Vanilla Vodka

Making flavored vodka is pretty easy.  Here's another flavored vodka recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle (750 ml) cheap Vodka
• 10 Vanilla Beans

Instructions:

1. Cut each vanilla bean in half.
2. Slice each half bean down the middle, leaving the quarters connected at the un-cut end.
3. Place vanilla beans in an empty vodka bottle.
4. Fill bottle with vodka.
5. Allow to rest for 1 to 2 weeks.
6. Strain and filter.

Notes:
If you don't have an empty vodka bottle laying around, just make a couple drinks with the excess vodka.  The longer you leave the beans in the vodka, the stronger the vanilla flavor will be.  I left mine in for 10 days.

Homemade Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

Here's a great recipe for a coffee liqueur that is similar to Kahlua, but not as sweet.  It's easy to make and doesn't involve an aging period.  I made it the other day, and it turned out great!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Vodka
• 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Instant Coffee
• 2 tbls. Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Water

Instructions:

1. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, and water in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Lower heat to a simmer.
4. Add instant coffee and whisk with a wire whisk until dissolved.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Add vodka and vanilla extract and stir.
7. Pour into bottles and it's ready to drink!

Notes:
Make sure you use pure vanilla and not imitation vanilla.  I used instant coffee powder from Trader Joes.  This recipe makes approximately two 750ml bottles.