Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Use strawberries soaked in champagne to rethink your favorite dessert. Dip the alcohol-infused berries in chocolate for a yummy albeit slightly messy treat. This works perfectly with other berries as well, try experimenting with raspberries or soaking your fruit in vodka to mix it up. 

Fruit Salad Kabobs

Choose the liquor of your choice typically either tequila, vodka, or rum. Slice up a combination of your favorite fresh fruits such as watermelon, mango, pineapple, and strawberries. You may also want to add blueberries for a bit of color. Let the fruit soak in the alcohol for approximately two to three hours. Though you can let them soak longer, the fruit may begin to shrivel a bit and will not work as well for a kabob. Skewer the now-boozy fruit, and serve. 

Summer Sangria Pops

Mix up your favorite sangria recipe ie white wine and some fruit juice. Then chop up and add some fresh fruit. Pour into a popsicle mold, and let sit overnight. The next day you’ll have an alcoholic version of a refreshing frozen pop.

Pina Colada Bites

Let your pineapple soak in rum for at least three hours. Note, pineapple does not become mushy or discolored as quickly as other fruits, so you can let it soak a bit longer. Dip in a cream cheese fruit dip (or make your own version), then roll in sweetened coconut flakes. For an alternate version serve the rum-infused pineapple over vanilla ice cream and top with coconut flakes.  

 Try experimenting with your favorite fruits and alcohol to see what combos you can come up with. Whether you’re adding alcohol-infused berries to your favorite summer cocktail or simply enjoying them as a boozy fruit kabob, infusing fruit can take your day drinking to a new level.

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Cascade Apricot Ale

Classified as a wild ale, the Cascade Apricot Ale knows quite a bit about pairing sweet fruit flavors with the toasty bitterness of hops and barley. Apricot has a subtler sweetness than, say, peaches or similar fruit. They also have an earthy note that beautifully complements the signature taste of a traditional ale. The alcohol itself doesn’t lose any of its darkness or taste, nor does the flavor disappear beneath the apricot, which is practically just a hint, anyway. It’s a pairing to consider if you’re into home brewing and decide to experiment with a fruit-based beer.

Raspberry Eisbock

Is there any alcohol that isn’t made ten times better with the addition of raspberries? Eisbock is a bock beer, of course, but it’s extremely potent, incredibly full bodied, and quite malty. That combination, in particular, mixes well with the raspberries. They lighten the somewhat heavy brew, and offer a tart, fresh counter to the rich malt flavor of the Eisbock. Look for a beer like this if you love dark brews but don’t enjoy drinking anything too heavy. Fruit is a fantastic equalizer.

Sliced Nectarine IPA

Nectarines don’t get enough attention, do they? They’re tarter than peaches, which is why they work so well with IPA. The sliced nectarines cut some of the bitterness, but they also benefit from the toasty taste of so many IPAs. Home brewers, remember this flavor pairing. Believe it or not, it’s not altogether difficult to add fruity flavors to your own tasty creations.

New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb

You’re used to strawberry rhubarb pie, right? After all, it’s a summertime staple. Now, imagine that flavor in beer. The strawberries provide plenty of fresh summertime sweetness—protip for home brewers: think about using wild strawberries, instead—while the rhubarb offers an earthy tartness that balances out the strawberries and heightens the taste of the malt. Pretty magical, huh?

As home brewing and indie companies become more popular, interesting flavor combinations will continue to abound. Have you ever thought about adding fruit to any of your brew recipes? If you’ve done it, tell us how the beer tasted.

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Step 1: Choose your flavors

Decide what kinds of flavors you want to achieve. Are you looking for something sweet or spicy? Some good options are: pear, vanilla, chili pepper, mango, lemon peel, green tea, strawberry, basil, grapefruit, or apple. Don’t be afraid to combine different flavors to make a truly unique vodka. Why not mix strawberry and vanilla for a strawberry shortcake vodka?

Step 2: Choose a Vodka

You don’t need a top shelf brand of vodka, but you don’t want the cheapest bottle either. You want something of solid quality (so the flavor isn’t distracting from your beautiful infusion) like an Absolut or Smirnoff.

Step 3: Prepare the Ingredients

Chop up your fruit, or gather your spices. If you are using fruit you will want about 15 oz of fruit (2 apples worth) for a bottle of vodka. Cut the fruit to increase the surface area touching the vodka.

Place the fruit in a container, mason jars work well.

Step 4: Add the Vodka

Pour your vodka over the fruit, and stir it so all the fruit comes in contact with the vodka.

Step 5: Wait

Leave the infusion somewhere safe and dark for a few days. Depending on the infusion and how strong you want it you can leave it for 2 days to a week. Keep an eye on it throughout the week, you can always taste it to see how the flavor is coming along.

Step 6: Strain the Fruit

Now that the vodka has the perfect flavor you are ready to strain it. Use a regular kitchen strainer for most fruits, or if you used fine herbs you can use a cheesecloth or even a coffee filter. Make sure you strain it so that you keep the desired flavor.

Step 7: Enjoy!

You are ready to make your own cocktails or sip your infused vodka on ice. Enjoy!

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Ravine Vineyard

Ravine Vineyard was established over 100 years ago and is still run by the Lowry family. The tasting room is in a beautiful old farmhouse and their tastings include 4 wines. They have a good selection of whites and reds. I also recommend trying the Cabernet Rose; it tastes of cherries and has a great dry finish.

Between the Lines

Between the Lines is another family run winery. The family farm was started by the German parents of the current owners, who studied winemaking in Germany so the wines have a bit of a German influence to them. The winery is still small and you get great service with the tasting. I recommend trying the Cabernet Franc, it’s full bodied with the taste of plum and black pepper.

Konzelmann Estate Winery

Konzelmann Estate has a great location right on the lake, making for spectacular views. They have several award winning wines, including ice wines. Their tours are particularly informative and interesting, if you are going to take a full tour at one winery in Niagara, this is the one to do. Once you get to the tasting, I recommend trying the Vidal Ice Wine, they’re sweeter than other wines and very unique.

Once you’ve finished up your tour of the Niagara wineries, make sure you stop at one of the many fresh local fruit stands to pick up peaches, pears, cherries or whatever else is in season before you head back across the border (or head to the casino).

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