Pear Vanilla Vodka at The Hotel George, How Divine....

The Very Chic Hotel George in Washington, DC

The Bar at the Bistro Bis in The Hotel George

Another view of the Bistro Bis

A meeting room at the hotel, love the decor!!

I was thinking about summertime drinks and reminisced about a wonderful infused vodka that I had at The Hotel George's Bistro Bis bar in Washington, DC. The decor was very hip and sophisticated. As I walked in, I was intrigued by the zinc bar with a large mirror and its very modern and stylish display of the liquors. The other thing to strike me was the huge vats of the infused vodkas that they had sitting on the bar. I chose the pear -vanilla infused vodka. It was served slightly chilled in a martini glass, the liquor was slightly cloudy and the taste had a perfect balance of the pear, vanilla and the vodka. The smell was divine, again an aromatic mix of the pear and vanilla, I wanted to dab it behind my ears!!

I had to try to make this infused concoction on my own!! I knew nothing of infusing vodka and after a few tips from bartenders and a few trials and errors, I came up with a delightful version of my own. This is what I did:

• Get a clean, air tight container large enough to hold the contents of a bottle of vodka.
  
• Place in a pear, peeled, cored and cut into a few pieces


• Place in a vanilla bean that has been washed and cut length wise (I did find that you could use a tbls of pure vanilla extract instead)


• Pour a bottle of vodka over the fruit, make sure it is completely covered. Wash and save the vodka bottle and cap to pour the vodka back in after it's infused.


• Make sure the container is properly sealed and place in a cool dry place for 1-2 weeks, agitating the container daily. The longer you leave the vodka infusing the stronger the flavor. I wanted a strong pear taste, so I left it for 2 weeks.


• After it's infused, line a funnel with cheesecloth or a coffee filter (something to strain the liquid) and pour it into the vodka bottle, seal and refrigerate or put in the freezer.


• Enjoy!!
  

This infused vodka is very good, smooth and silky in texture. It has been awhile since I have made it and I am going to try again soon!! It is very flavorful, so you can savor it in small sips, indulging all the way!!