Christmas Vodka

I was staying in Brussels last November, and as luck would have it, the tv in my hotel room had an excellent array of channels in multiple languages, many of which were in full Christmas season programming mode.  BBC was particularly joyful, and I was heartwarmed and inspired by The Hairy Bikers' Christmas Party series which featured this cheeky and ingenious recipe for Christmas pudding flavoured vodka. I have tinkered with the ingredients only slightly, just to make it sweeter.

Ingredients

300g mixed dried fruit
75g caster sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cinnamon quills
2 tsp ground mixed spice
6 cloves
scant 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Zest of an orange and a lemon
700ml vodka (don't skimp on quality)

Method

Put all ingredients together in a bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Cover with cling film and let sit in the fridge for 2 days, stirring occasionally.  Strain through a sieve lined in muslin. Decant into sterilised bottles.

When it comes to the drinking, the vodka is nice on its own or with a mixer- perhaps lemonade or dry ginger ale. The best way to drink it, though, and I cannot recommend this highly enough, is with Bickford's cranberry cordial made up with soda water.  You can adjust the quantities of cordial, soda water and vodka to achieve the strength and sweetness that appeals to you.  For me, especially at Christmas, the sweeter the better.

 If you're into giving homemade gifts to friends and family, little bottles of this ruby red vodka would make a nifty alternative to the more routine offerings of cake or cookies.