Liquors, Infusions and You

One of the most disheartening parts of trying to replicate the drink we had out last night is that our tiny kitchen can't hold everything that we'd need--we don't have the sheer room for Mason jars full of fruit infusing our vodka with flavor. What we do have, though, are more options that ever, including more things to substitute every day.

Like our industrious friends that take on microbrewing projects with specialty vinegars and vodkas, the most recent infusion alternative was born in a cramped New York apartment. The creators, one degree removed from the makers of the mixer Hypnotiq, came up with Lichido, a lychee liquor, to make lychee martinis easier on you. The family project, still being handled by the family of a doctor father and daughter, has recently entered a different level of family, the high-end bars of Morimoto, Phillipe, Chanto and Daniel. The taste is light, sweet and almost ethereal, the mix of guava, white peach and other juices making it easy to think of it as bit more summer, or somewhere else.

While we appreciate the fresh taste and kick of infusions (our favorite lychee martini is still Verlaine's), liquors are a great alternative. And it's worth trying what' s new, if only to show that your own bar can do it a bit differently and maybe even better than where you were last night.