Hot child in the city! Not sure about you but I love that song. Ever since that episode of Sex and the City when Carrie Bradshaw prances around Manhattan in her cutoff short-shorts, when the days and nights stay hot and balmy, Hot Child in the City is the anthem.
And of course when it’s this hot, that means that it’s also time for refreshing cocktails. While a few recipes have been filtering around for kale cocktails, why not make your own Kale-Strawberry Infused Vodka?
My dear friend Lisa, the brilliant and hilarious writer behind the blog Ella Coquine, was creative (and kind) enough to give the kale-strawberry infused experiment a try – without me knowing – and surprised me with a little bottle for an apéro treat.
The ingredients are simple. While the process may take a few days, it’s simple too. And the results are the perfect combination of a kale and strawberry delight.
Kale & Strawberry Infused Vodka
Yield: 1 bottle
One bottle of premium Vodka
2 – 3 chopped kale leaves (for a stronger kale flavor, add more leaves)
5 chopped ripe fresh strawberries
1/2 oz. agave nectar
A large glass jar or clean bottle (for final product)
1. Empty the bottle of vodka into another source like a large pot or bowl. Stuff the kale and the berries into the empty vodka bottle. The berries may need to be muddled to fit through the neck of the bottle, so I used a chopstick to get them in. Squirt the agave into the bottle and then pour the vodka back in. Close the bottle tightly, gently shake to distribute the ingredients and refrigerate for up to two days.
2. Several times a day, check your elixir and play with the flavors. If you want the more bitter taste of the kale, add more of it, or if you want it sweeter, add more strawberries or agave. Warning: The vodka may turn a muddy green color and that’s perfectly normal. That’s just the chlorophyll of the kale bleeding through.
3. Once you are satisfied with the taste (more days equals more infusion), using a mesh strainer, pour the newly infused vodka into a pot or bowl to purify it of the berry and kale bits that will break up during the infusion process. You may have to press out some of the vodka that will get trapped in the pulp in the strainer. Once the vodka is clean, pour into a clear jar or small bottle (as pictured) and refrigerate and/or serve.
4. For a summer cocktail: In a highball glass, 1 1/2 oz. of Strawberry Kale Vodka, top off with Perrier and add ice. Mint leave for garnish.
Ella Coquine
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