Cocktail Infusions

The original craft that Tram planned to bring for the Craft Party was a very cool black and white-painted harlequin pumpkin. She and I looked at several options on Pinterest and we were both quite excited about it.  Then… time passed and well, if you’ve read this blog for more than a few months, you know that Tram has adorable 7-month-old twins, Zak & Zoey. 

Yeah, I know! They are just about the cutest thing on this Earth! And to think that when they start talking up a storm, they will be calling me “Aunt Linda” – I’m super excited about that!

Anyhow, Tram has her hands more than full. As the party approached, I decided to take the pressure off and offer an easier craft option. One that I could help her with and one that was close to her strength. One with coffee! You also probably know that Tram and her husband, Steve, own Press Coffee Roasters.

So… I found some awesome bottles. Here are the bottles we used. Next, I gathered up all the ingredients needed – except some cinnamon sticks, and the coffee, of course, which I left to the expert! Somehow, between the two of us, we came up with the most popular craft at the party.

Photo courtesy of Tram Mai

Cocktail Infusions!

And not just one flavor, but three delicious options!

Shopping Notes: All of the dried fruits were purchased at Trader Joe’s.  The whole spices can be found at any grocery store. The brown sugar cubes at Cost Plus and the rock sugar at an Asian market.

They come together in no time and make THE perfect hostess gift for the holidays. Or just a super cool thing for your own bar. Enjoy!

To make the Cranberry Infusion:

Gently remove the cork topper.

Place about 5 of each of the three varieties of cranberries in the bottle. Add 2 brown sugar cubes and 8 white rock sugar pieces. Tear 2 of the large pieces of the dried Mandarin fruit into the bottle.

Return the cork topper and add the Cranberry Infusion label.

 (Trader Joe’s carries at least three varieties of cranberries. All have slightly different coloring and textures, so I bought 3 packages for added interest. You can use just one variety and drop in 15 cranberries of the same type.)

To make the Ginger-Cardamom Infusion:

Gently remove the cork topper.

Place 4 pieces of the Crystallized Ginger and 6 pieces of the Uncrystallized Ginger in the bottle. Add 2 brown sugar cubes and 8 white rock sugar pieces. Add 1 tablespoon of Cardamom seeds to the bottle. Tear 2 of the large pieces of the dried Mandarin fruit into the bottle.

Return the cork topper and add the Ginger-Cardamom Infusion label.

(Same thing with the ginger. It would be perfectly fine to just use either ginger, but the two add a better look to the bottle with more variety and interest.)

To make the Espresso Infusion:

Gently remove the cork topper.

Place 2 tablespoons of coffee beans (preferably Press Coffee!) in the bottle. Add 2 brown sugar cubes and 6 white rock sugar pieces. Next, add 1 piece of vanilla bean (cut a vanilla bean in thirds and just add 1/3 of the bean) plus 1 piece of cinnamon stick, and 3 whole loves.

Return the cork topper and add the Espresso Infusion label.

Below are photos of the labels we used and below that you will find the text version of the labels. You can copy/paste the text into a Word document. I’m showing them to you twice because I am unable to use the fancy fonts here on the blog. The labels give directions to the recipient on how to make their yummy cocktail infusion!

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Cranberry INFUSION

Create amazing vodka, rum, white wine, and even lemonade.­­­­­

Serve over ice, like a martini, or use as a base for cocktails. The pourer allows you to leave the fruit in the bottle while serving.

INFUSING: Fill the bottle with your favorite spirit. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, swirling ingredients daily. Once the flavor reaches desired strength you are ready to begin creating cocktails. Ideal infusing period: 3-5 days. To create a second batch, add 1½ tablespoons of sugar to the remaining ingredients and follow the directions above to infuse again.

Espresso INFUSION

Create amazing vodka, rum, and tequila.

Serve over ice, like a martini, or use as a base for cocktails. The pourer allows you to leave the beans and spices in the bottle while serving.

INFUSING: Fill the bottle with your favorite spirit. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, swirling ingredients daily. Once the flavor reaches desired strength you are ready to begin creating cocktails. Ideal infusing period: 1-2 days. To create a second batch, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the remaining ingredients and follow the directions above to infuse again.

Ginger-Cardamom INFUSION

Create amazing vodka, rum, and even white wine.

Serve over ice, like a martini, or use as a base for cocktails. The pourer allows you to leave the fruit in the bottle while serving.

INFUSING: Fill the bottle with your favorite spirit. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, swirling ingredients daily. Once the flavor reaches desired strength you are ready to begin creating cocktails. Ideal infusing period: 3-5 days. To create a second batch, add 1½ tablespoons of sugar to the remaining ingredients and follow the directions above to infuse again.

Two wonderful and wonderfully crafty ladies!

Sheila, holding her cocktail infusion and her Red & White Holiday Garland (another super-popular craft that Katie brought), and Katie holding a Coffee Filter Wreath (which was Kelly’s cute contribution).