Yield: about 4 1/4 cups

750-ml bottle of vodka

2 cups peeled, sliced hothouse cucumber

1/4 to 1 cup sugar syrup

Cook’s notes: If measuring vodka in cups, figure about 3 1/4 cups. I prefer drinks that aren’t very sweet, so I only use 1/4-cup of sugar syrup. You can buy sugar syrup at Trader Joe’s or make your own. To make it, put 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add 2 cups granulated sugar. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool. Use funnel to place cooled syrup in a clean container that holds at least 1 1/2 cups. Seal and refrigerate up to 6 months.

Procedure:

1. Place vodka in a clean, 2-quart glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Soak the original bottle to remove label and let dry.

2. Add cucumber slices to vodka. Allow to sit in a cool dark location for 1 month, shaking the container a few times each week.

3. Strain mixture through fine sieve into a bowl. Discard the cucumber slices. Add the sugar syrup to taste. Using a funnel, pour the liqueur into the original bottle (or another sterile container). Label and date. Age for 1 month in cool, dark location.

Source: “Infused” by Susan Elia MacNeal