You’re taking the first steps on a journey without end by infusing spirits and cocktails. You can experiment with limitless recipes and methods–from steeping fruit into spirits to seasoning pre-batched cocktails with tea and spices. Plus, infusing pairs perfectly with clarifying. But maybe you’ve already experimented with traditional infusions. You’ve made strawberry gin and basil tequila, and you’re looking for a new challenge. 

Here are some of the oddest infusions that end up tasting delicious. If none of these spark your interest, take a lesson from the general idea–get weird with your mixology. Maybe don’t devote an entire bottle of Elijah Craig to your next wild idea, but don’t be afraid to make a few mistakes in pursuit of the new and sublime.

 

Weird Infusions to Try at Home

Farmer’s markets and specialty grocery stores are great places to find inspiration for your next infusion. Ingredients that you don’t regularly keep around the kitchen can inspire a new cocktail. Browse cookbooks and recipe blogs for exciting flavor combinations.

Infuse With Fat

Fat washing is a type of infusion, which adds creamy mouthfeel along with flavor. Bacon is a common ingredient used for fat washing, but try these unusual fats next:

  • SPAM: The Duck Inn in Chicago fat washed the rum blend for a Mai Tai with SPAM and lard. 
  • Nut Butter: perfect for a new riff on an Old Fashioned, or add a nutty element to mezcal or gin with peanut or cashew butter. 
  • Duck or Turkey Confit: save the drippings from your holiday meal for a Thanksgiving-inspired fat washed cocktail. 

Infuse With Vegetables

Weird Cocktail Infusions

There are a few winning combinations for spirits infused with vegetables, like cucumbers and gin or olives and vodka. But try some less-mainstream veggies for unexpected results.

  • Beets: perfect for the wow factor–beets add rich earthiness to liquor. Moderation is critical, the robust flavor can overwhelm a delicate spirit. 
  • Carrots and Sweet Potato: add some delicate base notes to vibrant spirits like gin, tequila, or rum.
  • Jicama: at La Cenita they infused the raspberry liqueur Chambord with jicama–try combining liqueurs with root vegetables.

Infuse With Candy

It may seem like a strange combination, but infusing with candy can create surprising and fun cocktails, perfect for a gathering or party. Sugar is often an essential component when building cocktails, so think of these candy infusions as a substitute for part of the simple syrup in a recipe, such as a margarita or daiquiri.

  • Atomic Fireballs: Mass-produced hot cinnamon whiskey fails on many fronts, but the premise is sound. Infuse a whiskey with atomic fireballs for a spicy cocktail base. Think whiskey smash, not an old fashioned.
  • Candy Corn: you either love it or hate it, but the marshmallow and caramel flavors pair perfectly with light rum. Shake up a riff on a Pina Colada, Navy Grog, or Jungle Bird. 
  • Chocolate: high-quality dark chocolate is excellent in almost any spirit. Transform your Manhattan or Negroni by infusing it with chocolate. Make yourself the best chocolate martini, without all the added sugar of a chocolate liqueur.  

There are no wrong answers with infusions. Use whatever you have in the pantry, something interesting you see at the farmer’s market, or a flavor combination you read about in a favorite cookbook.