Make a Pumpkin Martini – With Your Own Homemade Pumpkin Vodka
Pumpkin vodka for your own pumpkin martini recipe? Why not – we have lemon, chocolate and apple vodka so why not pumpkin vodka? This is something you might want to make for Thanksgiving or Halloween – but of course, you’re not limited to that season.
You could make it about a month ahead of time if you’re considering it for Halloween – as you can get fresh pumpkins or you can use canned pumpkin. Personally, if I’m going to make something like this, I’d prefer to do it properly and use the real thing – plus, it’s a terrific way to use up that pumpkin flesh once you’ve carved your Halloween pumpkin. Let’s not waste anything, ok?
Here’s what we’re going to need to make our own, unique and very special pumpkin flavored vodka. First, we need a good-sized sealable glass jar – the kind that those big dill pickles come in is just perfect. Or go to Wal-Mart and buy one with a spigot – more convenient for personal tasting sessions later. Don’t use plastic – it imparts a flavor and we’re being purists here, right? Make sure the jar and lid are freshly washed, rinsed thoroughly and dried because we don’t want pickle-flavored vodka.
Two good healthy-sized cups of pumpkin flesh, minus the seeds, woody bits and any other pumpkin guts – we need only the meat of the beast. Spoon it into the big glass jar and add the following,
- two tablespoons cinnamon;
- one tablespoon of nutmeg – so much better if you can grate it freshly;
- one teaspoonful of cardamom (Middle Eastern spice);
- one tablespoon of brown sugar.
Now for the magical part.
Vodka! Let’s pause a moment here – there is vodka and then there is Vodka. You can buy a huge bottle of the stuff from your local grog shop where you’ll find it on the bottom shelf. But hey – we’re being purist here, aren’t we? Get the pricier stuff from the top shelf because only the best is good enough for us. Remember what the Buddhist monks say – the best is better. Making our infusion with vodka that smells like rubbing alcohol will give us pumpkin-flavored rubbing alcohol. And speaking of flavor, you might consider using vanilla-flavored vodka for a little sweetness.
Now we pour the entire bottle into the glass jar, covering all the other goodies and give it a bit of a shake-up. Put it in a cool dark place for a couple of weeks. (By the way, if you want to make more than one bottle – just double or triple the other ingredients to match).
The longer our pumpkin/vodka infusion sits in the dark, the better it will be – a month is not too long. It’s perfectly legal to unscrew the top after a week or so and taste it to see how it’s progressing. Don’t be concerned – a few snorts will not ruin the batch – just don’t go bike-riding afterwards.
Once the infusion has met our high standards, we can set about straining it. You can do this through a wire strainer lined with cheesecloth or even with a coffee filter – but run it through twice to make sure that no pumpkin pulp remains – but just imagine the pumpkin pie you could make with this vodka-sodden pulp! Remember – don’t waste anything.
Meanwhile, we have made pumpkin-flavored vodka.
Now what? All we need is a pumpkin martini recipe.
How about building a few cocktails with these pumpkin martini ingredients? Get out the mart glasses and put them in the freezer for a few minutes – we need them cold. These amounts will result in four delectable autumn pumpkin martinis which you may share with others if you wish.
6 ounces Pumpkin Vodka
6 ounces half and half cream
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Put it all in your well-chilled cocktail shaker – over crushed ice and shake for about a minute or so. Dip the rims of the glasses into some pumpkin vodka and then into some ground cinnamon which you’ve mixed with a little sugar. Then – pour some of this unbelievably awesome nectar of the gods into each glass and add a couple of sprinks of pumpkin pie spice. This is so good, it should be illegal!
Try this – carrot Cake martini.
½ ounce of Pumpkin Vodka
1 ½ ounces of cinnamon schnapps or better still, Goldschlager
2 ounces Irish cream liqueur
2 ounces butterscotch schnapps
Shake it all up with crushed ice and strain into your previously well-chilled martini glasses. Folks – there’s six ounces of booze in this one, so definitely don’t ride your bike. To make one carrot cake martini, use half an ounce of each ingredient.
Happy Thanksgiving/Halloween/Birthday/Christmas and Mother’s Day!
About the Author
Carolyn Donohue is an expert on cocktail recipes. If you want to impress your friends and make your next cocktail party a hit by serving a great tasting pumpkin martini, visit http://www.cocktailrecipesmadeeasy.com.
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