Spruce Needle Vodka Recipe

The Wild Table | Studio, 2010

Simply pour this frozen green vodka into a chilled martini glass and float a fresh, tender fir tip on top.–Connie Green and Sarah Scott

LC O Tannenbaum Note

A piney potable? We don’t consider a Christmas tree-infused cocktail to be blasphemy. Rather, we chalk it up to being part of the magic of the season. Sort of makes you want to hum along to “O Tannenbaum,” eh? While we’re on the topic of tannenbaums, the type of tree you pluck a sprig from will make a profound difference in the final result. So as not to go overboard with a resinous smack, stick with spruce or Douglas fir, preferably one from a local tree. And always ask whether the tree was sprayed–you want one that wasn’t. Just to state the obvious, opt for a vodka you wouldn’t mind sipping straight up.

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Makes one 750-milliliter bottle

Want it? Click it.

Ingredients

1 cup spruce or Douglas fir needles, stripped from the branches
One 750-milliliter bottle vodka
Tender tips of the branches, for garnish (optional, but so very festive)

Directions

1. Place the spruce or fir needles and 1/3 of the vodka in a blender. Blend at high speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a large, clean jar or bowl.
2. Pour the remaining vodka into the blender jar and swirl it around to gather any green residue on the sides and bottom. Pour this into the fir-infused vodka and stir to combine. Cover the jar or pour the vodka back into its original bottle and seal. Refrigerate for 1 week.
3. Strain the vodka mixture, discarding the solid pine mass. Strain the vodka again through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and then pour the vodka into a clean bottle. You can stash the emerald green elixir indefinitely in the freezer. (May be sorta nice to pull it out for a little Christmas in July, eh?)

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Cranberry Infused Vodka from Home Cook Kirsten
Saffron Vodka Mango Snow Cone from Brownie Points
Gimlet from Leite's Culinaria
Lill’pertif from Leite's Culinaria