Smoked Gouda Infused Vodka

Of all the cheese infusions to date, this one is my favorite by far.  A creaminess comes through, finishing with pure smoked gouda goodness.

Yield: (1) 750ML Bottle or (16) 1.5fl oz Servings
Approx. Ending ABV: 40%

Steps:

1. Prepare 1 oz of smoked gouda by removing rind and chopping into small cubes.
2. Combine 1 oz of cubed smoked Gouda cheese with 12 fl oz of High Proof Spirit  (12 fl oz = 295g).   Seal tight and let sit for 1-3 days.
3. Strain cheese from infused spirit.  Next, strain this infusion through a coffee filter.  This will remove any “silt” that will settle and lump together after dilution, making for a very unappetizing looking (though plenty safe to consume) final infusion.  The cheese won’t absorb much, you should have approximately 12 fl oz of smoked Gouda infused spirit.
4. Mix 12 fl oz of smoked Gouda infused spirit with 12 fl oz of filtered water.  Bottle your finished infused vodka in your favorite glass bottle.  Sealed tightly and kept cold, your infusion should last 3-4 weeks.

Noteworthy Notes:

• You could probably get away with using less than 1 oz of smoked Gouda for 12 fl oz of HPS.  Any more though would just be a waste of good cheese.  How often do you get to say that?
• Don’t skip the coffee filter straining step with this infusion.
• The high concentration of ethanol of the HPS will dissolve some of the oils of the cheese.  This will result in a clear final infused spirit, but will become cloudy when diluted with water.  This is a result of the dissolved oils of the cheese precipitating out of the solution with the new lower concentration of ethanol.  This harmless effect will also occur with olive (from the olive oil contained within).

Scaling:

This recipe called for an Infusion Ratio of 10:1 by weight (HPS to Smoked Gouda).   After infusion, this recipe called for a Dilution Ratio of 1:0:1.  For help scaling this recipe to make a different volume or an explanation on the terms Infusion Ratio and Dilution Ratio used throughout this site, click here.

Cocktail: Dirty Stuffed Martini

Ingredients:

• 2 fl oz Smoked Gouda Infused Vodka
• 2 fl oz Twenty 2 Micro Distilled Vodka
• ½ fl oz Olive Brine
• Smoked Gouda Stuffed Olive, garnish

Steps:

1. In a cocktail shaker tin filled with fresh ice, combine smoked Gouda infused vodka, Twenty 2 vodka, and olive brine.  Stir briskly until shaker tin is frosted on the outside
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass
3. Garnish with a pair of skewered smoked Gouda stuffed olives

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