Juniper-infused vodka

In a continued quest to use up the weird stuff in my pantry, I discovered a bag of juniper berries the other day.

Juniper is what makes gin taste like gin. Juniper berries (dried) are often used with meat--say, ground up with other spices and used to coat a pork loin. At work, there's a drink made with vodka and a sage and juniper syrup. I decided to make a juniper-infused vodka and see what happened.

I emptied all the juniper berries into a jar and added vodka. I let it sit for a few days. The end result--surprise!--smelled and tasted almost exactly like gin.

I may create a new cocktail with it; I may just use it as gin.

I also recreated a batch of last year's Concord grape-infused vodka.