikearmour
Makes: 1 bottle
Ingredients
-
750
milliliters bottle of 80 proof vodka (not top shelf, but something decent)
-
1
ounce dried chanterelles
-
1/2
vanilla pod
-
1/2
star anise pod
-
2
teaspoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
Directions
- Mix all ingredients in a quart sized jar. Set in a cool, dark place. Shake mix every day or so. Taste vodka after 3 or 4 days, if the peppery bite hasn’t started to come through yet continue to infuse another day or 2. Strain with a fine mesh sieve or through cheesecloth and store in the original vodka bottle, or a fancier bottle if you’ve got one.
/b977f546-c441-43f4-9362-1e699074d2ce--chanterelle-vodka.jpg "Chanterelle Infused Vodka 2")
