A peach vodka tasting in two acts

Yikes! Okay, it looks like our relaunch didn't go as smoothly as we initially planned, but now we have a system! This from the guys who produced the catchphrase "Plans are overrated." Expect us to post more frequently in the future. For really!

We first tasted our peach vodka on a fine Thursday evening after four days of infusion. The research we conducted indicated that this would be plenty of time, but this was not to be. The vodka had attained a light orange-pink tint, but not much else. "This has very little peach flavor, no sweetness to speak of and is a bit sour," I wrote.

Wayland's take was similar. "There's definitely a strong vodka burn with this. I didn't get much peach flavor at all."

The vodka went back into the science fridge to infuse further. We tried it again a week later, for a total of 11 days of infusion. Our feelings were more mixed on this second try.

Wayland liked it in general but was slightly let down by it. "This is very good, except for the back end. It had a crisp, sweet front end, and a smooth, almost tasteless middle. It also left a sweet, peachy aftertaste. However, between the middle and the aftertaste, the vodka left a spoiler that marred an otherwise great vodka. This is good, but if not for the sour/burning back end, it would be great." (Wayland later clarified that the vodka had ruined the ending of that week's Stargate: Atlantis.)

I seemed to have gotten all the parts Wayland didn't like, but without the good parts to balance it. "Sourness is the wrong term for it. So is vodka burn. What I got is a tingling sensation that started dull and intensified through the back end. Quite unpleasant, though it does taste a little sweeter now."

We decided to give it some more time and see what happens. Of course, after that we kind of forgot about it, so it may have been left too long. But now it is in the system, so we will find out soon enough.

I could drink a peach for hours

Today, the Mad Scienticians are heading back into the lab to make a new vodka infusion. (You didn't think we were giving them up, did you?) This time, we are creating peach-infused vodka.



I don't know how the rest of the world associates peaches, but here the U.S., peaches are largely associated with the South; particularly Georgia and South Carolina. However, much as we learned about the kiwifruit, its history draws back much further than that. In fact, the peach and the kiwifruit share a common ancestry: both are native to China.

We obtained a large peach (the better to snack on the remaining portion) and sliced it thinly around the center pit.



We put a handful of peach slices into a science jar, poured in the vodka and topped it off with as many more slices as we could fit.



Our research indicates that this infusion should be fairly quick, no more than a few days.