Rinse and dry fruit. Remove the zest (the colored part of the skin, not the white pith underneath) using a vegetable peeler. Add zest to vodka and let steep at room temperature for at least 3 days while inverting once or twice a day to mix flavors.
Citrus Vodka- Grapefruit/Orange/Mandarin/Tangerine/Lime/Lemon Vodka *** Soak zest (the peel with the white removed) for three hours. Remove peel and chill. You can also add a small amount of grated peel for texture and a drop or two of food coloring.
Pepper Vodka *** Add 2 tbs crushed peppercorns to the vodka. Let stand overnight. Strain through cheesecloth and chill. Again, you may want to leave some of the pepper in the bottle for effect.
Anise Vodka *** Add 1 tsp anise seeds to the vodka. Let stand 2 hours. Strain through cheesecloth and chill.
Fresh Ginger Vodka *** Peel a (1 inch) square piece of fresh ginger. Cut 8 thin slices and then cut them in half. Add them to the vodka and steep from 5 to 10 days. Strain if desired.
NOTE: In the case of simply flavoring the vodka rather than exposing it to heat, you may want to use a more expensive vodka since these are made for sipping slowly and require a smoother alcohol base.
