Minty-fresh booze: results of spearmint infused vodka

We sampled our mint infusion five days into the experiment, a day longer than we originally intended, due to circumstances beyond our experimental controls. Here's what it looked like before bottling:



By the way, we'd like to thank everyone who commented, both locally and on our LiveJournal feed, to help us determine whether the mint we used is spearmint or peppermint. Though a true consensus was not reached, we are operating under the assumption that it was indeed spearmint.

I wasn't looking forward to this sampling. The extra day of infusion only compounded my fears that the vodka would end up tasting like toothpaste. I prepared the first sample, swigged it back, and swiftly spat it out into the sink.



"Oh, God, that's horrible!" I declared, once my mouth regained functionality. "Your turn."

Wayland took several minutes to get his composure, without complete success; by the time he took his shot, he was still laughing at my misfortune.



Worse yet, he liked it! He said that the initial taste is a bit rough, but the back end was much better, releasing a whiff of freshness in the aftertaste. I tried it again, but again had to spit it out. I just couldn't stand the front end long enough to get to the good part.

And Wayland was smug about it, too.



It's possible that particulates were present in the samples, since we did not filter it until afterward. I don't believe there were any large enough to make a significant impact on the test, though. More than likely, it simply sat too long, though my initial fears may have also introduced bias to my evaluation.



At this point it was time to create a cocktail using the spearmint vodka, which was named with ultimate creativity.

Mint Chocolate Cream

Ingredients:
1-1/3 oz. Mad Scientician™ spearmint vodka
1-1/3 oz. Crème de Cacao
1-1/3 oz. Irish Cream

I didn't find the flavor of the mint vodka offensive in this drink; it was much more subdued. It simply... wasn't anything special.



Look closely into my eyes and you will see that I am not amused. YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME, DRINK.



Wayland's take on the drink was similar to that of the shot; it was only notable on the back end. At first, it's just a chocolate and cream drink; then the mint makes an appearance, but it's not the breath of fresh air he experienced after the straight vodka. In this diluted form, he described the mint as "an afterthought."



Brendan's score: 2 flasks out of 5
Wayland's score: 3.5 flasks out of 5
Overall score:

Is there a botanist in the house?

We've had a couple of helpful comments to the beginning of our Mint Vodka experiment, hoping to identify the type of mint we are infusing. I tasted one of the leaves, and have a feeling that it is indeed spearmint, but I've never tasted raw mint before and could be totally off the mark. It is branded "Kateri's Fresh Mint" if that is any help.

Here are some close-ups of the mint; you can click on them to see high-resolution versions. If any eagle-eyed readers can confirm whether we are using Mentha spicata or some other species, it would be much appreciated.

Let's hope it doesn't taste like toothpaste: Mint Vodka

This week, the Mad Scienticians are experimenting with a mint-infused vodka. We have also completed the pineapple experiment, and will be posting the results tomorrow.

We could only find fresh mint in one grocery store; unfortunately, it was in a vaguely-labeled package, so we're not sure if it's spearmint or peppermint (we're hoping spearmint). Eventually, we will get into the habit of shopping for low-demand infusion supplies at the farmer's market, instead of taking what we can find at the last minute (promise!)

First, we ate some Girl Scout Thin Mints to ensure we were in the proper minty mindset. Then Wayland began by rinsing six sprigs of mint.



We put the mint and vodka into a jar and let the infusion begin.





This is one of our easiest infusions yet, with the exception of Cinnamon and Pop Rocks. We're going to let it infuse for three or four days before sampling.