Blueberry Vodka

Blueberries are abundant in Indiana right now and I can't get enough of them. I'm using these super fruits in everything from muffins to steak sauce.

In a handy place on my kitchen counter is the wonderful cookbook trueblueberry by Linda Dannenberg. The book features 80 recipes including blueberry-beet borscht, blueberry steak sauce, and, my favorite of the moment, blueberry vodka.

To make the vodka, Linda puts 1 cup of vodka (I used Heartland Indiana Vodka.), 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons creme de casis, 1/2 cup whole fresh blueberries, and 1/2 cup  coarsely mashed fresh blueberries in a 16 ounce glass jar (I used a 32 ounce Mason jar.), puts a lid on it, and lets the mixture sit out at room temperature from 1-14 days before staining it, putting it in a glass bottle, and keeping it in the fridge. I made it to day 5!

For a delicious Blueberry Martini, Linda combines 2 ounces of plain vodka with a tablespoon of the blueberry vodka, a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice, 1 teaspoon of triple sec and 5 ice cubes in a small martini shaker. Shake, shake, shake, and strain into a chilled martini glass.

We made the cocktails on Sunday evening. I froze several whole berries and floated them in the drink to serve as tiny ice cubes. Great way to get those antioxidants!