Cupcakes and Cashmere

Holiday Spirit(s)

December 13th, 2011

For a fun twist on holiday gifts, I’ve been infusing alcohol with various flavors. It’s a great way to provide a unique take on traditional cocktails and lets you customize the flavors for each person on your list. I experimented with three different spirits and added two complementary ingredients to each. I infused them for three days in a sealed jar, strained them into individual bottles, made some sparkly labels (with a glue pen and loose glitter), and added a jingle ball for a festive finishing touch.




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  • http://www.lilieslattesandlace.com Kendall

    What a seriously cool idea! Love it :)

    Kendall
    http://www.lilieslattesandlace.com

  • http://creativestyletopia.com/ Erin @ Creative Styletopia

    Great ideas! I have a few friends that would love this!

  • http://sincerelyarizona.blogspot.com/ Kristal

    Great idea! I love the cute glitter! How does it taste?

    http://sincerelyarizona.blogspot.com/

  • http://itsawant.wordpress.com/ Lee Anne

    umm amazing!! how much fun! i would love to receive/give these! got my mouth watering for a saturday night!

    http://itsawant.wordpress.com/

  • http://incourtneyscloset.blogspot.com Courtney

    How fun are these?? You always have the best ideas for cute personal gifts and good ideas for entertaining! Love it!

    http://incourtneyscloset.blogspot.com

  • http://www.bundtsofsteel.blogspot.com Desiree

    Super yum- these flavor combos are so up my alley! Great suggestions!

  • http://birdieshoots.blogspot.com birdie

    This is such a wonderful idea!! Great Post!

    birdieshoots.blogspot.com

  • http://holly-closetomyheart.blogspot.com/ Holly

    such a neat gift idea!

  • http://xoxo-carolinalove.blogspot.com Dania

    what a great idea! you’re so creative!

    http://xoxo-carolinalove.blogspot.com

  • http://thestylistadiaries.blogspot.com Victoria

    What a great gift idea! I love those jug bottles. I have one at my work desk right now. I love saving trips to the water cooler ; ) I love the rope ornament decoration for a rustic, personal touch. Good idea!

    xo,
    Victoria
    http://thestylistadiaries.blogspot.com

  • http://midwestlagirl.wordpress.com/ Midwest Girl

    What a fabulous gift idea!

  • http://littlebitsofdelight.blogspot.com Emily @ Little Bits of Delight

    I’m doing the same thing! (Well, similar) My roomate loves to drink White Russians (funny guy!) so when I saw a recipe for home made Kaluah on Yum Sugar, I knew just what to get him! I’m loving your flavor pairings, and that glue pen – I’ve never seen one, but now I want one!

    One quick thing: did three days impart much flavor? I’ve always waited it out a bit longer, but I wonder now if I’m waiting for nothing!

  • http://www.organizedxxmess.blogspot.com Chelsea Elizabeth

    I’ve never heard of mixing alcohol with these types of flavors! Seems like it would be great though!
    <3Chelsea Elizabeth

  • http://www.mochaandmoccasins.blogspot.com/ Monica

    The combination of Gin + rose petals + cucumber sounds like the perfect drink, with a gentle kick. I love these creative combinations. The presentation is really pretty too.

    M.

  • http://lerougestylo.blog.com Ashley

    Great recipes! Looking forward to trying them!

    -Ashley
    http://lerougestylo.blog.com

  • Lisa

    Wow. What an awesome idea! Love it!

  • http://erinscurrentlycoveting.blogspot.com/ Erin

    Wow this is such an awesome idea! You’ll have to let us know how they taste… these are some interesting flavor combos!

    XO,
    Erin
    http://erinscurrentlycoveting.blogspot.com/

  • http://isnotmycupoftea.blogspot.com/ chiara

    i really like this post even if i’m teetotal

  • http://lacoquettedumode.wordpress.com/ Kathryn

    so creative- I love it!

    xx Kathryn
    http://lacoquettedumode.wordpress.com/

  • http://www.ladyalamode.com Caitie

    Such a great holiday gift idea! I may just have to do that for some people i’m having a hard time coming up with a gift for!

    xxx
    http://www.ladyalamode.com

  • http://www.manhakins.blogspot.com Kinsey

    this is amazing :) ! Can’t wait to try! xx

    http://www.manhakins.blogspot.com

  • http://www.chicinvancity.com Bella

    Oooh! Excellent suggestions, will definitely be trying some of these for my upcoming ChristmasGirls Night! Speaking of holiday alcohol, every December I buy a bottle of Baileys and it becomes my Saturday morning coffee treat! Something to look forward to at the end of long, wintery week!
    Happy Holidays!
    Bella xo
    http://www.chicinvancity.com/

  • http://www.etsy.com/shop/modhuman?ref=si_shop Mod Human Vintage

    Although I am 32 weeks pregnant and cannot indulge in these delicious drinks this holiday season, I must admit that this is by far my favorite post of yours!!!
    What a wonderful idea and a perfect way to display it :)

    I love it Emily!

    Best Wishes!

    Kelly
    Mod Human Vintage

  • http://www.laceandfadedjeans.com/ Jess

    what a great gift idea!!

    http://www.laceandfadedjeans.com/

  • http://www.fromlemonstolimoncello.blogspot.com Wendy

    Emily, what is so inspiring about you is that you up the ante on everything. You take the classics and you add just enough of a twist to give it a whole new life. Thank you from Seattle!!! I look forward to each and every post.

  • http://www.glitterandganache.com glitter&ganache/Tabitha

    Oh! I’ve always wanted to do this! And I love your packaging too!

  • http://Vogueandvino.com Vogue + Vino

    Ah, you are so creative! Love love love the ideas! Thank you for the inspirations :)

    Vogueandvino.com

  • http://flyycoast2coast.wordpress.com L.Camille

    super creative! I love it

  • http://www.empirestilettos.com Empire Stilettos

    So incredibly creative Emily – I absolutely LOVE this post. I have been looking for ideas on “homemade” gifts and this hits the nail on the head! I am dying to know how you get your pictures to have the white/blank background. It looks so clean!

    http://www.empirestilettos.com

  • http://cjvzheartsyou.blogspot.com/ Chloe

    Oh how fun!! These would make great gifts, or some party fun!! Thank you for sharing!

  • http://www.wonderfulandmarvelous.tumblr.com Wonderful&Marvelous

    This is such a great idea!! How do you come up with stuff like this?? Love it. I definitely need to try this.
    xoxo
    Angi from Wonderful and Marvelous

  • http://itsthelittle-things.blogspot.com cassie

    i would be so happy to receive this. great idea. love the gel pen- haven’t used those since about 9th grade :)

    http://itsthelittle-things.blogspot.com

  • http://fablifeincalifornia.blogspot.com/ Erin

    Oh wow! I love this idea!!! This is something that people will use and enjoy and I love that you were able to put a personal twist on each one! I am impressed!!!

    Erin
    http://fablifeincalifornia.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com Maria @CheekyPinkTulip

    Fantastic, fantastic idea!!

    http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

  • http://www.covetcollectconnect.com Carly

    Love your ideas – have made sloe gin this year which I’m so looking forward to over Christmas party season.

    No one seems to have mentioned making flavoured vodka in the dishwasher. It’s totes easy and amazeballs. Open a good vodka, put your chocolate bar of choice into the neck of the bottle (you will lose some vodka – science, so boring!) and then close up and run through a dishwasher cycle. The heat melts the chocolate into the vodka. Then you simply freeze in the freezer until its at a temp you want it at. Guests – particularly men – are fascinated when you explain how you made it! Its the only time they’re prepared to discuss the dishwasher over dinner!

    In Europe I use toblerone a lot – not sure if you get that in the US. But any old chocolate will work.

    Yay for the festive season,
    cx

  • http://manolosmanicuresthismom.blogspot.com/ Yanira

    The perfect idea for my next get together! I love it!

    Yanira
    http://manolosmanicuresthismom.blogspot.com/

  • http://wtfwhatthefashion.blogspot.com/ Hannah

    i love the way you labeled everything

    wtfwhatthefashion.blogspot.com/

  • http://thehippinista.blogspot.com/ Hilary Hinrichs

    These would be great for gifts! I recently posted my wishlist.. I would not mind getting a tequila!

    XX Hilary
    http://thehippinista.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.busyworkingmama.com BusyWorkingMama

    Yummy, what a fun idea!!

  • http://becauseofmadalene.blogspot.com/ Christina

    Fabulous idea! I’m all over the lemon lavender! :)

    Christina
    http://becauseofmadalene.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.honeywhatscooking.com honeywhatscooking

    what a great great gift. this would make any lush so happy. :-) genial.

  • http://thekeypieces.blogspot.com Lou

    This is a great idea and I love the labels.

    Lou x
    http://thekeypieces.blogspot.com

  • http://craftyweekend.blogspot.com/ Rachel

    I am currently infusing chilli rum for my b/f – homemade gifts are the way forward! If you haven’t tried a chilli mojito you really must!

  • http://bywayofney.blogspot.com/ Chanel

    This is such a great and easy gift idea! Thanks for sharing.

    xo chanel
    http://bywayofney.blogspot.com

  • http://mstwirlyskirts.com Molliee

    love this idea for holiday gifts!

  • http://brittnjacob.blogspot.com brittany barney

    i love this idea with the jars, so cute and creative…your amazing!

  • http://www.thankfifi.com wendy

    I’m planning to make so sloe gin for xmas gifts this year (as soon as I find some sloe berries that is) and I’ve bought these same bottles to put it in! Lovely.x

  • http://palepinkandmusic.blogspot.com/ Iliana

    So perfect for a friends bday this weekend! doing some supply shopping tonight!

  • http://www.theafeminada.com Grace Escudero – The Afeminada

    That’s a great idea Emily! Love it.

    -Grace

    http://www.theafeminada.com

  • http://elleneinkauf.blogspost.com Ellen Einkauf Photography

    OH WOW this is an incredibly gift idea!! So much better than all those cookies that everyone gives out. At least in my friend circle, we would all die for this ;)