Infuse Your Vodka With Pumpkin Spice To Drink The Essence Of Fall

Pumpkin spice is basically the unofficial flavor of fall, and you're probably most used to the taste in your coffee and baked goods. There are plenty of pumpkin spice items on the shelves in 2024, such as canned cinnamon rolls and avocado oil — but there's also a boozy option that you can craft in your own kitchen. So, before you host your next gathering, combine the popular autumn spice blend with vodka to make an infused pumpkin liquor or liqueur.

Infusing booze at home might sound intimidating, but that's not the case if you follow our pumpkin spice liqueur recipe. Let's talk about infusions to start, just in case you aren't familiar. Infusing requires letting flavor sources — such as herbs, spices, and sometimes vegetables — soak in distilled alcohol like vodka for hours or days until the spirit is imbued with their essence. In addition to these raw ingredients, you'll also need a mason jar or other airtight container, plus a strainer to remove the add-ins after they've boosted the liquor's flavor.

For our pumpkin spice vodka infusion, you'll want to soak clove, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon sticks in the spirit for a few days to give it an autumnal flare. For maximum flavor, use whole spices instead of the jarred ground ones in your spice cabinet. You can also add pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to really lean into the fall flavors. It's important to note that this pumpkin spice vodka will be a full-strength liquor as opposed to a lower-alcohol-by-volume liqueur – unless you cut it with the syrup and water the recipe calls for. 

If you're new to infusing alcohol to make flavored liquors, we have a few tips based on our recipe. First, toast the whole spices over medium heat for a few minutes with the likes of white pepper to enhance the flavors. When the nutmeg and other ingredients are fragrant, combine them with the vodka and let the infusion start. According to our recipe, it's best to steep the liquid for two days, shaking it every 12 hours to ensure a balanced flavor distribution. You can use it sooner, but the flavors won't be as pronounced. To allow your infusion to develop a stronger taste, let it steep longer — but keep in mind that ingredients like allspice and clove might become overbearing if you wait too long.

Now, you'll need to pick out the perfect cocktail to use your batch of homemade pumpkin spice liquor in. One option that's already fit for the flavors of the season is our gingered pumpkin and rum cocktail recipe – you can substitute the pumpkin spice vodka for the rum. You can also swap out the liqueurs in our refreshing red Sangria or floral white wine Sangria recipes to create batch-made cocktails for a spooky season dinner party. And if you can't wait to put your new infusion skills into action again, here's some additional information on how to make infused vodka, gin, and other alcohols.