More Infused Vodkas, From Bacon to Watermelon-Jalapeño The hot-pepper vodka recipe featured in my recent column is wonderfully simple and effective: all it takes is one bottle of vodka, one hot pepper and time. But when I asked around for other favorite infusions, dozens of other ideas popped up. Among them, the following: Bacon Basil Bergamot Black garlic Buddha's Hand Coriander Horseradish Kielbasa Kumquat Loquat seeds Mexican chocolate Pineapple Rose petal Shiso Skittles Sour cherry Tarragon Vanilla Watermelon-jalapeño Now, I like candy, bacon and sausage as much as the next person, but I'd rather keep the really sweet stuff and the meaty stuff on the side. It's the herbs, spices and nuts that appeal to me most. My friend Kate shared her ex-husband's ginger-vodka method: "He roasted unpeeled slices of ginger and put them into vodka, about a thumb's worth per liter, and let it sit for a week, a month, two months. It got stronger the longer it sat. I'm sure that would make a terrific chilled shot, but I suspect I'd also love it in a highball over lots of ice, topped up with soda and garnished with mint leaves or a sprig of rosemary. And Jennifer Dickinson, an anthropologist who provided the pepper-vodka recipe for the column (as well as background information on Ukrainian traditions), came through with a pine-nut preparation that sounds right up my alley: "Place 1 cup untoasted pine nuts in a bottle and fill with vodka. It is drinkable in a month or so, getting more intense in flavor over time. The best part is that you can keep the pine nuts in the bottle and keep topping up with vodka for a while and they will continue to flavor it. What do you like to use to flavor vodka? I'd love to see your recipes. And if you're not up for D.I.Y. vodka infusions, the Russian Samovar and the Russian Vodka Room in Manhattan have good selections.