Mixology is an artform that often requires a lot of skill, creativity and fancy ingredients. For those of us who lack any of those things, craft cocktail infusion jars can simplify the process of cocktail creation and turn even the most inexperienced home bartenders into master mixologists.
The concept of infused cocktails involves taking a glass jar filled with ingredients such as dried fruits and spices, adding alcohol (or water for mocktails) and putting the jar in the fridge for a period of time to let the ingredients infuse the liquid with flavor. After a few days, you shake and strain the infused liquid into another container and keep it in the fridge until you need it.
"The nice thing about it is that you can make it ahead, and then it's just ready to go whenever you want to use it," says Kristine Combs, co-owner of Whippoorwill Woods, a family farm on South Pittsburg Mountain that offers dry cocktail infusion jars in a variety of flavors featuring produce from the farm. "All you do is just take two ounces of that base liquid, sip it on ice or add in whatever mixers you like."
Contributed photo / The Very Berry Bellini is a seasonal dry cocktail infusion jar offered by Whippoorwill Woods.The farm's most popular jar with Chattanooga shoppers is the Old Fashioned, a mix of dried oranges, apricots, cherries and citrus-infused cane sugar.
"We do all the slicing and the drying ourselves in small batches, so they're really fresh and flavorful," she says. "We try and keep the flavor seasonal, too."
Other flavor options include the fruity Very Berry Bellini jar, filled with dried strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, lemons and citrus-infused cane sugar; and the wintertime favorite Caramel Apple Pie Smash with dried apples and lemons, cinnamon, nutmeg and caramelized cane sugar.
"It's just nice to not have to have all the ingredients available in your pantry in order to make the drink," Combs says, adding that the infusions are especially handy for people who want to host a party and serve several different types of cocktails. "You can just get three different flavors of jars and have everything that you need for your cocktails."
Whippoorwill's jars are intended to be used twice, so you'll get about 16, 2-ounce drinks from each jar, she says.
Find Whippoorwool Farm's dry cocktail infusion jars at the Chattanooga Market or online at whippoorwill-woods.com.
Contributed photo / The Blueberry Mojito, Spicy Mango Margarita and Strawberry Basil Lemonade cocktail jars at Whippoorwill Woods