a pear you won't soon forget

We've introduced you to various flavor infusions via Vodka, Gin, Whiskey etc, however, infusing vodka is one of the easiest spirits to work with because it's very neutral—making it a wonderful base. Things like fruit, cinnamon sticks, herbs and citrus rind all make for wonderful infusing elements.

Today we're introducing you to our infused Vodka (or Gin) with Pear, Apple and Chai Tea. The Chai gives just that little extra zing making it great for Autumn cocktails that will impress your most discerning guests. Let’s just say you’ll be thanking us next week when you’ve killed the whole bottle.

Ingredients:

• 1 Litre Vodka or Gin
• 2 Jolie Rouge Pears
• 1 Green Apple
• 1-2 Chai Tea Bags

Place vodka in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

Soak the tea bags in the vodka for one hour, then remove and discard. In the meantime, slice up the pear and apple–add to the jar.

Let pears, apples and vodka sit for one week in a closed container.

Once your week is up, your liquor is done infusing. You can strain the pears and apple out of the vodka, and eat or trash, I know what I'd do.

Come back later for a fantastic cocktail recipe using this infusion.

Cheers!

Try these new infusion combos

Here are some of my favorite infusion combinations:

• Bourbon with cherry, fig, or peach
• Vodka with basil, fennel, or bell peppers
• Gin with chamomile tea, tomato, or cucumber
• Rum with banana, mango, or pineapple
• Tequila with blood orange, habanero, or strawberry

It's simple, just add the flavor of your choice, seal in a container and let stand at room tempurature for 2 days to 2 weeks depending on the strength of flavor desired.

You can turn a classic cocktail into a Lybations masterpiece by using your infusion - for example, a martini made with lavender gin or a Manhattan made with apple-vanilla bourbon.

Habanero Infused Vodka

The hottest thing to ever hit a bottle of vodka, this infusion adds a perfect element of spicy boost guaranteed to produce the best damn Bloody Mary or Citrus Lybation.

• 1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
• 1 750-ml bottle good-quality vodka

Place sliced Habaneros in the glass container, add the vodka, and cap tightly. Let stand at room temperature for 48 hours. Taste for the preferred flavor and heat intensity, allowing it to infuse for up to 2 more days if needed. Strain the infused vodka back into the original bottle. Cap tightly, label, and refrigerate until ready to serve.