If college has taught me anything, it’s that vodka does not taste like candy. It burns, leaves a weird aftertaste, and is all around terrible. I always wondered how to make vodka taste better, and after much trial and error I’ve found these 13 solutions. These DIY vodka infusions taste less like fire and more like the food you’re infusing. You’ll need a bottle, some vodka, and anything that you believe has good flavor.
1. Strawberry Infusion
Why did I put strawberries first? First of all, who doesn’t like strawberries? Second, they go with everything. And third, they Instagram nicely. Strawberries are sweet and aromatic (which vodka is definitely lacking), and when combined with vodka they create a powerful but sweet alcoholic beverage.
2. Blueberry Infusion
Blueberries add a sour-sweet taste to vodka, leaving a nice and refreshing aftertaste.
3. Mango Infusion
Adding fresh mango pieces to vodka creates a tropical hard drink. While it’s hard to find fresh mango in the winter, frozen mango and vodka produces a head-spinning smoothie when blended together. Adding any frozen fruits will keep your drink nice and cool.
4. Cranberry Infusion
This is the most classic infusion on this list. Almost all of us have ordered cranberry vodka at a bar, so why not replace artificial cranberry juice with actual cranberries? Add a little bit of sugar and you won’t be able to tell the difference,
5. Apple Cinnamon Infusion
Craving something sweet and spicy? Apple + cinnamon water is one of my absolute favorite detox waters. It’s sweet from the apples, but cinnamon adds that surprise element. If you like Fireball, you will definitely appreciate this mixture.
6. Mint Infusion
When I think of mint and alcohol, I always think about sipping on a mojito. But summer is long gone, so why not try mixing vodka with mint in order to get a warming winter drink? If you like a little sweetness, add sugar syrup to the infusion and sip on a refreshing minty drink.
7. Basil Infusion
This might seems like an unusual infusion, but you’ll have no regrets after trying this at home. Like strawberries, basil’s taste positively correlates with our body’s needs and want, and satisfies our food cravings while drinking. Let’s #gogreen with our infusion decisions!
8. Cucumber Infusion
Want to trick your brain into thinking you’re being healthy? Well, cucumber-infused vodka is just right. And did I mention that you can also eat the “vodka-pickled” cucumber?
9. Candy
This is the obvious one. You want your drink taste like candy, so then add candy into it! Skittles, Starburst, Jolly Ranchers, and many more—the possibilities are endless.
#SpoonTip: Don’t forget to separate your candy by color. You don’t want your flavors to mix and color turn into a funky brown color.
10. Candy Cane
This is one of my favorites and I’m not saying it because I have the full collection of peppermint goodies from Bath and Body Works. It smells, tastes, looks, and feels like Christmas. This infusion has a very strong peppermint aftertaste, but it pairs amazingly well with he coffee of your choice.
11. Candy Corn
Many of us have candy corn leftovers from Halloween, because who really likes it? NOBODY. If you let the candy corn melt in vodka, it creates a win-win situation.
12. Bubble Gum
If you can’t live a day without chewing gum, you definitely need to try Bubblegum-infused vodka. Add some bubblegum to the bottle of vodka and let it sit until the gum fully dissolves and it creates a light pink infusion.
13. Coffee
Not impressed with all these sweet infusions? I’ve got you covered with this dark (and a little tart) drink. All you need is lightly crushed coffee beans and a bottle of vodka. Let the mixture sit for several days to get a stronger coffee taste.
Are you still downing plain vodka? After learning how to make vodka taste better so many ways, I sincerely hope not.