Ginger infused whiskey with brown sugar, honey and vanilla.

This entry was posted on March 26, 2012, in Drinks, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 15 Comments

This is what happens when I’m introduced to the many things you can do with ginger root.
I give you the fruits of my labor:

Yup. I decided to give infusing whiskey a try. And let me say — it didn’t come out too shabby. In fact, I was instructed (if not demanded, right E?) to make this again. “So … why didn’t you do the ENTIRE bottle?” Well I have faith in myself, but not enough to potentially waste an entire fifth of (my BFF) JD in the process. However, next time I won’t be so hesitant.

So after making my jacked-up Shirley with homemade ginger ale I became obsessed with using fresh ginger. “WHAT CAN I MAKE NEXT?!” And after opening up the freezer a few times, making eye contact with my bottle of Jack, it dawned on me. LET’S INFUSE SOME WHISKEY. Sure, easy, right? I looked to Google to give me answers — and what did it give me? Filth. Horror stories of people using ginger and having it sit too long, making the whiskey pungent and disgusting. Well, it was time to prove them wrong. AND DID I EVER.

BROWN SUGAR, HONEY AND GINGER INFUSED WHISKEY

1-1/4 – 1-1/2c WHISKEY (Jack or Jameson, if you dare)
HONEY
BROWN SUGAR
2-1/2 – 3in PIECE OF GINGER ROOT
GRANULATED SUGAR
POWDERED VANILLA FLAVORING (coffee flavoring)

MASON JAR, BAND AND LID
SMALL SAUCEPAN
MESH STRAINER
MIXER (ginger ale worked fabulously)

  1. Using the mason jar as a measuring tool, pour your whiskey to the 1-1/4c (10oz) line.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the whiskey on medium low (don’t boil). Once it’s warmed, drizzle in honey. I did not measure, but just drizzled in a circular motion, stirring as I went. Maybe about a tablespoon or two, but use whatever feels right.
  3. Add 3-4 loose handfuls of brown sugar, continue to stir until melted. Keep on medium low for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Take off heat and let cool for about 20 minutes. After about 5 minutes or so I stuck mine in the fridge to help speed the cooling process.
  5. While its cooling, take your piece of ginger root (about 2-3in will be fine) and peel it. I’ve found that the spoon trick works best — run the edge of a spoon down the surface of the ginger. Once peeled, slice into semi-thin strips, Not paper thin, but maybe about the width of two toothpicks. You want them thin, but large enough to separate from the whiskey after sitting for a few days.
  6. In your mason jar, add your chopped ginger, a few spoonfuls of granulated sugar and a helpful dusting of powdered vanilla flavoring (I use a Starbucks vanilla powder, but you can find many different varieties. The easiest one to find will probably be by Coffee Mate.)
  7. Add your (now cooled) brown sugar-honey-whiskey mixture. If there is room left in the jar, top off with more whiskey, leaving about a half inch or so from the bottom of the jar’s mouth.
  8. Cover with band and lid. Give it a vigorous shake! Get those ginger pieces to work.
  9. Let sit for two nights, shaking occasionally. I kept mine on the counter top, away from sunlight.
  10. After the second night, strain out your ginger pieces using a mesh strainer. It’s okay for there to be tiny pieces of ginger left over, but if they’re bothering you THAT much you can use a coffee filter inside the mesh strainer to get them out.
  11. Enjoy your whiskey on the rocks or with a mixer (ginger ale!). Bottoms up!

If you try out my recipe, let me know how it turns out with a comment below! Feel free to share this with your friends, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, you name it. I’m also here for any questions you may have. Enjoy!

15 thoughts on “Ginger infused whiskey with brown sugar, honey and vanilla.”

  2. Hey there,
    I tried your recipe this week. It turned out really well. It was a big hit at our family Thanksgiving dinner. It didn’t take the ginger flavor as much as I would have liked so next time I may let it sit for longer or maybe I just didn’t slice it up enough. I recorded exactly how much of each ingredient I used so I could repeat and/or adjust things. If you or anyone wants to know my measurements please let me know. Thanks so much for the instructions. It’s a great recipe.
    -Jordan

    Reply

    • Jordan,

      I’m so glad you and your family included my whiskey in your Thanksgiving festivities! So happy that you liked it (and tried it out, even!) — I’ve found it to be a hit among my friends as well. As for your ginger problem, I’m sorry it didn’t flavor up as much as you had hoped. I’ve updated the post with a picture of my Mason jars in action so you get an idea of how much ginger I used slash how to slice them. Another thing you can try is to add a tiny bit of ground ginger — the spice, not fresh — in addition to the fresh slices. You could try adding some more, but I wouldn’t recommend letting it sit for more than two or three nights. When I did my research before actually making my first batch, many other bloggers who had tried using fresh ginger to infuse liquor that let it sit for too long were left with some overpowering, and essentially ruined infusions. Don’t forget to shake them every once and a while too, to help give it a little kick, while it is in the “sitting” stage.

      Let me know what happens! Meanwhile, I’ll be brainstorming some new infusion ideas.

      Thanks again!
      Kelly

      Reply

      • Hey, there. Sorry I just saw this. I am rarely on here. Just got on because I am making another batch today. If you still need them, my measurements were as follows: 10oz Jack Daniels, 2 Tbs honey, 2.5 Tbs brown sugar, 3 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla bean flavoring, and a 3 inch piece of ginger. Hope that helps.

      • Hey, there. Sorry I just saw this. I am rarely on here. Just got on because I am making another batch today. If you still need them, my measurements were as follows: 10oz Jack Daniels, 2 Tbs honey, 2.5 Tbs brown sugar, 3 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla bean flavoring, and a 3 inch piece of ginger. Hope that helps.

  3. Pingback: Ginger infused whiskey « My Tea Break

  4. Grand Traverse Distillery is close to me and they sell unaged whiskey and oak barrels for you to age the whiskey in. Pretty cool… I have a liter barrel of bourbon (they sell rye, irish, etc. unaged) that will be finished tomorrow and I will definitely try this. Jack and Ginger (Vernors) is my drink so I am pumped to try this and will let you know how it turns out
    -Dan

    Reply

  5. Pingback: Just Delicious: BROWN SUGAR, HONEY AND GINGER INFUSED WHISKEY | Snedo – Its Neato!

  6. Using this for thanksgiving too, I didn’t realize I had run out of honey so I subbed real maple syrup. Excited for the results!

    Reply

    • I’ve thought about using maple in my next whiskey infusion! Let me know how it works out for you! Hope your Thanksgiving guests enjoy the whiskey as much as I do. 🙂 Have a happy holiday!

      Reply

  8. My uncle is a little bit of a boozer. He’s also hard to shop for. It presents a “what do you get for the person who has everything” scenario every single year. The man loves his chocolate covered pretzels, but i get sick of making them and I’m sure he;s sick of receiving them. I;m planning on making him an “infusey-boozey” gift set this year. This is at that the top of my list. Thanks

    Reply

  9. We’re always looking for something new to try. I saw this recipe and knew I just had to give it a whirl. I am a huge fan of fresh ginger. I started out with a small batch and took it to a Memorial Day picnic. It went fast and met with RAVE reviews. I learned quickly, the next batch was bigger.

    Reply

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