Another Chile-Flavored Vodka

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When I write “flavored,” I mean it, as I have chosen the chiles that 
impart the most distinct flavors. The raisiny flavor of the pasilla 
melds with the apricot overtones of the habanero and the earthiness of 
the New Mexican chile to create a finely-tuned fiery sipping vodka. Of 
course, use an excellent vodka like Stolichnaya or Absolut. Note: This 
recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

1 liter vodka
1 pasilla chile, seeds and stems removed, cut into thin strips
1/2 dried red New Mexican chile pod, seeds and stems removed, cut in fourths
1/4 habanero chile, seeds and stems removed, left whole

Instructions

Open the bottle of vodka and drink some of it to make room in the 
bottle. Add the chiles and recap. Let sit for at least 3 days to 
generate some heat, and the vodka will get progressively hotter over the 
weeks. As you drink the vodka, replace it with more fresh vodka, and the 
process will go on for some time.

Chiltepín Pepper Vodka

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The Russians are the true inventors of pepper vodka and they flavor 
their vodka most commonly with cayenne. Any type of small fresh or dried 
chile pepper that will fit in the bottle will work. Be sure to taste it 
often and remove the chiles when it reaches the desired heat--the longer 
the chiles are left in, the hotter the vodka will get! Serving 
Suggestions: Serve over ice or in tomato juice for an “instant” bloody 
mary. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

4 to 6 dried chiltepín or piquín chiles, left whole
1 liter vodka

Instructions

Place the chiles in the vodka and let them steep for a week or more. 
Periodically taste the vodka and remove the chiles when it is hot enough.

Sangrita de Chapala (Chapala’s Little Bloody Drink)

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This particular version of sangrita, or “little bloody drink,” comes
from Chapala, Mexico, where the bartenders have not succumbed to the
temptation of adding tomato juice to this concoction, as the
norteamericanos do. The bloody color comes from the grenadine, so this
is truly a sweet heat drink that is also salty. Some people take a sip
of tequila after each swallow of sangrita, while others mix one part
tequila to four parts sangrita to make a cocktail.

Ingredients

2 cups orange juice
3/4 cup grenadine syrup
2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce of choice (or substitute any habanero hot
sauce)
1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a jar, shake well, and chill.